Holidays are amazing and fun and …sometimes stressful. Let’s take a little stress out by being more eco-conscience and creating some reusable items.
Cloth easter eggs to be dyed then stuffed each year
With the prices of eggs this year, many people are looking for alternatives for dying and hiding Easter Eggs. I have to tell you though, I love this idea because of the zero-waste reusability more than the money saved.
A simple white cotton is ideal for these, but certainly see what fabric you have around your home that needs to be reused. Old tshirts work great!
Find an oval pattern that you like, cut out a bunch and sew them together (inside out), leaving a small gap.
You can use the easter egg dye they sell for a few bucks every season in all the stores, or use whatever dye you like to color your eggs. Tie Dye eggs are super cool. But remember, if the dye will color the eggs it will also stain the clothes you are wearing.
Once they are completely dry, you can stuff these beauties with candy and trinkets to be decorated or to let the Easter Bunny hide them.
Birthday and holiday bags
Okay, let’s talk about something we all deal with—gift wrapping. We’ve all been there, surrounded by a mountain of crumpled wrapping paper, bits of tape stuck to our fingers, and that sinking feeling as we shove everything into a trash bag. But what if I told you there’s a better, prettier, and way more sustainable way to wrap gifts? Enter: reusable gift bags!
1. Zero-Waste and Eco-Friendly
Let’s be real—most wrapping paper isn’t even recyclable, especially the shiny or glittery kind. But reusable fabric gift bags? They stay out of the landfill and can be used over and over again. You’re not just giving a present; you’re giving the planet a little love, too!
2. Saves You Time & Sanity
No more fighting with scissors and tape at midnight on Christmas Eve! Just pop the gift in the bag, pull the drawstring (or tie a cute ribbon), and BOOM – you’re done. Wrapping has never been easier! Where was this with four kiddos of my own?!?
3. Saves Money in the Long Run
Yes, you might pay a little more upfront for fabric gift bags, but you won’t have to keep buying rolls of wrapping paper, tape, and bows every year. Plus, if you’re crafty, you can even make your own from scrap fabric or old clothes! That favorite sweatshirt with the ragged sleeves now has a new life, a new purpose!
4. They Look Gorgeous
There’s just something extra special about a beautifully wrapped gift in a fabric bag. You use bags that you made yourself or you supported a local business by purchasing it. They look amazing and you feel amazing.
5. It Becomes Part of the Gift
Think about it: instead of wrapping that cute candle or book in disposable paper, you’re giving your friend a beautiful bag they can use for their own gifting (or repurpose however they like). It’s a gift within a gift!
How to Get Started with Reusable Gift Bags
- Buy or create a few in different sizes so you’re ready for any occasion.
- Try making your own if you sew! It’s a great way to use up fabric scraps.
- Save cute fabric pouches from other purchases—sometimes stores give them with jewelry or small gifts! Fancy alcohol comes in some cool pouches, too.
- Encourage friends and family to re-use them (or swap them around like a gift-wrapping tradition).
So next time you’re staring down a roll of paper that somehow never cuts straight, consider switching to reusable gift bags. They’re easy, eco-friendly, and totally stylish! Plus, you’ll never have to deal with that dreaded wrapping paper mess again. Win-win!
Holiday cards & party decorations (any season) turned into postcards or gift tags or decorations
Holiday cards are gorgeous or funny and pretty cool, that’s why we buy or make them. But then they get stuffed in a box or recycled. Let’s get one more use out of them and make someone else smile.
There’s a few different things we can do to reuse cards. Most are regular sized and we can cut off the interior/personalized note and turn them into a postcard. The typical postcard size is 4.5×6”. However, they can actually vary quite a lot and qualify for the card rate. The minimum size (mostly to not get jammed in a machine) is 3.5×5”, but they can be as large as 6×9”. Holiday cards typically fall in this range. You need to have the delivery address clear and easy to read, a stamp firmly affixed, and I recommend leaving a ½” clear at the bottom as there is often a scanned sticker affixed by the post office to the bottom. The rest, you can decorate or write how you like. You could be really frugal and save this year’s cards to mail out next year for the holiday season, or you could just brighten someone’s day with random notes this year before and after the main holiday dates.
Sometimes, people write all over the cards and make them difficult to use as postcards. These can often be trimmed down to the central design as used as gift tags. More than likely, you can find a good part of the design with blank space on the back, or maybe even the front, to write the To:/From: and names. These can be taped right on a gift, or a little fancier with a punched hole and ribbon or string through it.
Last but not least, one can consider decorating with the trimmed designs. Cards are typically printed on thicker paper and can be trimmed to be used as tree decorations (again, punch a hole and add string or ribbon) or even tucked on wreathes or leaned up against a mantel. The possibilities are pretty endless. I once saw someone create their own Christmas village scene with cards cut and mounted to cardboard. It was really cute, though it never would have survived my children and cats.
Used wrapping paper can sometimes be turned into decorations too, by trimming and mounting to recycled cardboard, but honestly, most wrapping paper is pretty cheap these days and rips so easily that it tends to get reused as packing material and fire starters. I would love to know what other ways you recycle or upcycle your used wrapping paper.
A Gift That Keeps On Giving
This idea isn’t about reusing and may not exactly follow the theme of this post, but it’s certainly related. I strongly believe that some gifts ought to be practical (new winter jacket, or basketball shoes, or something needed), some gifts ought to be purely for fun – a new book, game, jewelry, etc. But I also think some gifts should be experiences or skills. We used to always include a season ski pass to our local mountain for Christmas. It was a big gift (expensive) but it was also something that we used most weekends and winter vacations.
For many people right now, they want to learn some “old skills” or ways to be self-sufficient. Maybe a brewing course or a woodworking course would make sense. Maybe a fun afternoon of a cake decorating class or a paint & sip would be fun to do together. Not all skills have to be for self-sufficiency, some can be hobbies and just for fun. And while our childhood memories often center around family gatherings and traditions, you can also intentionally make memories by planning a weekend getaway to a ropes course/go kart/whatever resort, or a “big” game or concert, or a family camping trip, or beach bungalow and whale watching excursion. There are so many possibilities.
Consider giving gifts of experiences, whether trips or skill building, rather than things for some of your gift giving. We all have stuff, but memories and knowledge are priceless.
What are some ideas that you have?
Previous posts you may be interested in:
9 Easy Eco-Friendly Choices We Made
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Drop a comment to tell me your small steps to reduce waste or have a zero-waste holiday (and save money, too!).
