Wrap it!

In the past, I have made my own gift wrap and tags, but this year I don't have a lot of time for that. I do, however, still want to be as eco-friendly as I can and also come up with something cute (the packaging is half the fun, after all). There are lots of shops selling upcycled or eco-friendly bows and handmade gift wrap. And there are also lots of free printables on the web. Here are a few things I've found that might make your life easier if, like me, you are swamped at the moment, and no matter how appealing it might sound to carve your own stamps, there just isn't time for that.

Clockwise from top: 5 eco-craft gift boxes from green bug; wrap it in a tote, like this one from Louise Wright; use paper grocery bags or kraft paper and these snowflake stamps from Sweet Spot Stamp Shop to create your own gift wrap; and top it with these reusable wool felt bows from A Market Collection.

Now that the wrapping's done, you'll need gift tags, like these free printables from Oana Befort. I've already printed mine. (psst: also check out Oana's shop for gorgeous illustrations.)

Or if you're giving a gift card instead of a present and need a card to put it in, these free printable cards sure are pretty.

I hope that helps! You can still have pretty handmade packages (eco-friendly too!) without spending tons of time to do everything from scratch yourself. And you get to help spread the word about other awesome artisans just by using their products/printables.

I'm almost done with my Christmas shopping; I just have a couple more things to get. And I'm waiting on a couple of Etsy things that have shipped from overseas. How about you? Are you an early bird or do you wait till Christmas Eve to run out and do last minute shopping?