Recycled Christmas: The 4 Gift Rule

It is the thought that counts. 

This sentiment has caused much debate throughout the generations, but I believe it is a true sentiment. It is the thought that counts. The size of a gift doesn't indicate the quality or the thought put into it. A small gift, when unwrapped, can mean the world to a person and serve as a reminder to the person just how loved they are. While a large gift can serve as a reminder of just how little the person actually knows them. Again, it is the thought not the size, quantity, or expense of a gift that matters. This is where The 4 Gift Rule comes into place.

The 4 Gift Rule is a limit that is put on gift giving that limits a materialistic culture while improving the overall quality of the gifts. The 4 gift categories are something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read. The want category is defined by anything the person really wants and is something that would be listed on their Wishlist. The need category is anything they need, but might not purchase for themselves. The wear category is anything that the person can wear, including accessories. The read category is any form of writing that is meant to improve a person's mind. References to The 4 Gift Rule can be found all over the internet. Another version, used by churches, limits the gifts to 3 to symbolize the 3 gifts Jesus received: Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh.  The gold gift is the gift the person really wants, the frankincense is the gift that they can wear, and the myrrh gift is the gift that improves their mind. These gifts are wrapped in the colors gold, purple, and green. Regardless of which version you choose, limiting the amount of gifts you give allows you the opportunity to purchase well-thought out gifts. 

This doesn't mean that everyone on your gift list has to receive 4 gifts, but that we limit the gifts we give to those who do receive multiple gifts, such as our family. Since this year is a recycled Christmas I am embracing this 4 gift rule for my own family. Picking out the 4 gifts is challenging, but rewarding. I am having to think about the members of my family in different ways and imagining what they would like in each category. Limiting my gifts to 4 has allowed me to free myself from the pressure to buy more and more. I know that I am done when I have checked off each category and I don't have to be tempted to buy something else that I think they might like. The 4 Gift Rule is not without its challenges.

The most challenging part is filling each category and if your family is like mine then you will have an assortment of categories checked off for each person, but be stuck on various other ones. I am trying to purchase most of my gifts from eBay or Etsy and make the rest myself. I have bought some things new, but I am trying to limit the amount of products that will be replaced by companies after purchase. The bulk of my family is A's fans so finding at least one of their gifts has been easy with eBay. Some of the A's gifts I have bought include mustache socks, nail decals, and a Mark McGwire bobblehead. These items were giveaways at games, which mean they won't be reproduced, and are items that I know my family members wanted, but were unable to receive at the baseball games. Other things I have purchased include a devotional book for when you have trouble sleeping and some pencils for a lap desk that I am going to make. The gifts I plan on making include honey-dipped spoons, tea, and a scoodie. I am currently working on a few gift tutorials that I will be posting in the next few weeks.  All of the projects I am choosing are quick and include the use of materials I already have.

Hopefully my ideas for my own family will give you some ideas for your own family. What are your favorite gifts to give? 

Recycled Christmas: Gift Boxes

It is officially October, which means Christmas is now just two months away! There is still a lot to be done, but making your own gift boxes is a great way to finish some of your wrapping needs. Gift boxes are a wonderful solution for those who have difficulty wrapping presents perfectly and to stop peeking. However, gift boxes can be pricey and depending on quality, as well as use, are prone to tearing. Plus it isn't always easy to find gift boxes that match your theme. Yet, I bet that you probably have a lot of cardboard boxes lying around your house or leftover after grocery shopping. These cardboard boxes are usually sturdier than traditional gift boxes, which is why I prefer them to gift boxes. The cardboard boxes don't look like much at first, but with a little wrapping paper and tape they can turn into cute gift boxes for Christmas. I just started making these gift boxes so I have only made two, but these boxes are already proving functional.

I have used both a tea box and a candy box. The tea box is currently storing Christmas cards, labels, and stickers until I am ready to start my Christmas cards. This allows me to store the box, but still maximize the storage available in my Christmas box. The candy box will be used to store homemade goodies and will allow me to ship them more easily. When I first wrapped these boxes they still had their contents, but I stored the contents elsewhere because I liked the boxes and thought they would make wonderful Christmas gift boxes. You can use any boxes you want as long as they have either a lid or are able to close. Another option is to seal up the ends of a box and cut your own lid out of a side on the box. Keep in mind that these boxes need to be functional as gift boxes. 

Choose wrapping paper in a color or theme that you want and use clear or decorative tape to wrap the cardboard boxes, turning them into gift boxes. I used the edge of a ruler to score the wrapping paper on the edges of the boxes. Depending on the box you might need to cut triangles out of the corners to make the edges lie flat. I didn't use wrapping paper on the inside of the box, but this is definitely an option and something to consider if you don't plan on using tissue paper. I have a lot of cardboard boxes left so I will be making more gift boxes in the next few weeks as I purchase more gifts. 

 I love how these boxes look and that they are recycled! Each box is perfectly matched to my theme and allows me to recycle the cardboard boxes that are already coming into my home. The only caution I have is to make sure you match your boxes to your gifting needs so that you don't waste materials on a box that you are not going to actually use. If you have boxes to recycle, but that don't meet your Christmas needs, make sure to check out Pinterest for great ideas to reuse boxes in your home. I have seen many wonderful posts where people turned diaper boxes into storage boxes that looked store bought so the options are endless. 

Gift boxes are not the only option for gift wrapping and are not necessarily useful  for certain items. For those odd shaped items gift bags are a wonderful solution. Next week I will show you how to make a gift bag from wrapping paper and other gift wrapping ideas using recycled materials. Do you have a favorite gift wrapping method? Or ideas to use recycled materials in gift wrap? I can't wait to hear your ideas for having a recycled Christmas!