How to Make and Use Recyclable Glue for Holiday Gift Wrapping

Most commercially available glues, adhesives, and tapes are  not environmentally friendly. Glues and adhesive contain compounds that contain plastics. Tapes—including masking tape and painter’s tape—use plastics as a carrier for the adhesive. So, what to do? Make your own environmentally friendly, recyclable glue—and use it to make this clever gift wrap idea.

Here’s how to make the recyclable glue:

1. Boil 3 Tbsp. water in a sauce pan. Add 1 envelope (¼ oz.) unflavored gelatin, and stir until the gelatin is dissolved.
2. Add 1 tsp. glycerin and 1 tsp. white vinegar, and stir to mix.
3. Store your glue in a lidded glass container.

Use the glue while it is warm and liquid. As the glue cools it will set up—just like Jello!!

Rewarm the glue to re-liquify it. You can do this by placing the container of glue in a hot water bath, microwaving in five second spurts, or gently reheating with a heat gun. If you opt for the heat gun method, keep the heat gun constantly moving and not too close to the glue.

Now, let’s use the glue for holiday gift wrapping:

1. You’ll need a toilet paper roll, a piece of fabric 7″ x 10″,  twine, a paint brush, and your gelatin glue.
2. Lay the fabric facedown on your work surface, and center the toilet roll along the 10″ side. Paint a line of glue on the fabric under the toilet roll.
3. Adhere the fabric to the toilet roll, and set aside to dry.
4. When dry, roll the remaining fabric around the roll.
5. Tie one end of the excess fabric with twine. Put your gift inside the roll, and tie the other end with twine.

When selecting fabrics avoid any with metallic thread and glitter—these aren’t recyclable. Choose twine, kitchen string, strips of fabric, or cloth ribbons. Again, no glitter or metallics.