How to turn your newspaper into eco-friendly wrapping paper

Patric Richardson, "The Laundry Evangelist" of the Twin Cities, knows a thing or two about folding. His expertise in handling clothes and sheets makes him a skilled gift wrapper.

Wrapping gifts "is the same thing as laundry," he said. "You start out with this sort of jumbled mess, and there's order to it at the end."

First, of course, you need wrapping paper. Don't worry; we've got that covered. Saturday's Variety section features a festively decorated sheet of wrapping paper, perfect for your last-minute holiday gifts.

Richardson has used newspaper to gift-wrap before, such as using the business pages for college graduation gifts. When he was a kid, he saw a lot of people use the Sunday comics as wrapping paper, something he said makes presents look special.

"The idea that a newspaper prints a sheet of wrapping paper, to me, feels very sort of vintage and nostalgic, and I love that," he said.

Holiday gifts also hold a special place in Richardson's heart. When he was 3 years old, he received a present that jump-started his entire career in laundry care.

"Santa brought me a toy washing machine," he said. "Isn't it funny? I mean, it's the perfect example that a gift can be more than a gift."

Iron out the folds

This is optional, but if you want to get rid of those creases in the paper, Richardson recommends quickly going over it with an iron on low to medium heat. If your iron has a steamer, you can lightly use that, as well.

Cut the excess

Wrap it up!

If you don't want to tape the paper directly onto the gift, Richardson's wrapping method is for you. This works great for gifts with delicate surfaces, like books. If you're OK with the adhesive on the gift, you can tape as you go.