Holiday Gift Wrap Hack for Cash: Easy Zero-Waste Tutorial
Use this simple zero-waste DIY holiday gift wrap hack for cash or other small gifts to save money on gift wrap while also reducing waste and helping out the planet!
This year, my 10-year-old niece asked for money for Christmas. She specifically asked for a Visa gift card. While giving cash is certainly a great eco-friendly option because it’s limited in terms of waste and lets her buy something she will love, it also feels a little boring to me. So I decided to spice it up a little and give her some cash in the form of several $1 bills she could find throughout my parents’ house (where we will all be for Christmas) when we open gifts on Christmas morning.
I saw a fun way to wrap up little gifts in empty toilet paper rolls. I knew I could decorate them with a bit of holiday cardstock. But… I had neither enough toilet paper rolls nor holiday cardstock. So I reached out to my Buy Nothing group and let me tell you… they showed up!
In just one day, I had plenty of empty toilet paper rolls and about 10-12 pieces of festive cardstock perfect for the job. After a run to the bank to swap a $20 bill for some singles, I was on my way to a super simple gift and a fun holiday gift wrap hack for cash that would also take her more than one hot second to open. Let’s dive into this easy zero-waste holiday gift wrap tutorial.
Related Reading: 11 Quick Sustainable Christmas Hacks
Supplies for this holiday gift wrap hack for cash
- Empty toilet paper rolls (one per dollar bill you plan to gift)
- Holiday cardstock or paper (enough for a 2″ x 6″ strip to go around each TP roll)
- Scissors
- Scotch/clear tape
- Ruler
- Crinkle-cut or shredded paper (optional)
Steps to create this holiday gift wrap hack for cash
- Collect your empty toilet paper tubes and cardstock.
- Cut the cardstock into pieces that are 2″ wide by 6″ long (it will look like a bookmark). You need one cardstock strip per TP tube.
- Fold the edges of one end of the toilet paper tube so they almost overlap and close off one end.
- Stuff some of the crinkle-cut paper and a rolled-up dollar bill into the TP tube.
- Fold the edges of the open end of the TP tube to close it off.
- Tape one end of the cardstock “bookmark” to the outside of the TP tube, centering it between the two closed-off ends. Do your best to make sure that the end is taped straight across the tube so the ends line up well when you wrap it around the tube.
- Wrap the cardstock “bookmark” around the TB tube and tape the end to create a circle around the TB tube.
- Enjoy your zero-waste gift wrap that’s fun and free!
How to dispose of your holiday gift wrap hack for cash
Remove the tape and compost the TB tube, cardstock, and crinkle-cut or shredded paper if you have access to a compost system. These are great compost browns for your compost heap. If you don’t have access to a compost system, you can recycle everything as well.
It’s worth noting that glitter is neither recyclable nor compostable; it’s a microplastic. If there is glitter on your cardstock, you’ll need to put that part in the trash. But you can still recycle or compost everything else. And if you got your cardstock via a thrift store or Buy Nothing group (or any other secondhand option), it’s better to use the cardstock with glitter than buy something brand new.
Related Reading: 6 Easy-to-find Secondhand Christmas Items For Thrift Store Newbies
How have you gifted cash? Do you have any other creative ways to pass along this simple and much-appreciated gift that makes it a little less boring?
If you liked this holiday gift wrap hack for cash, you might also like
10 Free Zero Waste Gift Wrap Alternatives From Upcycled Shipping Materials
How To Repurpose Greeting Cards As Upcycled DIY Gift Tags
Sustainable Christmas: DIY Compostable Wrapping Paper
Jen Panaro
Jen Panaro, founder and editor-in-chief of Honestly Modern, is a self-proclaimed composting nerd and advocate for sustainable living for modern families. To find her latest work, subscribe to her newsletter, Sage Neighbor.
In her spare time, she’s a serial library book borrower, a messy gardener, and a mom of two boys who spends a lot of time in hockey rinks and on baseball fields.
You can find more of her work at Raising Global Kidizens, an online space to help parents and caregivers raise the next generation of responsible global citizens.
