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Friday Favorite: Brown Paper

December 6th, 2013

When I was in 2nd grade, we took kraft paper and crumpled it up over and over again to make faux suede. With this suede we made vests. Ever since then I’ve loved kraft paper and have used it for wrapping gifts.
brown paper packages 1
Whenever I get a package that uses brown kraft paper as the packing material I save it in my wrapping stash. Brown paper bags of all shapes & sizes are saved as well. I love that this paper can be used throughout the year, no need to keep holiday, birthday and other wrapping around.
brown paper packages 2
I also have a box filled with scraps from ribbon, these add a bit of beauty to the humble brown paper. Sometimes I make tags, other times I buy them. I love the simplicity of this paper!

Do you wrap gifts simply or do you like to go all out with your wrapping?

13 Comments to “Friday Favorite: Brown Paper”
  1. daisy on December 6, 2013 at 7:22 am

    We use butcher paper too and save it from packages that arrive in the mail. I used to stamp it for holiday paper, but have moved toward a more simple wrapping style. It always looks good and is so versatile. The best part is that it can be recycled!

    Reply to daisy's comment

  2. Adelina Anderson on December 6, 2013 at 7:43 am

    I generally go all out on wrapping paper. But I love to recycle fabric ribbons. Any gifts that come our way I reuse the ribbon. I go to yard sales looking for ribbon. If twine is in good condition, I will use it as a package embellishment.

    Reply to Adelina Anderson's comment

  3. Lorna on December 6, 2013 at 9:28 am

    It was difficult to find wrapping paper when we lived in the Middle East, so I started using packing paper of any color and kind; the boys drew and painted pictures all over and we left it out for Santa to wrap their gifts with. I still like the humble brown paper bag with ribbon and tags, but I also have a growing collection of home-made cloth gift bags that we use and re-use year after year. I usually buy a new pattern after the holidays when it goes on sale and make them up over the winter.

    Reply to Lorna's comment

  4. Nebraska Dave on December 6, 2013 at 9:48 am

    Susy, when I was a kid we used the funny papers from the newspaper some times. In today’s culture very few of the people I know wrap presents. They buy gift bags and stuff that light airy fluffy paper scrunched up on top of it. It all goes to the lack of time and busy schedule which results in presents in the bag. Wrapping paper for the season is usually on sale and when I wrap a present that is usually what I use.

    When my grandkids were small, I would wrap their Christmas presents and pack them in one big box. The outside of the boxes would be Santa Claus wrapping. Then off it would go through the mail to Las Vegas, Nevada and Green River, Wyoming. Now that they have grown into teenage girls (only one grandson and he lives with me), I just send gift cards because who can figure out what teenage girls want from 1200 miles away. Besides, I am not a creative gift finder.

    Have a great gift wrapping day.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

    • Susy on December 6, 2013 at 10:43 am

      Our nieces & nephew LOVE gifts wrapped in the funnies!

      Reply to Susy's comment

    • Joan on December 6, 2013 at 10:52 am

      That’s how we wrapped presents too! I used to love to do it. Now I read the paper online, so no more funnies.

      I do often use bags for wrapping, not because I’m lazy but because there is a lot less waste. I have to admit though that I prefer to unwrap presents than to pull them out of a bag. My mom always wraps things in beautiful paper with really gorgeous ribbons and I love to get these as gifts. The unwrapping is almost more fun than what is inside.

      Reply to Joan's comment

  5. Deb on December 6, 2013 at 12:49 pm

    Why would one waste money and time on the wrapping? One tears it off anyway and then it’s tossed most of the time. For big gifts we use black garbage bags, can be reused for trash, and small gifts funny papers or free gift bags that get used over and over. Spend more on the gifts themselves and save Mother Earth from the trash.

    Reply to Deb's comment

  6. pam (Sidewalk Shoes) on December 6, 2013 at 2:02 pm

    I love brown craft paper too. When my girls were little, I bought a big roll of it and some simple craft stamps, and they stamped designs and made their own wrapping paper.

    Reply to pam (Sidewalk Shoes)'s comment

  7. DebbieB on December 6, 2013 at 4:08 pm

    We use either brown craft paper or gift bags (when we have them). I always save gift bags when I receive gifts in them, and reuse them for future gifts.

    Reply to DebbieB's comment

  8. Donna A. on December 6, 2013 at 5:16 pm

    Gosh, I love the look of kraft paper.
    I myself usually go the simple route and buy a simple paper… I don’t like the kinds that are obvious for the season though. Sometimes I can find a neutral colored gift wrap around the holidays that then I use year-round.
    But that’s a good tip for kraft paper… I’ll have to make a mental note of that once I’m situated in my own place. Hehe.

    Reply to Donna A.'s comment

  9. Marcia on December 6, 2013 at 7:00 pm

    I’m all thumbs when it comes to wrapping gifts. They look like… (excuse me gentlemen) a man wrapped them while being blindfolded. So maybe I should use Kraft paper since it’s sturdier and could withstand my treatment of it.

    Reply to Marcia's comment

  10. Wendy on December 6, 2013 at 11:56 pm

    I used to love wrapping gifts with paper and ribbon. A couple of years ago though I made a big stack of reusable fabric bags with ribbons attached and drastically cut down my time spent wrapping. Now we just wash and dry the bags, fold them, and store them for next year–one of the best things I’ve ever done.

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  11. Maybelline on December 6, 2013 at 11:58 pm

    I like to wrap with a purpose. For example: tea towels, maps, scarves, bandanas, etc.

    Reply to Maybelline's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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