Whether its an ostentatious bow or shiny and glittery wrapping paper - beautiful gifting is all about those finishing touches and we all adore a well-wrapped gift. Personally wrapping presents while listening to Christmas classics is one of my favourite things to do during the festive season. Half the joy is seeing your beautifully wrapped presents piled beneath the Christmas tree, waiting patiently to be unwrapped in a flurry by children, family and friends. But as soon as presents are opened, excessive amounts of frolicking reindeer, rosey cheeked Santa wrapping paper is whipped up, thrown into the bin after one use and in January makes its one way trip to the landfill. The biggest problem is most types of wrapping materials can’t be recycled due to the mix of materials like metallic foil, glitter and glossy paper.

But don’t let the wasteful nature of gift wrap take away that feel good feeling of gift-giving. If like me, you’d like your Christmas gift wrapping to be more eco-friendly, take note of these earth-friendly alternatives. I have put together a list of ideas to let your creativity shine through in making the most ordinary gift extraordinary.

BROWN KRAFT PAPER

Brown Kraft paper to wrap a gift can be very elegant and creative. The simplicity of the plain paper gives you the opportunity to create your own festive designs that everyone will love. For the fraction of the cost of “normal” wrapping paper, Kraft paper is extremely versatile not to mention it’s biodegradable and recyclable.

FORAGE NATURAL DECORATIONS

Complement the rustic look of the Kraft paper by decorating the gifts with some natural materials. Think small cuttings from a real Christmas tree, pinecones, holly leaves or winter berries. Present trimmings borrowed from nature not only look chic but are easily sourced from your garden, local woodlands or park. Finish the look with natural twine.

FRAGRANT WRAPPING

Add a touch of winter scented dried fruit to your wrapping by simply threading a couple of orange slices with natural twine wrapped around your present. Best paired with cinnamon sticks. As well as being a classic holiday treat, dried oranges are my favourite present trimming. They will make your home smell amazing in the process of making the festive decoration. Don’t have time to dry out some orange slices? Grab some sprigs of Rosemary from your kitchen cupboard!