Just say no to tree-hungry, chlorine-bleached, ink-saturated wrapping papers. With a few simple tricks, gift giving can be creative and fun without the waste. A spare bead, a twist of raffia, or a quick two-fingered pom-pom made from a scrap of brightly colored yarn can give lowly newsprint or an old paper bag all the holiday sparkle it needs.
Tips
• Last year's wrapping paper or clippings from magazines add color to drab newspaper.
• Pom-poms are simple: Wrap yarn a few dozen times around two upheld fingers, tie in the center, and cut through the loops.
• Colored paper circles or stars cut with pinking shears work as tags or can be laced through yarn for unique ribbon.
• Beads can be strung on the end of raffia or yarn, act as baubles on the ends of pom-poms, or secure a tag in place. They add elegance to even the simplest package. You can buy them or recycle beads from old costume jewelry.
Check out our image gallery for more tips.