Sustainable & Natural Gift Wrapping
For Christmas 2020, maybe more so than any other year, many of us want to put a little extra thought into our festive gifts, whether that’s what we choose to give or how to make presents look and feel more special.
For us, carefully considered gift giving not only means choosing super relevant, practical and beautiful ideas (foodie gifts, edible treats and stylish home ideas always go down SO well!) but reflecting our values, like avoiding waste and supporting sustainability – something that’s really close to our hearts this year. It feels really important when we can’t be with those we love that we show friends, family and neighbours how much we care as well as considering our impact on the planet.
For the first time ever we have a range of fully recyclable wrapping paper with a ‘recycle me’ grid print on the reverse so your gift recipient knows they can pop it in the recycle bin. This clever grid also doubles as a guide to help you create perfect folds and sharp scores, to hold wrap in place without using sticky tape or glue (this makes sure everything can be recycled) as showcased by home interiors enthusiast and upcycler Jonathon Marc Mendes with his creative take on how to use our more eco-friendly gift wrap.
We just love Jonathon’s creative take as it’s so on trend with this year’s woodland/natural themes and it’s just perfect for bringing the outside in. All these natural embellishments are easy to find in your garden or a stroll around your local woods or park (which is also great for a Vitamin D boost). Simply gather a few foraged pieces and you’ll take our plain craft wrapping paper to another level by working bold, seasonal hues like red, green and white into super luxe wrapping.
This contemporary look is easy to achieve with Jonathon’s step by step video but you can easily put your own twist on it with a huge variety of different combinations.
Why not pick base colour for each family member and then contrast it with a different coloured ribbon? Once you’ve wrapped the ribbon around each parcel multiple times – remember that helps keep the paper firmly in place - it makes it very easy to weave in all sorts of natural decorations.
Red and green is a classic combination with a piece of luscious green ivy or sprig of fir for a fragrant twist. These traditional types of foliage have been brought indoors for decades at this time of year as they last so well. Try adding dried seed heads like sycamore keys gently woven under the twine to hold perfectly in place.
Red berries like rose hips look fabulous against snow white with natural ribbon or in contrast to dark green twine. This is the perfect time of year as you’re tidying up the garden to look for sculptural elements in your flowerbeds. Dried allium heads, teasels and poppy heads all make beautiful embellishments. Dried leaf skeletons, lavender, grasses or feathers from game birds like pheasants and grouse also give a stunning country look that keeps it 100% natural.
As well as wrapping the gifts to give this Christmas, we love this style of wrap to make standout pieces for a mantlepiece, clustered under a mini tree or for place settings on your festive table.
About Jonathon Marc Mendes
Jonathon is a furniture artist, interiors enthusiast, photographer and part-time hairdresser who lives in lovely Lincolnshire with his husband and cat. Jonathon loves to share his passion for painting by teaching through workshops both in person and online, and was Annie Sloan’s Painter in Residence in 2017 which took him all over the world to share his skills. A big lover of upcycling and interior design on a budget, he has been able to use this passion to renovate his Edwardian home, and is kindly sharing some of that expertise with us!
Photo credit: Jonathon Marc Mendes
Find out more about Jonathon Marc Mendes
https://www.instagram.com/jonathonmarcmendes_paintedlove/