Everything You Need to Wrap a Chic Gift Is in Your Kitchen

It's easier than you think to wrap the most sustainable and stylish gifts this year.

We're in the kitchen so often, we've come to realize that some of the best gift-wrapping material lives right among the pots and pans! Buying brand-new wrapping paper that will get used once and thrown away can feel less than ideal when we’re trying to be mindful of our impact on the planet, and there are lots of great options for wrapping a beautiful – and special – gift already hiding in plain sight. Read on for some of our favorite gift-wrapping tricks using items you already have in the kitchen.

Tan or white butcher or parchment paper makes for a lovely simple wrapping paper for any parcel, and butcher's twine (or a festive gold-flecked one like we had laying around!) is a lovely way to tie it up. Of course, we need to add a bit of festive pizzazz to the gift - so turn to your fridge (or garden!) for some rosemary to tuck right in. A snip of eucalyptus from a plant or pine from the Christmas tree also makes for a pretty topper. Tuck in a name card beneath the sprig, and you're set. As an eco-friendly bonus, untreated butcher and parchment paper is recyclable and compostable, while foil- or glitter-flecked gift wrap usually isn’t.

If you’re up for learning a new skill, consider the Japanese technique called furoshiki. The ultimate sustainable gift-wrapping, furoshiki uses reusable cloth to wrap a box or package instead of disposable paper. The cloth is ingeniously folded and tied in a knot on top (there are lots of video tutorials out there to show you how!), giving the gift a dreamy, soft feeling. We love using a pretty new dishcloth to wrap a cooking-themed gift. Once it’s opened, the wrapper becomes part of the present! It’s both functional and zero-waste.

A keepsake tin like our panettone and amaretti containers can also be a gorgeous reusable gift container. You can give the baked treats themselves (a great gift for the loved one who has everything – they can always use more deliciousness!) or clean out and repurpose the beautifully patterned box to hold whatever you plan on giving this year. You won’t have to wrap it, and they’ll have a handy container to use once they’ve opened their gift! We love using larger tins to hold cookie cutters or other small kitchen tools, and smaller ones to hold hair clips, stamps, or craft supplies.

That's it! No need to shop for expensive wrapping paper and ribbons this year. Holiday wrapping, done and done!