Ditch the wrapping paper and learn to wrap your gift with cloth this holiday season . This eco - friendly swap could n’t be comfortable .

Part of the joyfulness of Christmas morning is catch a loved one opened a gift you picked out just for them . And while it ’s what ’s inside the software program that matter , it feels expert to have endowment beautifully wrapped under your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . But once our natural endowment are unwrapped , the wrapping newspaper goes into the trash . ( Most wrap paper ca n’t be recycledbecause of all the dye , laminate , and shining additives . ) The result is that an average of 4 million pounds ( more than 333 million square pes ) of swathe paperare thrown off every year . you could help slim that routine while placing beautiful present under your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree by wrapping gifts in fabric .

swap outwrapping paperfor pretty fabric is one of our favoriteeasy ways to go green . You will not only be green but also write green . According to a cogitation , Americans expend around $ 7 billion on wrapping paperevery class . Patterned material is a one - fourth dimension purchase you may recycle every class or encourage your recipient to recycle .

colorful grid of fabric wrapped gifts

Credit: Jacob Fox

wrap gifts with textile is hardheaded too ! Fabric ’s pliability means it covers odd - shaped items and wo n’t tear at corner . When you ’re done shopping , take hold of a patterned scarf or piece of fabric , and start wrapping .

Traditional Bow Wrapping

This method acting is similar to the wrap method you are plausibly most familiar with . Any character of fabric can be used , but we recommend a bit about four times as large as the airfoil area of your gift . Try using a square patterned scarf or dishtowel .

Step 1: Place Gift and Fold

Place the gift diagonally in the centre of attention of a straight piece of textile . ensure the edges of the software program are perpendicular to the edges of the fabric . Fold the bottom exit quoin of the textile up and over the side of the gift .

Step 2: Pull and Fold Fabric

While have got the bottom left recession in home , enclose the top right corner over the gift and hold in place . wrinkle the fabric along the right boundary of the gift ( the same way you would wrapping composition ) and pull the border taut as you press down on the top of the giving with your other hand .

Step 3: Tie Fabric Ends

institute the right folded edge over the top of the gift and hold . reprise the process on the left side . attach the ends into a classic bowto secure the fabric . If a corner of fabric does n’t stay tucked , unassailable with double - peg tape measure .

Single Knot Wrapping

This method acting is similar to the method above but employ dissimilar techniques to see no corners come loose .

Step 1: Fold Fabric Over Gift

Place the gift diagonally in the gist of a square slice of material . lend the bottom left-hand nook up to the opposite border of the bundle . But rather than folding the corner under the giving , fold it under itself so the pen up edge lines up exactly with the package edge . Repeat with the paired quoin .

Step 2: Gather Fabric Edges and Pull Upward

scrunch up and fold the cloth at each end like you would paper . Bring both ends to the middle . The trick to this step is to keep a hand on the top of the gift at all multiplication so that the framework around the center of the gift does n’t become on the loose .

Step 3: Knot Fabric Tails

interbreed one end over the other , pulling tightly . or else of splice a bowing , sweep the ends over each other again to form a international nautical mile . tighten up the knot so it holds the fabric in place .

Double Knot Wrapping

Use this technique for great or odd - molded gift . A large square or rectangular piece of framework ( such as an oversize scarf , solve best for this method acting .

Step 1: Place Gift and Pull Fabric Over

Place the gift in the centre of the textile and land the top and bottom corners together , cross them in the center while holding the cloth in place with one hand .

Step 2: Tie Fabric Ends in Knots

Tie the two rump in a international nautical mile on top of the package . Repeat with the side corners to create a second Calidris canutus on the gift , securing the fabric in position . Once the gifts are unwrapped , lay in the fabric for use of goods and services later !

white box sitting diagonally on pink square fabric

white cardboard box wrapped in pink fabric

folding pink flowered fabric in diagonal thirds over box

folding point at end of pink flowered fabric

folding pink flowered fabric over box

pink fabric present tying bow

making first smooth edge in square blue patterned fabric

folding smooth edge patterned blue fabric

folding blue patterned fabric in tie shape

wrapping blue patterned fabric around box

tying blue patterned fabric around box

tying knot in blue patterned fabric around box

tying bright colorful fabric around large box

colorful scarf tied into gift wrap first knot

colorfule scarf tied into gift wrapping tight knot

colorful scarf tied into gift wrapping