This week on our green blog, I wrote about making gift giving a little greener. But it occurred to me that you can also up the organizing ante when you give. One of my tips for staying green while giving is to stick to the gift registry unless you have another special idea. But if you find yourself batting registry clean up (i.e. scooping up the odds and ends left on the registry), which is a perfectly valid gift giving strategy, or simply have several smaller items to piece together, here's an idea to tie them all together.You can make a really great looking and functional gift by buying a universally appealing organizing container to package your small items. Wrap each item in tissue paper, or even leave them exposed and just use a few bows and some tissue to 'nest' the items in. Here's a picture of such a gift I'm bringing to a baby shower tomorrow. Two recent gifts I've received came packaged in containers that I love and use daily!
Other ideas for organized giving...
- Give a tote bag, car trunk organizer, travel toiletry case or another organizing 'tool.' Just be sure you know it will fill a need and will not be likely to end up as additional clutter.
- I love to give Container Store, Home Depot or other gift cards, especially if the recipient is working on home projects. This way you are helping out but letting them choose their own 'tools.'
- And last but not least, if you know someone is interested in organizing help, you can give gift certificates for home and office organizing services. We offer these at www.OrganizingBoston.com (shameless plug, but it's true).
What are your ideas for giving organized gifts?
For baby showers, I always start with a nice big basket of some kind and put lots of pretty tissue paper and much needed baby items in it. A lot of the items that you end up putting in it are outgrown, but the basket can be used forever. (For not only baby supplies and clothes but toys and books) Also as an added bonus, opening the gifts is so much easier and faster of the mom to be!
ReplyDeleteThis is a really great idea when you are doing a gift with others and like I always seem to be, meeting them in the parking lot before the event! You just throw it all in the basket and run! LOL
Love your ideas, Holly! I am always inspired by basket-type gifts. I love to give them and get them. I recently bought some great totes from a friend who sells Thirty-One Gifts products -www.thirtyonegifts.com. I plan to use them as containers for holiday gifts this season - and no wrapping required!
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