(NAPSI)—Once you’ve found the perfect presents for everyone on your list, you can have fun wrapping and decorating the packages. Here are hints on how:

1. Gather your materials and lay them out on a clean, flat work surface. Make sure you have enough space, then roll out enough wrapping paper to fit around the entire gift with a few extra inches left over. Remember to remove the price tag from the gift before wrapping it.

2. Measure the package and cut the paper to size. Put the gift face down in the middle of the paper. Bring the paper from the long side of the box, up to the middle of the package. Pull both sides tightly so the paper hugs the package smoothly. Tape it closed.

3. Turn the package so the open end is facing you. Fold the right and left edges, pushing the sides in next to the box, to form flaps.

4. Fold the top flap down to the box, pull tightly and tape. Fold the bottom flap up tightly and tape. Repeat on the other side.

5. Now, decorate the package. You can paste on silk flowers, tinsel, candy canes, old greeting cards, pictures cut from magazines, pinecones, jingle bells or tiny toys to make the box even more intriguing.

You give a gift to the environment as well as the recipient when you use paper-based packaging for your presents. Paper and paperboard can be reused and recycled and are made from a sustainable, renewable and recyclable resource.

Consider this: Last year alone, 52.7 million tons, or 66.8 percent of the paper consumed in the U.S., were recovered for recycling—a record! Every ton of paper recovered saves 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space. In addition, paper is made from a renewable resource—trees that are sustainably grown, managed and harvested. U.S. forests and forest products offset 10 percent of annual U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. That’s like removing 108 million cars from the roads each year.

Paper-based packaging is also easy to ship.

Learn more about the benefits of paper-based packaging by visiting www.theresponsiblepackage.com and www.paperrecycles.org.

 

On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.(NAPSI)