Welcome to our first official S14 blog post!
Our Cynosurae Tidings & Hearsay site is the place to go for gnuslets, facts, and info snippets. This blog will be where we post actual topics and "stuff".
And we're starting it out with a look at
what the blazes to do with all that post-holiday wrapping paper?!
Most commercial wrapping paper is not actually "paper" in the recyclable sense. Many varieties are coated in plastic, glitter, or metallic foils that contaminate recycling streams, and the wrapping paper ends up in landfill. So separating it into the recycling bin may not have the positive environmental impact you were hoping for.
What then, can we do with it? Here are 10 ideas to get started:
- Homemade Gift Tags: Cut out festive shapes from the used paper (stars, trees, circles, rectangles) and punch a hole in them. These can be used for future gifts, saving you money and adding a personal touch
- DIY Envelopes: Smaller, less crinkled pieces of wrapping paper are perfect for making custom envelopes for thank-you notes, birthday cards, or even just small messages throughout the year. There are many templates available online
- Paper Bows: Create beautiful, multi-layered bows for future gifts. There are various tutorials online for making intricate paper bows that look just as good, if not better, than store-bought ones
- Decorative Confetti or Shredded Filler: If you have a paper shredder, turn your leftover wrapping paper into colorful confetti for New Year's Eve parties or as decorative filler for gift baskets and packages throughout the year
- Line Drawers or Shelves: Give your drawers, shelves, or even the inside of a closet a festive or stylish makeover by lining them with pretty wrapping paper. It adds a pop of color and can protect surfaces. This used to be the go-to move for brides—they'd use the wrapping paper from shower and wedding presents to line drawers. In addition to being practical, it was a sweet reminder of the gifts received and those who gave them
- Christmas Ornament Storage: Use crumpled wrapping paper to cushion delicate Christmas ornaments when packing them away. It's a free and effective way to protect them until next year
- Paper Chains or Garlands: This is a classic craft! Cut the paper into strips, loop them together, and glue or staple to create colorful paper chains to decorate for future parties or even next Christmas
- Decoupage Projects: Use scraps of wrapping paper to decoupage onto various items like old shoeboxes, tins, picture frames, or even plain furniture to give them a fresh, decorative look
- Kids' Craft Supplies: Save all the leftover bits and pieces for kids' craft projects. It's excellent for collages, paper crafts, or even just for drawing and scribbling on the blank side
- DIY Book Covers: If you have larger, less damaged pieces, use them to cover textbooks, notebooks, or journals. It's a fun way to personalize and protect your books
Before you start, remember to remove any tape, ribbons, or embellishments from the wrapping paper, and flatten it out as much as possible for easier use. Do you have any repurposing ideas to share? We'd love to hear them!