The Bags Under my Eyes are Designer

CHRISTMAS IS COMING!

I mean it's just October but it snowed so now I'm thinking about Christmas. And Christmas means watching Alien at 2 in the morning, eating a lot of cinnamon buns,  as well as giving and receiving gifts. Every Christmas my family gathers together and we exchange gifts, there is usually a huge garbage bag in the middle of the room were we put all the wrapping paper, ribbons, and tape. Wrapping paper we recycle, and the bags we reuse. Still it feels like a lot of waste.

My parents wrap our gifts in clothe bags that my mom has had for as long as I can remember. They are beautiful and each of us have our own patterns. It is easy to wrap, just throw the gift in a clothe bag and cinch up the top! Boom wrapped. Then you reuse that bag again the next year. I love it. It is a beautiful no waste solution to gift wrapping.

Another solution I have read is giving 'experiences' so you tell the person you'll go to the zoo, or for a meal, or some kind of trip. I also love this solution and have started doing that with my Calgary nieces for birthdays. It's a fun alternative to giving them another thing they will break, or forget, or discard.

My sister Meghan actually suggested I make my own gift bags, and supplied me with a sewing machine and a lot of fabric! Shout out to her for making this possible.

Making these bags was incredibly easy! I didn't follow a pattern and kinda just made it up. I also haven't added strings to cinch it up yet because I haven't decided what I want to use. I made 8, not pictured are the ones I gave to my brother, it took about an hour. Now if I have a gift to give someone I can put it into this bag and not only is it zero waste and beautiful, but the gift bag is part of the gift! And they can continue on to use that to add value to their life.

If I don't use these bags as gift bags they are also perfect for storing things, packing small things like socks or underwear or toiletries so I don't lose them in a big bag, I can also put produce in them if I'm at a store and don't have enough, if I am out and about I buy something, instead of getting a plastic bag for it I can throw it into one of these. (can you tell I really don't like plastic bags??) I already had a few bags like this that I use them all of the time!