Handmade Holidays- Waste Not
I always find the amount of waste generated by Christmas a bit depressing. Wasted time shopping crowded malls, wasted money, wasted resources. The Clean Air Council has some pretty disturbing stats about the amount of waste Americans generate each year, including this one
In the U.S., an additional 5 million tons of waste is generated during the holidays. Four million tons of this is wrapping paper and shopping bags.
Yikes. This year I’m trying to make sure that our holiday celebrations leave less of an impact on the earth. Most of the gifts I give will be handmade. If it’s something I can’t make myself, it’s going to be something useful and re-usable. Reusable water bottles, grocery bags, and produce bags are a few gifts on my list this year. I’m giving gifts in re-usable bags, skipping all of the tissue paper, boxes and bows that wind up in the trash when Christmas is over.
If you happen to have an insane amount of fabric at your house (ahem), then you don’t have to spend any additional money to make reusable bags. They’re so easy! You can make them as simple or as fancy as you want. I prefer medium-fancy. I decided to make lined bags with mitered bases. This is a pretty good tutorial, although it doesn’t talk about how to do the lining. I think the lined bags look nicer, and it encloses all of the raw edges. As an added bonus, you can make the bags reversible so if you get sick of looking at the same old fabric year after year just turn them inside out. I made a step by step tutorial detailing how i made my bags on flickr.
I wouldn’t go to a bunch of trouble cutting out the pieces. Let pre-cut yardage work for you. A 1/4 yard cut of fabric folded in half will give you the pieces you need to make a bag to hold a bottle of wine (or a Kleen Kanteen!). A 1/2 yard cut of fabric folded in half makes a good medium sized bag. You could fit oh say 5 skeins of handspun yarn in one of those.
Here’s a link to some other creative gift wrapping ideas. I like the suggestion of using a knit hat to wrap a gift. Perhaps I will wrap the present I bought my sister in the hat I knit her. (and yes, i really did buy that for my sister. i have one and i love it.)
Michele wrote:
Great minds think alike! I finished my cloth gift bags last night. I vowed not to use paper this year and despite late nights sewing after the kids went to bed, I did it!
I love yours, the bows are great
Posted on 20-Dec-08 at 4:49 pm | Permalink
Marie wrote:
wow! these are really cool… I love the idea of making them reversible!
Mine are more in a pillow-case shape with a foldover and drawstring closure (in every imaginable size, so perfect for book and soft gifts), but I really like the idea of the mitered bottoms for bigger gifts or boxes… hmmm… thanks for the tutorial!
Posted on 20-Dec-08 at 6:26 pm | Permalink
Amber wrote:
love this idea, thanks for sharing.
i too am giving handmades for gifts. i thought my family may be tired of getting my handmades though, so i’ve traded my handmades with some of my friends: i give her’s as gifts, she gives mine.
it’s been a great way to save money and resources. next year i’d like to do the same except expand upon the crafters i trade with.
Posted on 21-Dec-08 at 1:08 am | Permalink
Lesley wrote:
What a great idea! I don’t have time to do them for this year, but you could also make those bags as re-usable shopping bags….I think I know how I’m wrapping gifts from now on!
As for what you bought your sister, I agree they are the best thing ever! The materials disposable pads are made from are just bad for your body (especially anything with “dry weave”) and tampons actually pull menstrual blood from your uterus, causing cramping. My ob-gyn actually recommends them to all her patients for those reasons.
Posted on 21-Dec-08 at 7:42 am | Permalink
Pensguys wrote:
VERY cute!
I have a one of those things you’re giving your sister and LOVE it! Some of the best money I’ve ever spent.
Posted on 21-Dec-08 at 3:02 pm | Permalink
Amanda wrote:
Those are really cute! I had similar thoughts about waste & wrapping paper, so I purchaed those reusable grocery totes for all my gift giving needs this year. I just hope they all get the hint and use the totes after the holidays
Posted on 21-Dec-08 at 5:08 pm | Permalink
minnie wrote:
while i don’t use cloth bags for wrapping, i don’t use ribbons. i use gift bags that i reuse, and reuse(i’ve had some for almost 10 years!). anything that gets wrapped in wrapping paper doens’t get anything beyond a gift tag, and i recycle all the paper. i try hard to keep myself down to 2 bags a week trash wise ( i know, some people are down to 1 a month, but i’m not that good, lol)
Posted on 21-Dec-08 at 9:10 pm | Permalink
Knitmomma wrote:
Cute bags! Thanks for the reminder - I need to make some more! Mine aren’t as fancy as yours, but they hold a gift and people seem to like them.
The gift you are giving your sister - I have 2! One to keep in my travel bag just in case, one at home. It’s amazing.
Posted on 22-Dec-08 at 12:19 pm | Permalink
Ellie wrote:
Just reading through the christmas posts I’ve missed on my favourite blogs, and had to comment! I love the fabric bags, mean to make something like these every year and never do, but you’ve galvanised me to make them for next year!
As for your gift for your sister, it’s inspired! I’m a Mooncup girl myself, and rate it as the best single purchase I’ve made in 6 years.
Posted on 29-Dec-08 at 2:00 pm | Permalink