[Grovenet] Reduce, reuse, recycle gift wrap

Fri Dec 19 07:09:35 PST 2008

Marian, what a fascinating story!  I love the idea of greens instead of bows!  I was thinking when I wrote my email about how the original packages were probably for mailing, so they were covered with kraft-type paper and tied with string (tape is really a fairly recent invention) and knotted.  Then plain paper and string morphed into fancy paper that is only used once and ribbons instead of string and tying a bow in the string morphed into these big 3-D constructions of bows.  We can always go back the other way.

Jane B-P 

-----Original Message-----
From: Marian Cakarnis <redwagon at coho.net>
To: Forest Grove local interests list <grovenet at rdrop.com>
Sent: Thu, 18 Dec 2008 8:26 pm
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Reduce, reuse, recycle gift wrap

My late Grandmother was the embodiment of 'green'.  Not because it was
trendy, but because it was the way she lived.  She lived in a very small
town in the Black Forest of Germany.  I don't believe she ever spent a
night away from the town of her birth and she managed to raise a family
during the difficult years of WWII.

I grew up in upstate New York and I was only able to visit my grandmother
three times in my life.  Although I never really got to know her, the way
she lived made a huge impression on me.  I don't believe she ever owned a
roll of tape or had many of the things we take for granted.  She made the
most luscious vanilla ice cream in an ice cube tray in her tiny freezer,
which 
was about the size of a modern microwave.  She made soup for lunch
almost everyday - always from scratch.

With both parents from Germany, relatives were not a part of my holiday
festivities.  Christmas was always about the package from my 'Oma'.  She
would send all kinds of baked goodies including, Linzertorte, Hazelnut
Macaroons and Spritz cookies.  There was always a bar of Marzipan for me
and my sister, and yummy Swiss Chocolates.  One year, my mom hid Oma's
package and my sister and I were worried we wouldn't have Christmas,
unless the package arrived before the 24th.  Christmas Eve arrived and
still no box.  We were absolutely devastated.  And somehow, it showed up
under the tree.  We were told Santa must have brought it 'Express'!

The reason Mom did this, is probably because Oma never owned a roll of
tape.  The packages were very thin wrapping paper, almost translucent,
which was carefully folded around a new sweater or mittens and wrapped
with thin ribbon.  We could always pull back the paper a bit and sneak a
peak at our gifts.  The ribbon was always tied with a sprig of cedar, fir
or other fragrant green.  And sometimes, there was a fragile simple
ornament - also tied in the ribbon.  Not only were the packages beautiful,
the fragrance was dramatic.  The new sweater, socks or mittens had that
wonderful 'Christmas' fragrance.  Everything smelled like a fresh forest. 
Like I said, there would not have been a Christmas, without the package
from 'Oma'.

My mother, obvi
ously raised in those thrifty ways, still thinks Ziplock
bags are special (especially the ones with the zipper) - she washes and
reuses them many multiple times.  At 74, she recently told me she didn't
want to throw away things that would outlive her!  If you look in her
garage, she uses scraps of fabric to tie things together and her rags are
from clothes I still remember from my childhood.  Sometimes I pull out a
rag and it brings back memories that I thought had long been forgotten. 
My mom is a huge blessing in my life and if you've met her, you might
agree.  She can often be found at the local 6AM yoga class.

Funny, how 'green' packages bring back such amazing memories!  I started
writing this because tucking those greens into the ribbon could make new
memories for someone, who isn't lucky enough to live in a beautiful green
state like Oregon.

