It happens every Christmas Eve at about 3pm. I keep my schedule open for the exact time knowing what's to come. Then, as if they had tried and tried and finally succumbed to failure, my family members ask me to wrap their presents.

My tone is not to be mistaken for annoyance. On the contrary, I really, really like wrapping presents.

The paper!

The ribbons!

The bows!

The bags!

There's an endless possibility of ways they can be combined!

As much as I love wrapping though, every birthday, holiday and baby shower leaves me slightly bothered by the amount of waste that goes into the tradition. Which is why 4U*Me Goody Give Wrapping caught my eye a couple of weeks ago.


Kelly Okamura and Rachel Friesen, the eco-fashionable duo behind 4U*Me, provide socially responsible gift giving options. Their gift wrapping bags are made locally using reclaimed textiles and findings, and could not be more tastefully designed. Magnificent idea, don't you think?


The bags range from $10 to $40: a steeper price than your drugstore gift wrap, but they can be re-used an endless number of times. What I love about this concept is that each time the bag gets passed from one gifter to another, it carries with it a story. You can really have fun with this: I recommend sewing a "to, from" label on the bag when you first share it with your recipient, and encourage her to do the same when she next passes it on. What unique twist would you put on the wrapping?

Okamura and Friesen even do custom work, so you can request a gift bag for your oddly shaped presents. They create some standard shapes for gifts like CDs and wine as well.


The only downside to this line is that it is not yet available in stores, but you can visit its website to find out how to place your telephone order.

Is 4*UMe for you?