Last year I bought a bunch of bags from 1bagatatime.com which are reusable shopping bags and wrapped all my presents in there. It was almost like a double gift and I didn't waste a whole bunch of paper!

great idea syako!

I have been known to wrap non-holiday gifts in the funny papers with a raffia bow. we got our wedding dishes from a store that wrapped everything in brown kraft boxes, so I saved those and last year "wrapped" presents in those with big pretty red/brown plaid bows.

I should do it more often.

Calendars are a great idea. Never thought of that before.

For small gifts I almost always use scrapbook paper.

I am known for giving gifts wrapped in newspaper...they are going to end in the trash anyway

Last year my mom and I challenged each other to a wrapping duel. LOL The only rules were that you couldn't buy anything to use as wrapping (unless it was part of the gift) and traditional wrapping paper was off limits. It turned out to be really fun and we were amazed with our own creativity. We're continuing the tradition this year. Calendars are a new idea to me. Great suggestion!

Hippiecowgirl - I wanna see pics of your creations. You should post them when the time comes!

I normally use plain colored gift bags from Target (very inexpensive) so that people can reuse them.

hippiecowgirl that sounds so cute and fun!

I am super bad about sneaking a peek at presents, so last year my husband wrapped mine in multiple layers of paper, boxes, duct tape, and put coins in the boxes so he could hear if I tried to pry them open for a peek in the night. It was hilarious, though not very eco-friendly with all that waste!

I love wrapping gifts! I think it is fun. But I am not creative enough to make my own, so I use the traditional paper. My boyfriend thinks he is "wrapping" gifts by putting gifts into brown paper bags.

I try to only use recyclable materials when wrapping gifts.

A good piece of scrap ribbon can make any wrapping look elegant.

My father to runs an small aerial photography business where the photos printed are about 2 1/2 feet by 2 feet. So we have always used the photos that were a little to green or yellow as wrapping paper. We have to use packaging tape because the photos are so thick and shinny! Everyone loves it!
Now I live away from home and I am using brown paper bags that I am decorating, not nearly as fun...sigh.

I have reused calendars before but never as wrapping paper - what a fab idea!

Most recently, I either recycle used wrapping paper, bags, ribbon,etc. or buy wrapping paper and bags from a Dollar Store, which sells all its gift wrap for $1.00 or less (sometimes 2 for
$1.00. If you haven't yet tried these, you must. You will save a lot of cash.

I've done it before. My best friend in high school wrapped a CD she bought for me in Charmin and used Band-Aids instead of tape. I have been known to use that idea with some of my friends, they love it.

I usually stick to traditional gift wrapping paper, but this year I've seen a lot of ideas for other ways to wrap gifts, so I'm thinking I may start to do this!

I grab copies of the Onion in my building's lobby and use that.

I am doing so this year. Whenever I bought special paper for an art class from the art supply store, it was wrapped in a roll of plain brown paper, kind of like the paper grocery bags. I am using that paper to wrap my gifts this year as I just don't have money to go out and buy wrapping paper in addition to peoples' gifts. And its not really about the economy for me, its more of the fact that I'm a college student and therefore don't have much money and that I think it would be incredibly wasteful to just throw away the paper.

HappyKate-- that sounds awesome! What a cute idea

i used newspaper with a bow, ribbons and i thought it look so cute as wrapping for a friends gift and she was so upset about it, i dont know why the problem is? anyway she just gave me my gift in those hideous bags, ugh! at least i know i tried...

We want to invite your readers to put their creativity to the test by entering Ecoscene's "Alternative Wrapping Paper Contest." Click on the following link for more information: http://www.ecosceneinc.com/blog/index.cfm/2008/12/19/Alternative-Wrappin...