What's cheaper...gift wrap or fabric?

[IluvKingLouis]

DD6 and I did a gift project where we wrapped tubes of toilet paper (empty) rolls and tied up the ends in pretty ribbons. We had filled them with candies and they can be ornaments as we strung a pretty ribbon that can be used for hanging.

This is a Swedish tradition, except the original covering was colored tissue paper.

While growing up, my mom used Christmas gift wrap.

Well, today I used $2.50/yd Christmas fabric and it was so easy. Didn't have to worry about rips or glue seeping through.

So....very curious. I'm thinking fabric is cheaper then paper, and I may sew gift bags for next year (and they'd be reusable too!).

 

[Scornelius]

I can't imagine paying $2.50 a yard for wrapping paper.

 

[labdogs42]

Even if it isn't "cheaper", it sure is greener and in the long run may prove more budget-friendly. I'd love to have some handmade fabric gift bags. What a great idea!

 

[Freakygeek]

And what if you waited til boxing day and grabbed the christmas fabric while it was on sale? I think the reusability would be the real savings here, if you used them to wrap the kids presents and then gathered them up and put them away for the next year, the expense would get spread out.

But that would just give me an excuse to buy a bunch of fabric.

 

[Handbag Lady]

I think you are on to something green.

You can make the fabric gift bags, tuck in a note that is it s dual-gift, and they can re-use the bags at the grocery store or at the mall.

Just think: Easter Basket-bags, birthday gifts...

 

[tzolkin]

A friend's mom used fabric one Christmas and then gave it to my friend after everyone had opened the presents (my friend used to make quilts).

If you can find really cheap ($1 would be great) fabric and if you re-use it, it would definitely be cheaper over time. I've been thinking of doing this. I didn't see any cheap fabric I liked last time I checked, but I'm still looking for next year.

 

[tzolkin]

You can make the fabric gift bags, tuck in a note that is it s dual-gift, and they can re-use the bags at the grocery store or at the mall.

Just think: Easter Basket-bags, birthday gifts...

I have several bags that people have given me. Just a square with a drawstring sewn into the top. I use them all the time. If the kids spend the night at grandma's, they each put their clothes in a baggie and then they're all tossed into one suitcase. Pack a set of sheets into one. Extra clothes to have in the car. The possibilities are endless...

 

[crisi]

My girlfriends and I have a gift bag making party each year. We buy fabric after Christmas on special - and ribbon - then everyone brings their sewing maching and thread and materials over and we sew them up. Its easy to make drawstring bags. With a party, everyone goes home with a lot of different looks - and you have help if you don't know how to sew.

 

[Disney4]

We made fabric gift bags with drawstrings years ago and still use them. we sewed a variety of sizes to fit all sorts of presents.

 

[seasheller]

I made large fabric drawstring Christmas bags this year and put all of their presents into each kids/grandkids bag so they only had one gift. We were supposed to cut down this year and I did on gifts, but then included gift cards for the adults. I did wrap several of the grandkids smaller gifts so they would have some to open, but then put them all in their fabric bag. Sure made it easier to haul them 130 miles to their house.

 

[princessmom29]

I pay a LOT less than that for wrapping paper and i can't imagine a square of fabric the size for a toilet paper rool being reuseable for much outside of a quilt square. That being said I have done fabric bags before when I got it for $1 a yard. I could get 4 bags from a yard so at $0.25 a bag that was pretty cheap.

 

[timzagain]

OP, I've done the same project too. I've used remnants of gift wrap or tissue paper or fabric remnants. Photos from Christmas catalogs and magazines work well too.

I'm not sure I would buy fabric for that purpose - it seems kind of wasteful to buy good fabric and cut it up into such small pieces that probably won't be very re-usable.

I made some gift bags from felt scraps that my MIL gave me; I actually sold some of those bags at a recent craft fair. I have several gift bags cut and ready for sewing. One source of fabric was the huge bridesmaid dress I bought for $1 at a thrift store. Hideous dress, but the fabric was lovely. I've also made some bags from fabric that I've had in my stash for a while.

I also bought several fabric bags as well as some stockings that were in the bargain bin at a nearby dollar store.

The initial outlay for fabric gift bags might be more, but I am sure they'll work out cheaper in the long run. That is based on the assumption that you actually recover the fabric bags for future gift giving!

