How To Turn Co-op Shopping Bags into Sustainable Gift Wrap

Do you have a stack of paper Co-op shopping bags taking up space in your pantry? Before you recycle them, consider using them as super sustainable (and basically peek-proof) wrapping paper!

Save some money and the planet when you wrap gifts in recyclable paper rather than the stuff that'll sit in a landfill forever. Here's how to turn those brown bags into some seriously cute presents under the tree.

Step 1: Gather Your Supplies

Gather the supplies you'll need to wrap your presents, including Co-op shopping bags, tape, scissors, pens, ribbons, and any other embellishments you'll want to dress up your presents.

Our Mercantile Department is a great place to pick up fun stickers, pens, and ribbons to take your gift wrap to the next level.

The number of bags you'll need depends on the size and quantity of gifts you plan to wrap. We were able to wrap about 15 small-medium gifts with 7 bags. As a rule of thumb, you'll need about 1 bag for 2 small-medium gifts.

Step 2: Remove the Handles

Gently rip off the handles of the bag. This easy step will make wrapping your gifts much smoother. If there's any extra glue residue, simply peel it off.

You can do this step one bag at a time or do it all ahead of time, whatever works for your wrapping style!

Step 3: Cut the Longest Seam on the Bag

Rotate the bag so the opening is facing you. Line up your scissors with the longest seam on the bag, and gently cut to the bottom of the bag.

If you're lucky (and if your scissors are good enough), you'll even get them to glide nicely as they do on traditional wrapping paper. Trust us, it's satisfying.

Step 4: Cut Along The Seam of The Bottom of the Bag

Next, take a left turn with your scissors and cut along the seam at the bottom of the bag. Continue in the same direction your going and cut all along the bottom of the bag until you're back where you started. If the edges aren't cut perfectly or are a little jagged, that's fine.

Eventually, you'll end up with the bottom of the bag separated from the rest of it.

It's best to use the big piece as the wrapping paper, and either recycle the bottom all together (since it isn't particularly pretty) or use it as a backup when you inevitably need just a little bit more paper to completely cover your gift.

The best part is, if you end up cutting up too many bags, no sweat! The bags are easy to recycle, or you can keep them on hand for the next holiday season.

Step 5: Make Your Wrapping Extra Festive

That's it! What you have now is a bunch of strong and sustainable wrapping paper that you can customize with your own drawings, stickers, or fancy bows and ribbons.

We kept our wrapping nice and simple, simply writing to and from in cursive (if you still know what that is). If you want to get your kids in on the fun, cut the bags up and then let them have at it and have a holiday doodling party.

Step 6: Show Us Your Works of Art!

And finally, if you get the chance to try out this wrapping method, we encourage you to share your work with us on Facebook and Instagram! We can't wait to see what you come up with.