Old time gift wrapping paper

My dad grew up during the depression and long after those economic dark days ended he saved the colored weekend comic pages to use as gift wrapping paper for Christmas and other special occaisons.

I followed in the tradition and have spread cultural shock to many visitors to my home during the holidays. I feel that it displays a mindset of thrift and repurposing to people on a level they have never considered but certainly contemplate after examining wrapped gifts under the tree at Christmas.

 

Very Cool thread. My Grand Parents used to use the butcher paper and roofing paper they would always get, and they had the shops in town save up extra for them. Grand Ma would then wrap and tie with twine and then decorate with frilly things she found. Nothing ever went to waste in that house, she never used tape, only twine, and we were all instructed to pull the tag ends of the string to untie our gifts!

 

My mother lived through the depression and still saves ribbons, bows and gift boxes some of that stuff goes back decades..
She is still a scratch baker and rarely throws away any food item.

 

@Oltymer My parents did the same with our birthday gifts. At Christmas we carefully opened the presents to save the ribbon and wrapping. Each year a different relative kept all the paper and ribbons. I remember as a working teen I started dropping off all my gifts to be wrapped by a Ladies club. My family gave me a lot of grief for "paying someone to wrap your gifts". I still catch hell about it whenever I go back home..

 

LOL my grandma used the comics for wrapping paper too.

The problem today is that hardly anyone under the age of 70 still reads an actual paper newspaper. Hello, iPhone! For what Sunday newspapers cost, it is probably cheaper to buy actual wrapping paper.

 

Since I don't normally buy newspapers (especially weekend ones), I don't think it would even be thrifty for me to do this.

 

My wife is a feverishly fanatic bow and gift bag saver! Does come in handy!

 

Haha, Mine too Sarg! Those fancy gift boxes especially. Nice Avatar BTW, I have not see one of those in a VERY long time!

 

We always ask for 'paper' at the store.

Add a little custom ART (with stencils) and bang - upcycled paper wrap. We save the newspaper and scrap bamboo for kites....

 

I wonder how many trophy reindeer have been taken with a bow and gift bag???

 

Ha I used to do that with presents. My nephews thought I was being retro chic and were quite impressed. However, I haven't bought a newspaper in decades now and comics aren't easy to come by for me any more.

These days tho, I go to Dollar Tree and get the gift bags, a buck each or sometimes 2 or 3 for a buck. We make recipient tags and tie them to the little ribbon handles. Then, after all the presents are opened, the tags go into the trash and the bags just get folded back up and put into the bottom of my decoration totes. I've got some gift bags I know for sure are at least 6 years old because I changed my decoration "themes" around 6 years ago and they're still the old red/gold/green instead of the current ivory/silver/burlap. Cheapest holiday wrapping I've ever had, I think.

 

I have used the black and white newspaper then used a colorful ribbon, it turned out quite pretty. I also use dried weeds and leaves, spray paint them and attach to the package. Using a brown paper bag with some red and silver leaves and some twine is really pretty.