So, you fold the torn, used wrapping paper as neatly as possible, and save it for next year, right? Then next year comes and you see the cutest paper patterns that you can’t resist, and forget all about last year’s paper. Or, you intend to use the paper but where on Earth did you store it? Okay, some people are frugal enough to save the old paper for the following year – and that’s okay – but if you’re one of them, take a few pieces out to create some other things for your home. If you probably won’t reuse the paper next Christmas! There’s lots of cool things you can make out of it.
Kids will enjoy making fireplace “logs” out of paper towel rolls and potpourri. Fill the roll with dry potpourri then wrap it in the used wrapping paper. Tie the ends, if you wish, with twine, making the log look like a giant piece of candy. Or, just tape the ends down. You can use the wrapping paper in the normal manner or turn it inside-out to hide the Christmas pattern. Of course, you can use birthday or anniversary paper as well, so turning the paper to the backside will hide any occasion pattern. Stack the paper logs in a basket by the hearth or give them to friends that have fireplaces. They’ll enjoy tossing the aromatic logs onto the fire in their homes.
Kids will have lots of fun with used wrapping paper when you turn it to the backside and tape it to their desk or table. They can color and draw for hours on the paper. Get out rubber stamps and pads, markers, colored pencils and other art supplies and watch the fun! Even better, tape the paper to their bedroom walls and they’ll thoroughly enjoy creating artwork while getting away with something normally forbidden. Have a fun supper for the kids by laying used wrapping paper on the kitchen table and letting the kids scribble while having dinner. Make sure to serve things that can’t be spilled, like sandwiches.
Cut the wrapping paper into shapes and make a notepad. Neatly stack the shapes and, after you have a nice size pile, paint glue onto one section of the shape to form the binding. You can also apply a piece of tape to a straight edged area of the shape, then neatly trim the ends, to create the binding. Set a stack on the desk, by the phone, or on your night stand.
Fold used wrapping paper into paper fans to hang on bedroom walls. After folding the paper you see the main color and not the Christmas pattern. Decorate the fans with strung beads or other embellishments.
There are lots of holiday crafts you can save the paper for. The following Christmas, get the paper out, iron it, and make new things. That’s right, lay a thin towel over the paper and iron the wrinkles out. Or, wad the paper up even more to give it a crinkled look, and decoupage it onto wood, lamps or other objects. Decoupage adhesive is easy to apply and works great for paper projects. Make nice holiday decor by affixing the paper to a piece of wood, then using other craft items to attach Christmas lettering, or decorations. Make these into wall hangings, door hangers, holiday plaques and similar projects.
Using the old wrapping paper you can make holiday boxes by applying the paper and decoupage to ordinary cardboard. Use the same technique to attach the paper to Christmas tree balls, tin cans, Pringles cans, oatmeal canisters, plant pots, jars, picture frames and more. Cover cans in the paper, edge with decorative roping, and you’ll have beautiful candle holders for next Christmas. Look around the house and you’ll find all sorts of things you can embellish with used wrapping paper.
Cut small patterns and images from old wrapping paper pieces and use them to make fanciful soaps to give away next Christmas. Use ordinary bars of soap but choose types that don’t have raised lettering. Decoupage the paper onto the soap then coat with several more applications of decoupage. The image will stay on the soap for some time before beginning to disappear. The soaps are an attractive gift that’s inexpensive and unique.
Tear the wrapping paper into large pieces, or piece together smaller sections, to make a mat, of sorts, for baby’s high chair. Lay a piece of the wrapping paper down on the floor, set the high chair in the center, and clean up is a breeze. Baby can drop and spill items in the floor but they’ll land on the paper which is then rolled up and thrown away.
Old wrapping paper has many uses the least of which is wrapping gifts. Gather up some pieces from your storage bin and get busy crafting. You’ll have lots of fun and create some unique and useful crafts.
Reference:
- Buy wrapping paper for any occasion here: www.orientaltrading.com