Marian

>
> I like this idea and have saved Jane's email for a possible story for next
> years holiday guide. If you have other ways to green-up the holidays, post
> them here or send them directly to me (jschrag at fgnewstimes.com)
>
> Our family has been re-using wrapping paper long before Earth Day was
> founded. It comes from being raised by parents who lived through the
> (first?) Depression.   I can't tell you how many times my kids have been
> able to remember what previous presents were wrapped in a particular
> well-worn sheet of paper.
>
> My son also makes origami figures from scraps of wrapping paper and20uses
> them as bows.
>
>
> John Schrag
> Editor & Publisher
> News-Times
>
> 503-357-3181
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com] On
> Behalf Of Katie Allnutt
> Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2008 1:08 PM
> To: Forest Grove local interests list
> Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Reduce, reuse, recycle gift wrap
>
> Thanks Jane,
>    I think it helps to learn what techniques other people use so we
> can try them too.
> I do similar things (like no bows) but my recycled paper usually only
> makes it around twice.
>    I don't shop for Christmas cards because I am on so many lists of
> places that send me cards as a thank you for my donation. I can't
> throw them out but I suppose I could cut them up for tags.
>
> Katie
>
>
> On Dec 18, 2008, at 12:02 PM, Phoenixacm at aol.com wrote:
>
>> So, I am in the middle of a multi-year program to green up my
>> Christmas.
>> Thought I would give you a status report.
>>
>> 1-Reduce:
>> -The Burch-Pesses household no longer buys bows.   There are other
>> ways to
>> make packages look pretty and most of the presents we buy get
>> mailed out so they
>> would arrive with smashed bows anyway.
>> -The Burch-Pesses household no longer buys ribbon, except for the
>> "crinkle"
>> ribbon.   It's only about a quarter of an inch wide (which reduces
>> the amount
>> of ribbon going in the landfill) and we no longer circle the
>> package twice with
>> the ribbon, only onc
e.
>>
>> 2-Reuse:
>> -At the end of the holiday season I go through the Christmas cards
>> we have
>> received and cut them up to make gift tags (the to: from: cards
>> that go on the
>> wrapped present). So the Burch-Pesses household no longer buys gift
>> tags.   I
>> actually find this to be a fun and somewhat creative project.   I
>> cut tags in
>> all sizes and shapes and use a hole punch to punch a hole in them
>> so that the
>> single band of crinkle ribbon on the gifts ties the pretty gift tag
>> on the
>> package (so if the recipient wants to s/he can reuse the gift wrap).
>> -Any gift bags, tissue paper, bows, or gift wrap on presents we
>> receive is
>> saved to be reused. I find it easy to do.   It only fills one of
>> the many
>> Christmas boxes we have.   Pieces of gift wrap usually get smaller
>> and smaller until
>> they are no longer usable.   Tissue paper is reused until it is too
>> ratty and
>> then is usually used as padding in the boxes of presents we mail out.
>>
>> 3-Recycle:
>> This, unfortunately, is the weak spot.   Cards and wrap that have
>> foil (gold
>> or silver looking stuff) on them are not recycle-able.   Tissue
>> paper is not
>> recycle-able.   (Of course, ribbon and bows are not recycle-able.)
>> -The Burch-Pesses household does not buy Christmas cards that do
>> not have
>> recycled content.   This is the hardest thing we do - tracking down
>> Christmas
>> cards with recycled content. 
  We find them, but it's a
>> challenge.   We found
>> them at Freddies last year.   I went to Hallmark and Target last
>> night and
>> couldn't find any cards or wrap that had recycled content.
>> Strangely enough, I
>> found some truly ugly cards at Target that look like they are made
>> from kraft
>> paper (the kind grocery bags are made of) and they didn't even have
>> recycled
>> content!
>> -Our Christmas newsletter is printed on paper with 100% recycled
>> content.
>>
>> Yes, I know that sending ecards would produce less waste and burn
>> less fossil
>> fuel than mailing cards.   We may get to that eventually, but right
>> now it's
>> way too much fun sending and receiving cards.
>>
>> Wishing you a green Christmas!
>>
>> Jane B-P
>>
>>
>> **************
>> One site keeps you connected to all your email: AOL
>> Mail, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail. Try it now. (http://www.aol.com/?
>> optin=new-dp&
>> icid=aolcom40vanity&ncid=emlcntaolcom00000025)
>> _______________________________________________
>> GroveNet mailing list
>> GroveNet at rdrop.com
>> http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet
>
> _______________________________________________
> GroveNet mailing list
> GroveNet at rdrop.com
> http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet
>
> _______________________________________________
> GroveNet mailing list
> GroveNet at rdrop.com
> http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet
>

_______________________________________________
GroveNet mailing list
GroveNet at rdrop.com
http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet