The Secret Second Lives of Packaging

There is a beautiful swiftness that unfolds on Christmas morning, beginning with colorful, wrapped gifts with crisp creases, their ribbons tied neatly on top, only to be opened within minutes. At the end of Christmas morning there is a mosaic parade of one-use tissue paper, ribbons, and boxes on the floor.

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It’s always in this moment that I wish for packaging that makes me feel good, rather than wasteful. I was curious whether others felt the same frustration of excess packaging and can confirm, yes, collectively, we do. According to a recent 2023 study conducted by Bain & Co:

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• 71% of European consumers claim they want to buy sustainable products
• 71% of US consumers claim they want to buy products with as little packaging as possible

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These stats reflect a widespread demand for sustainability. The challenge is although consumers are concerned about sustainability, and consumer product companies have public sustainability commitments, there is still confusion about whether the materials brands market as “sustainable” are actually reducing waste. Having personally worked in the fashion and beauty industry, understanding the lifecycle of packaging from a vendor was often times questionable, largely because there’s no universal system. There is FSC-certified paper which tells you the paper came from a responsibly managed forest, but it does not guarantee recyclability because once the paper is treated or coated from the brand, it can change how the paper is recycled. There’s also multi-layer materials and mixed materials that are used in packaging, making them hard to separate. Until cohesive, industry-adopted solutions exist, this year I’m looking to discover and share creative and elevated ways to reuse paper and packaging, giving it a meaningful second life to wrap gifts. Many of these ideas you may already have at home or may acquire this year. I’ll continue adding to this post so please feel free to chime in!

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TLDR: Save your scraps, papers, and ribbons throughout the year. They make for one-of-a-kind, less wasteful gift packaging.

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1. The Avant-Garde Style

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The moment I saw this packaging, it immediately felt very Marni, or at least a little avant-garde? You can tell that each color combination and the placement of the tape were thoughtfully designed to complement the paper underneath.

Most of the images above are from Klay, a brand out in New Zealand that creatively reuses packaging when they ship out products. Whenever they receive deliveries, they’ll save the newspaper, tissue, and boxes to repurpose for sending out orders. They also add colorful, aesthetically arranged MT Washi tape on top of the reused packaging, creating a distinct and recognizable brand aesthetic. Their approach to sustainable packaging is rooted in resourcefulness and creativity as they started from humble beginnings. I love seeing how their values carry through even in the details of their packaging.

How to achieve this at home: Start saving scraps of tissue paper and wrapping paper throughout the year, then use MT Washi tape to tie everything together in a playful and colorful way.

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2. Bojagi (Korean)

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Because gifting is universal, learning how different cultures approach gift wrapping can deepen your understanding of worldwide traditions and nuanced perspectives on giving. Bojagi refers to a square or rectangular Korean wrapping cloth used for carrying, storing, or presenting items, made from various fabrics. It originally began as a practical solution for daily life (bundles for travelers, protecting heirlooms) but has taken on a new life as a modern sustainable art form for gifting. It’s a personal and intentional touch to a beautiful, reusable cloth for gift wrapping. The intention in Bojagi is tied to the Korean philosophy of Jeong, meaning affection and attachment, which is expressed through the act of giving. Jeong reflects a culturally rooted value that is celebrated by UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

I particularly love this personal take from Korean-American Shannon Kim, who explains the art of giving through Bojagi and intertwines references to history, art and books.

How to achieve this: If you don’t already have some scarfs at home, you can hit up a used store! If you have a local Korean community center or organization, I recommend learning this art form in-person.

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3. Timeless Brown Paper

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Brown paper may seem simple, but it’s a timeless alternative to flashy wrapping, making it one of the most understated cool ways to wrap a gift. Its blank canvas is very versatile, allowing for personal touches, like a hand-drawn illustration, stamped designs, or a hand-written note.

How to achieve this: Save your paper grocery bags and turn them inside out so the logos are on the inside.

You can use this how to wrap a gift video from 17 years ago that’s still holding up in 2026! The comments alone are worth a look.

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4. Branded Packaging

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From brown paper to well-crafted and designed shopping bags (some favorites above: Aritzia, Loewe, Acne Studios) gift packaging can easily be done with a bag and some twine. Instead of letting them sit unused or end up in recycling, they can be repurposed to hold gifts. No overthinking needed.

How to achieve this: save your shopping bags for their second life in gift packaging!

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5. The Trip Down Memory Lane

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I think this is one of the most memorable and easiest ways to take a gift from ‘thanks for the gift’ to ‘I’ll never forget this gift”! Photos are deeply personal, and it can make the wrapping feel as special as the gift itself. As someone with many long-distance friendships, finding a forgotten picture from years prior is always a fun way to recall and talk about a shared memory.

How to achieve this: there’s a lot of avenues on how to choose a photo for the packaging. Some ideas that come to mind are:

• an old favorite memory of yours
• travel adventures
• an inside joke
• wedding
• baby shower
• a photo of you and them they’ve never seen (a little surprise & delight!)
• a photo they took you love

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6. Magic Assortment of This and That Style

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I call this a magical assortment because the small parts of the packaging above may seem random (this and that), but when you thoughtfully bring them together playing with colors, textures and patterns, the packaging magically comes together to be unexpectedly harmonious. I especially like the idea of visiting used bookstores for old magazines, or saving little paper trinkets from your travels.

How to achieve this: When you see interesting paper or trinkets, try to save them. When you’re ready to gift a package, choose a color palette (2-3 colors per each wrapping) so the assortment feels cohesive. When you’re mixing mediums, less is better.

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7. The Natural Style

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Sorry, I totally know this is not feasible if you don’t live in an environment that has banana leaves easily at hand which is probably most of us! But on the off chance you do, banana leaves are a natural and biodegradable alternative with a nice glossy finish. Because the banana leaves are the main star, a simple ribbon or twine is needed to secure everything in place.

How to achieve this: If you have some local ethnic grocery stores nearby it may be worth calling them to see if they have any!

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TERA TIP: While we mean well by being intentional, I can imagine that receiving second-hand paper could possibly rub people the wrong way. If this crosses your mind, adding a personal tag explaining your choice can be helpful. You can write,’‘wrapped in a little extra love (and reused paper!) or “giving this paper a second life”. It lets the recipient know that your approach was intentional and sustainable, rather than last minute.

Looking ahead to 2026, the act of gift-giving and how we wrap those gifts is evolving from being less wasteful to becoming more intentional and mindful. I believe we’re at consumerism exhaustion, and that sustainable, creative and clever approaches to gifting will no longer be niche — they’ll be expected.

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