Brown Paper Grocery Bag Gift Wrap

Whenever I forget to take my reusable grocery bags to the grocery store with me, (which for some reason has been often lately, I think I need to keep them in my car!)  I use paper grocery bags.  I've been at peace with my forgetfulness lately, because I am going to use the bags as wrapping paper this Christmas!  I am determined to be as wise with our money as possible this Christmas season, so this will help us save.  If you have not been collecting grocery bags, you can also by brown kraft paper or shipping paper by the roll, it is very inexpensive made from recycled materials!

I have all kinds of ideas to make our packages pretty.  My tree will be covered with silver, black, and lots of shiny metallic/mirrored ornaments that we made last year.   I worried about how the organic looking brown paper would look with a more glitzy tree, but I think if I add black, white and silver elements to our packages, it will mesh just fine.

Another frugal and environmentally friendly way to wrap gifts is newspaper!  I think some black and white, newspaper-wrapped gifts under my tree to break up the brown would be beautious!  I plan to make them special with some shimmery, thick, black wire ribbon. Speaking of beautious, check out the bottles below wrapped in newspaper.  They cut the excess paper at the top into strips and curled it!  This idea came from a really great book called "Simply Green Giving" by Danny Seo.  I found his book at the library, it is full of awesomeness.

For smaller gifts, I will be using either brown paper lunch sacks or pages from a magazine.  Those photos in magazines are taking by some of the most talented photographers out there, so why not use them as beautiful gift wrap?

I plan on putting my 3 little artists to work, I can't wait to see what they come up with! My oldest and I have already discussed some art ideas she wants to do.  She wants to use black paint and make a stick tree with lots of twigs, then add silver little circles as leaves!  Isn't that brilliant?  She is so great.  The other two I'm sure will get busy with their silver glitter glue, stamps, markers, and stickers.
It's gonna be fun!
*Update: To see the finished products, click here!

A post on package toppers is next so stay tuned!!