ptquilts

In this "Gimme" day and age, at least they are not requesting CASH instead of gifts. I agree, wrapping paper is mostly wasted and they may be environmentally aware in requesting it not be used.

Judie

This has been fun and informative, as I knew it would be. The people on this board are always full of great ideas and information.

This is a very wonderful young women that is getting married.. I've known her since she was born... graduating this spring as a nurse. Her soon-to-be husband is also a very fine young man that's grown up right here among us.. Sings at church, is helpful and sweet to anyone who crosses his path. They are going to be a couple that all us can look at and still rejoice that there are such people still growing up in our world.

Going 'unwrapped' is a fine idea.. saves money, and is good for everyone and everything except the merchant who would love to sell us those things. I just had to make sure I wasn't misreading what I read!

Not only do I have my cards, but I also still have the paper from my wedding.. I think when I find them again (we're in the process of moving into our new home after the May 2011 tornado here)... Oh, just reminded me, I did have them.. who knows if I still have them???.. I may have waited too long to send those thank-you's and use my paper.. I had intended to use the paper by rolling it in small very tight rolls, gluing the rolls side by side, to the side of a large ice cream container, like the one they use commerically, trimming the top and bottom.. spraying on some sealer.. Making a trash container out of the trash! I thought it would be wonderful to use all that beautiful paper for something other than filling the landfill even back 43 years ago. If I do still have those cards, I will send a few thank you's to those I can still find and still remember. Good idea, thanks for suggesting it. I think that would be one of the funniest things I've done in a long time.

Thank you for all the input. I am going to give something that I've made, wrapped in either a part of the gift, or in a nice big (homemade) dish towel. I know them well enough to know they will love it. These two young people should pose for the cover of the Saturday Evening Post with the caption reading, "America's Next Generation" "not going to hell in a handbasket as we thought!"

Did any of you do something with all that wedding paper that came on your gifts? I, too, save paper and bows to re-use.. Our whole family lives here and some of that stuff has seen several rewraps! we have fun with re-wrap.

irishrose

What a nice post about a lovely couple. I would guess it's environmental with them, too. Is lead still used in producing shiny colored paper? I hope not.

My reuse of my wedding and baby shower baby wasn't very inventive - just lined the drawers in the dressers with it. Probably used some for gifts. I no longer save paper unless it's special, large and unwrinkled, but I am fanatic about saving bows and bags. I won't buy bags, but I don't mind reusing ones that come my way.

Luv Quilts and Cats

I haven't heard of this, but maybe it is a green thing. I haven't been to a shower in years so I don't know what is in at the moment.

kateyb

Several years ago I started making fabric gift bags. (I hate spending all that time wrapping and then have it torn off and thrown away in seconds.) They get passed around from year to year. I think there are some Christmas gift bags that have been around for abour 12 years now. My grown kids have even called and requested a certain size. I just need height, width, and depth to figure out how big to make them. I've done birthday gift bags that have then been used for marbles, hot wheels, and pj's for overnighters. One daughter loves using the pretty paper, anyway. But mine always comes in a bag. I purchase Christmas fabrics at the after Christmas sales.

Judie

I always reuse anything I can.. gift wrap, tissue paper, and especially ribbon and bows.. I'm way too thrifty not to reuse it. I hate to throw away anything. That's why I have just about anything anyone needs.. Well.... I did have before the tornado.. I was just in the process of trying to clean out and downsize my 'stuff'.. I guess God knew I had good intentions, but would never actually accomplish it, so He took care of that for me.

Thank you everyone for your input.. I think it will all be fine.. I headed out of town tomorrow.. so hubby will be on his own for some days while I help with kids.. He'll enjoy the time, and so will I..

Have a good week.. I'll try to check back in when I get back home.. Thank you for your help and encouragement.

slk350

I never heard of not wrapping gifts, the fun of it IS opening them. My 6 year old grandson loves to be at the showers or a family members birthday because everyone lets him open the presents

tesspug

Oh, yes send out thank-yous now. Stat with "Sorry this might be a little late." If I got card like that I would think it was the greatest laugh.

JanTx

The idea may be not so new. Back in 1973 when I was getting married my husband-to-be's church held what they called a "Display Shower". The gifts were not wrapped. Most were delivered to the church building's fellowship hall by the stores where they were purchased. They were displayed on tables with little cards by each one so you could see who had given it. Even the kitchen stool I was given was placed on top of a table with a card by it. The purpose - as someone has mentioned - so that I was not trapped in the gift-opening chair, but could mingle with the guests. I was miserable! I was 19, knew none of these lovely people and was expected to walk around and talk to them! Oh dear - one of the most uncomfortable evenings of my life. I appreciated the idea, but ... I was SOOO shy! This was in Cordell, OK.

I have hosted two display showers at the school where I teach. Our assistant principal was going to be a new dad, but this would be child number 3. He had not been with us for the arrival of the other two children so we wanted to welcome the little one, but didn't want it to be a big deal. I set up tables in the teacher's lounge for people to display their gifts - many were packs of diapers. As people wandered through during the day they delighted over the gifts - or just read through the gift cards - those who wanted to visit with him could just step in his office. It worked. The other display shower was for the mom of premie twins. We held off hoping she could come back to school for a shower, but that didn't work out and the end of the school year was approaching so ... we had the shower without her! Put things in the library for that one and people oohed and ahhed all day. Then we packed things up and her dear friend delivered them to her. Worked for us. The asst principal new dad sent out a group email thank you. Don't know that that's much better than none at all. The premie mom sent precious thank yous to each of us - including a really sweet one to me for organizing the unusual shower.

Different strokes!

QM

It is rather a tradition in my family, either that or wrapping in the Sunday funny papers. for us, it comes from the older generation's Depression era mind set: don't waste money on anything that will be thrown away. I suspect this is a new "green" awareness.