Reuse gift wrapping?

[LadyinRed]

So I realize this is not quite exactly thrifting, the regifting post made me wonder about my wrapping paper reuse habits.  Does anyone else do this?  Is this a sin worse than regifting?

I am often guilty of unwrapping larger gifts (early in the Christmas) carefully and reusing the paper to wrap other gifts if the paper is still nice.  I pull the bows off and reuse them as well.  I also reuse gift bags (just ripping off the matching, attached card and supplying my own).

I am torn (no pun intented) between feeling bad about being so wasteful with all that paper and the fact that nicely wrapped gifts are just so pretty and special!

[LadyinRed]

(early in the Christmas)

Oops, that should say "early in the Christmas SEASON".  Sorry

[superiorgirl]

My parents grew up during the depression when everything was treasured and reused until it disintigrated. I was brought up to open packages gently and save the paper. A few years back we threw gentle to the wind, and ripped things open with abandon. Wow! It was a transformation! I gave up on reusing paper. I do save the gift bags and the pretty bows and use them over. I think it's more fun to open a wrapped package than one in a gift bag, no matter how cool looking they are.

[Other People s Junk]

I used to save wrapping paper and ribbon, but any more I just throw it out.  The change came when I moved across country... I had to reduce my plethera of STUFF, and that was one of the things that I could let go of.  I still will reuse gift bags. 

[SecondhandSophisticate]

I reuse whatever I can whenever I can. I make an honest effort, but do not beat myself up if it's not possible.  I reused three gift bags today for gifts, but used new paper (free in the mail) and tags recycled from Christmas cards. The gifts were new, but purchased at 50% off. The Christmas cards were also free in the mail as were the mailing labels.

Some people are insulted if you give them reused things or papers.  To them (in my personal experience) it means the gift giver (in this case, me) is cheap. 

Of course, this was before they had kids, lol. Now they may feel because the people here are making a mess for future generations, we all have to recycle every little thing because "Don't you know the kind of world you're leaving for "the (read: my) children?"  of course, forgetting all children matter, not just theirs. Human nature is so fascinating, isn't it?  

[ChrisMiss]

I too have reused wrapping paper and of course the bows, ribbons, gift bags, etc.  But now since we have the RV I can't keep all that any more. 

[Femme1]

I think some people probably consider me cheap, too, because I reuse everything. Now I realize just how much I learned at my mother's knee, a child of the depression who can't stand to throw anything away. (Everytime she visits, she brings a bagful of semi-rotten fruit and vegetables that she's been saving---ack!)  I save wrapping paper, but I also find new wrapping paper (mostly the flat folded variety) in thrifts. Sometimes it's really vintage and very cool. Cards, too---I find a lot of great vintage cards and use those. People get a kick our of them.

For Xmas wrapping, I sometimes use brown paper bags or tissue paper and stamp it using homemade foam or potato stamps and craft paint. Simple designs like Xmas trees or just geometric shapes. Really nice, and people seem to love the look of the packages.

[foutchie]

I love the look of  packages wrapped in brown paper that's been stamped - very "homey" and has lots of character, creativity, etc.

[ChrisMiss]

The comic section of the newspaper makes nice wrapping paper too.  I like reusing the brown paper bags but so many stores don't even offer those any longer.

[valleythriftshopper]

If you receive a gift wrapped in good quality paper I would by all means save it.  Most of the wrapping paper sold at the discount/drug stores is so cheap it tears while I am trying to wrap the present.  Someone donated a bunch of really nice quality rolls of wrapping paper at one of my local thrifts several months ago and even though I did not think I needed more paper I could not resist buying a few rolls at 10 cents a roll!  I am glad I did because it was so much nicer than the thin paper I got on sale at the Hallmark store last year.  When my family unwraps their gift next week, I'll be snatching that paper back up!

[oceangurl]

I too reuse gift bags and bows, not so much the wrapping paper unless it comes off the package in one piece (then I snatch it up!). My sisters and brothers think Iam cheap because I also regift alot, but I usually only will regift something when it is brand new and was given to me and I dont want or need it, In fact Iam going to my Mother-in-laws for the Christmas holiday and I just wrapped a gift someone had given to me last year but I had never used, it is brand new in the box and is a bottle and jar opener by Black and Decker, I wasnt able to get to the stores much this last week, although I did do a little shopping so I went into my spare bedroom, which is full of alot of things, clothes, cosmetics, whatnots, and I did some shopping in there, I was able to furnish my Mother-in-law , two sister-in-laws and one neice with gifts that came out of that room, all brand new so see I did pretty good!

[Scott]

We don't have the space to save and reuse wrapping paper, but then again we only very rarely purchase wrapping paper from the store. This year I wrapped my presents in either vintage paper, or brown paper bags and twine with white paper "snowflakes" like kids make by folding and cutting patterns in a sheet of typewriter paper. My wive cobbled together some really neat looking wrapping paper out of a handful of old New Yorker magazines -- some of those illustrations and photographs make very nice colorful wrap.

But then again, I'm cheap.

[oceangurl]

Sounds like nice wrapping paper Scott! Way  cool! and a good idea about the New Yorkers magazines, I love their cartoons and in its day it was a great mag!

[dukek9]

I don't reuse gift wrapping paper, but I do try to stock up on wrapping paper after Christmas, with a special eye out for those that aren't too Christmassy.  For example, last year I got Scotch wrapping paper in the familiar Scoth plaid in a varieties of colors which have served a great deal of wrapping needs.

I also like to use the good quality wrapping paper for drawer liners.  I guess it is just fun for me to open a drawer and see my "unique" linings!

Dee

[Jay2TheRescue]

I don't reuse gift wrapping paper, but I do try to stock up on wrapping paper after Christmas, with a special eye out for those that aren't too Christmassy.  For example, last year I got Scotch wrapping paper in the familiar Scoth plaid in a varieties of colors which have served a great deal of wrapping needs.

I also like to use the good quality wrapping paper for drawer liners.  I guess it is just fun for me to open a drawer and see my "unique" linings!

Dee

I find vintage shelf paper in thrifts very cheap.  Last time I bought shelf paper it was white with ugly orange and avocado green daisies, still factory sealed.  It was so ugly it was cool.  I think I bought the roll for $.25.

-Jay