 

[Jaklackus]

It would work for gifts with immediate family. It would take years to get enough into rotation where you would always get back as many as you used to wrap..that is also assuming that no one throws them out when they get home and remembers to use the the upcoming year....I have an aunt that collects her shirt boxes back every Christmas....she used to insist on us uwrapping neatly and taking the paper back too..thankfully she has at least learned to let the paper go..but I've seen the same shirt boxes for 25 odd years....

I swear my Aunt and Uncle are sitting on millions...no one can squeeze a penny tighter than my Aunt...no one.

 

[tinytink]

It would work for gifts with immediate family. It would take years to get enough into rotation where you would always get back as many as you used to wrap..that is also assuming that no one throws them out when they get home and remembers to use the the upcoming year....I have an aunt that collects her shirt boxes back every Christmas....she used to insist on us uwrapping neatly and taking the paper back too..thankfully she has at least learned to let the paper go..but I've seen the same shirt boxes for 25 odd years....

I swear my Aunt and Uncle are sitting on millions...no one can squeeze a penny tighter than my Aunt...no one.

are we related because I have an Aunt who is the same way and they are sitting on millions as well. lol

 

[labdogs42]

My girlfriends and I have a gift bag making party each year. We buy fabric after Christmas on special - and ribbon - then everyone brings their sewing maching and thread and materials over and we sew them up. Its easy to make drawstring bags. With a party, everyone goes home with a lot of different looks - and you have help if you don't know how to sew.

Oh man, I wish I knew how to sew or had friends who did! I would love to do something like this! I love the ideas of making a lot of fabric gift bags. Maybe someday I'll learn to sew and/or use a sewing machine!

 

[BeckyScott]

I made some just for immediate family, so I knew I'd get them back.

I made fairly large ones for the kids (like a full yard folded in half) and each kid got a bag with many presents instead of individually wrapping them. I made some smaller ones for other people and I don't expect to see those bags ever again.

Wal-Mart usually has $1/yd Christmas prints. It's usually really awful cheap fabric and not suitable for much else. But I looked at it this way- maybe not cheaper than wrapping paper, but certainly cheaper than gift bags. Around here you'd pay $1 for a gift bag much smaller than the bags I made. And if you can get a couple years use out of them.... and then I used them for storage when I put away our Christmas stuff.

labdogs, gift bags would be a great beginner-sewing project. You don't really need to finish off the seams. And if you don't want to do the drawstring casing, you can just gather the top and tie a ribbon around it.

(My g-gma, Depression-era, saved wrapping paper, and ribbons and bows. Don't even think about ripping that wrapping paper! I think I was in college before I realized that bows weren't supposed to be scotch-taped onto the gift)

 

[scrapquitler]

Gift wrap is WAY cheaper. Fabric is generally 40-45" wide, and a yard of fabric, even the bargain stuff at Walmart is at least $2.00 per yard. A roll of wrapping paper costs WAY less...

 

[magik]

I think you are on to something green.

You can make the fabric gift bags, tuck in a note that is it s dual-gift, and they can re-use the bags at the grocery store or at the mall.

Just think: Easter Basket-bags, birthday gifts...

I'm actually using reusable grocery bags as gift bags this year for Christmas for people that I think will use them. I got a bunch of these Wall-E reusable tote bags that I plan to "wrap" people's presents in. A bit more expensive than the 99 cent ones from the grocery store, but also a bit cuter, and therefore maybe more likely to be used for things in addition to grocery shopping.

 

[princessesx2]

I'm actually using reusable grocery bags as gift bags this year for Christmas for people that I think will use them. I got a bunch of these Wall-E reusable tote bags that I plan to "wrap" people's presents in. A bit more expensive than the 99 cent ones from the grocery store, but also a bit cuter, and therefore maybe more likely to be used for things in addition to grocery shopping.

I bought the bags from Joann Fabric since the design was smaller than grocery store for .99 and ironed on pictures my girls drew on iron on paper(50% off w/coupons) from Joann Fabrics over the design on the bag....this is the gift my girls are giving family and teachers....it is also being the "gift wrap" with tissue for gifts for family we exchange with. Each bag cost $2 total to make. Better than any $2 gift I could buy.

 

[IluvKingLouis]

Thanks for all the great tips and ideas. I think I will sew my bags next year! Maybe I can pick up some marked-down fabric after Christmas.