After profiling eWrapz in my post of 20 March 2010 about eco-friendly gift wrapping, the very lovely Erin has contacted me with an exclusive offer for Gifts By The Stars readers!

Just in time for Mother’s Day (though of course you could be a clever cookie and stock up for the year for upcoming baby, birthday, christening, Christmas, Father’s Day, housewarming, wedding gifts etc!), you can save 40% off the cost of individual eWrapz until Mother’s Day (Sunday 9 May 2010).

Enter the promotional code GBTS1 at checkout to knock 40% off your purchase. Erin said customers can purchase as many individual eWrapz within the one transaction but please note there is a limit of one transaction per IP address.

Not a problemo! Do all your gift wrapping shopping in one go (it’s a bit of a hassle having to hunt for internet cafes, anyway)!

If you read my post on how to work out whether you’re saving on that special offer, you’ll know you save big time on a percentage discount, especially if you spend over $100, doing as many purchases as posssible in one transaction. 

Thanks Erin!

You’ll know from earlier posts that I believe gift wrapping can be one of the biggest unnecessary expenses.

Here is an ingenious way to re-use your gift wrapping with none of the sticky-tape marks (and/or the telltale wrinkles).

eWrapz has created a range of fabric gift coverings which can be used again and again. Each wrap comes with a sewn-in label you use as a gift tag. This ”Legacy Tag” reminds me very much of those old manilla internal company envelopes where you’d write the date, your name and the subject (or in this case, the gift occasion). You can track the gift wrapping as it gets passed along back and forth (hopefully not with the same gift inside).

Made of cotton and hemp, the wrapping features clever buttons and ribbons to (re)seal the gift. Could be one to try for your next round of birthday presents? Aquarians might get a kick out of this!

The famous US department store Macy’s has announced it is shutting down its gift-wrap department.

Unlike many gift websites which offer the service for free, Macy’s charges hapless non-wrappers from $5.95 to $15.95 depending on the gift’s size for its staff to expertly wrap and beribbon an item purchased from its flagship stores, such as Chicago. Bridal registry items are a flat $7.95 no matter what the size (I couldn’t even guess how many metres of glossy paper they’d need to wrap whitegoods).

It follows the lead of J.C Penney which stopped offering gift wrapping in the holidays about six years. By making such a “cut” however, it makes the store move ever closer to being a discount “big box” store like Target or WalMart which offer no such frills.

A survey found that 74% of men and women believe that women are better gift-wrappers, so I’m quite sure that men would gladly pay anything so that they don’t have to wrestle with a sheet of frosted cellophane and a mystery package of curling ribbon.

The store most famous for its service, Nordstrom, has bucked against the penny-pinching trend by providing shiny silver gift boxes that any sales assistant can use for the item (unless, of course, it is a refrigerator) while Neiman Marcus offers the service for free to big spenders.

Macy’s now offers engaged couples the option to ask their guests to send their gifts from the online gift registry unwrapped.

Hmmmm… On the one hand this saves paper waste and is good for the environment yada yada yada, but on the other hand, it reduces a special gift occasion like a wedding to an icky grabfest at best, and at worst, it makes your living room look like you’ve received a bunch of stolen goods.

Gift wrapping can cost a bomb so I usually buy a 100-sheet pack of glossy gold cellophane from the local florist wholesaler which is perfect for birthday and Christmas gifts.

But there are heaps of materials around your home which can wrap – or at least contain – your gifts (temporarily if you really must have the ”wrapping” back). What about:

1. Road map – highlight the towns they’ve travelled to

2. Magazine cover – get ‘em wondering what are the 10 ways you can please a woman?!

3. Calendar – whether it’s a cheesy pin-up or a cutesy puppy pic, they’re usually large enough to do the trick

4. Takeaway menu – fun idea for your favourite pizza/Chinese/Thai  takeaway food fan,  even wittier if it’s wrapping the latest Nigella Lawson/Gordon Ramsay/Stephanie Alexander cookbook

5. Bed valance/duvet cover- its sheer size can hold a very large present without using sheets and sheets of wrapping paper…

6. Shoebox – hopefully they won’t be expecting a pair of Manolo Blahniks inside – better use your EasySteps one to reduce expectations…

7. Tablecloth – again, this is nice and large and looks great tied up with some raffia string and is ideal for homeware items

8. Newspaper – broadsheets are best as they’re bigger. Try and pick a page with the juiciest gossip

9. Old Globite suitcase - most people seem to have one of these in the garage or attic somewhere. It’s a cute container for guidebooks, travel items etc if you’re giving a gift to a friend or family member about to go off on a long holiday somewhere

10. Cooler bag – ideal for that bottle of chilled champagne or pre-made, frozen home-cooked meals.

I’ve banged on before about knowing where to save money when gift shopping (I prefer to buy my gift wrapping paper in bulk), but I think the best innovative, environmentally friendly gift wrap ideas have something in common with the gift or its category, and often, can even make up part of the gift itself.

Saving on having to pay for wrapping also particularly appeals to the earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) for financial reasons, the greenies (Aquarius) so they can save the earth, the more-inventive ones so they can show off what clever clogs they are (Gemini) and also, let’s face it, the plain old lazy lot who want to waste as little time gift wrapping as possible (Aries, Sagittarius).

For example, for a kitchen tea gift, wrap it in a teatowel, a tablecloth, a table runner or slide it inside an oven mitt.

For a baby gift, tie up your gifts inside a muslin swaddling cloth, an embroidered blanket or slip it inside a rolled-up romper suit.

Dealing with a fashion fan? Put their shirt/sweater/jewellery etc inside a glamour-brand shoebox, a hatbox, a Tiffany box (that’ll do their head in!) or wrap it inside a scarf.

For a car “nut”, why not slip their present into a rolled up windscreen shade or car seat cover.

Young kids actually often prefer the box to the gift itself but why not place whatever you’re giving them in a cute toy box or stacking cube?

Know a geek? Why not give them some new software, snugly presented in a sexy laptop sleeve.

Pet owners might be thrilled to see little toys for their Fido, nestled within a doggie doona.

Obviously there are many more ways you could present your gift than in traditional gift wrapping paper. What are some non-traditional gift wrapping ideas you’d suggest?