Packaging? Reuse? Say ... what?

I have used knitting needles I'm giving someone. Hadn't put them and the fabric also for that person in the mail... because except for using packing peanuts on the sharp tips, I hadn't come up with any way to mail them that wouldn't end up with a porcupine package... something I'm sure my friend and the post office would like to avoid.

I mentioned this to my friend, who suggested wrapping them in the fabric, burrito style. I'll do that, and I also have more packing peanuts too, now.

The only place I know of to recycle packing peanuts is a shipping store nearby, and it's 30 miles "nearby," not exactly handy.

The antique store where I sell stuff gladly takes all excess packing paper, cartons, bubble wrap, etc.

So, what novel ways do you have of reusing packaging others might not use?

When I had the bookstore next to a convenience store and I was doing mail order, I'd cut a soda flat in half and tape the two pieces together to form a small box, held 2-4 paperbacks, if I remember correctly. Uses a lot of tape tho.

A lot of the packing peanuts are water soluble.  You might try testing 1 or 2 peanuts to see if they dissolve in water.

I like the suggestion of wrapping the knitting needles in fabric.

We flatten our shipping boxes and when our daughter comes she takes them to the recycling center for us.

I get a lot of brown paper in packages that I foldup to use as shelf paper.

I order a lot of glass rod for beadmaking and it often has very sharp ends.  They wrap it super well in bubble wrap with no problems yet.  I understand not wanting to drive 30 miles.  We're 30 miles from the closest WM, Hobby Lobby, auto parts, major farm store, etc.  The UPS driver knows us well. LOL

I read the question too quick. LOL.  I've used packing peanuts in the bottom of large planters to decrease the weight.  You'd have to deal with them eventually, but at least they're doing something in the meantime.