Nothing new for Christmas: Ditch the wrapping
Christmas doesn’t have to be expensive, wasteful or plastic-filled. Take Living Smart’s Buy Nothing new for Christmas challenge.
Join a workshop, check out our videos or get creative with some of our ideas below for a plastic-free, waste-free Christmas.
Craft cards, ornaments and gift tags workshop – December 13th
Join Living Smart at the NightQuarter Repair Lab for our Handcrafted Christmas: Gift Cards, Ornaments and Gift Tags workshop. Using recycled materials, make your own wrapping paper and card for that special gift at Christmas.
Don’t buy your ornaments and add to the waste pile, make them out of repurposed and foraged materials! Stars, snowflakes and Christmas angels….all out of recycled old items and foraged materials. Cost: Wishlist Foundation donation plus NightQuarter entry fee.
Wrap alternatives
Australians use about 150,000 km of wrapping paper a year. That’s enough to go around the world 4 times!
Avoid wrapping completely by making or buying gifts that don’t need wrapping such as experiences, vouchers, local hampers or hand made gifts such as jams, sweet treats or shortbread.
Why not try and make your own reusable and special gift boxes – check out this video with local artist Gretchen Keelty.
Check out Get creative with handmade and upcycled presents for details.
Eco-friendly wrap and card options
There are loads of eco-friendly wrap and card options. Here are just a few:
- Turn old t-shirts, pillow cases or other fabric into gift wrap and tie with twine
- Reuse wrap or gift boxes given to you by other people
- Choose plain brown paper and embellish with fabric ribbon
- Upcycle fabric shopping bags
- Make your own cards and gift tags from items you have at home
- Decorate plain cardboard boxes
- Reuse mailing boxes.
Do you have a creative idea to add? How is your family embracing the Buy nothing new challenge this Christmas? Living Smart would love to hear from you. Email us or comment below.
