Fabric Tassel Eco Friendly Festive Gift Wrap

fabric tassel gift wrap

This is a paid post for Bostik, Bostik provided me with the Tape Discs that I used for this project.

affiliate links.jpg

This time of year a lot of gifts are wrapped and we all want the presents we give to look pretty and festive. As we become more and more aware of the environment we also want to make good choices when it comes to something like gift wrap.

I’ve been sharing some ideas for reusable fabric gift bags recently (and here too); I really like the idea of non disposable things, but today I have an idea for a more eco friendly traditional Christmas gift wrap.

I was reading up on traditional paper wrapping paper and from what I’ve seen the biggest headaches for paper recycling plants is:

  • paper that isn’t paper (think the foil stuff) - easy fix, just use it over and over again. We have some in our house than must be 10 years old, that stuff is almost indestructible!

  • Glittered paper - avoid glittered paper

  • Plastic tape - use a recyclable alternative

  • Plastic ribbons and Bows - make something pretty than is designed to be removed and kept, maybe hung on the tree as an ornament

I’ve been sent some Recyclable Paper Tape Discs from Bostik to try out and have come up with a pretty and eco friendly fabric scrap busting gift wrap idea to go with them.

wrapped gift 2.jpg

To decorate your gifts with fabric tassels this Christmas you will need:

what you need.jpg

Please note these are my good dressmaking scissors. I DID NOT cut the paper bag with these scissors - I’ve not lost my mind!! I used some regular scissors, they are just not in the photo. Anyone who sews will understand, even the thought is making my pulse race!

Tear strips of your fabric approx 1cm wide (that’s a bit under 1/2“) then trim them to 20cm (7.5”) in length.

tear strips.jpg
strips.jpg

Stack up about 12 strips and then take another strip and give it a bit of a twist. Then tie the bundle in the centre.

tie middle.jpg

Fold the bundle in half, then take another strip of fabric, twist it a bit again and then tie it around the bundle, about 2cm (just under an inch) down from the centre tie. Tie in a double knot and then trim the ends.

make a fabric tassel

That’s it, your fabric scrap tassel is made!

Now it’s time to get wrapping.

Using regular scissors (see above) cut the sides from the bag. Trim off any handles and use the brown paper to wrap your gift. I simply turned it inside out, the logo is still there, just on the inside.

Use the Tape Discs to secure the paper. They stick on easily and hold securely, much less fiddly than tape and they are recyclable.

tape dics.jpg

You could attach your fabric tassel to a cord, twine, string or a long strip of fabric. A selvage edge could be perfect. All my fabric was smaller pieces so I tied several together to make a longer '‘ribbon’ to wrap around the gift.

how to make a fabric tassel

To finish off I used my alphabet stamps and some black ink to stamp the name on the bottom of the parcel.

stamp name.jpg
gift wrap with a fabric tassel
fabric tassel gift wrap

The tassels could be used for all sorts of festive decorating, they could make a great garland or you could hang them on the tree. Of course you could make fabric scrap tassels with any fabric. I’m a sucker for traditional Christmas colours of red and green but any colour would work. And this idea is not restricted to Christmas gift wrap either, birthday gifts need to be pretty and eco friendly too don’t they?

This idea is my contribution to the Happy Holidays 2019 Link Party

Hop over now to see loads more Holiday crafts and ideas.

new sig 1.png

I’ll be sharing this idea at these link ups