Green Christmas
Twas the day after Christmas
And all on the floor
Were remnants of Christmas presents
Blocking the door.
The bags were all empty
The wrapping paper a mess
The kids were playing quietly
While you stack the excess
You think to throw it out
But wonder what to do
When a bright idea pops up
And you recycle old to new.
Instead of throwing out the used wrapping paper, Christmas cards, and such, read below for a few tips on how to recycle or reuse your Christmas items.
Icicles
-Collect all the icicles you have left over from the tree and use them for gift bag “stuffing” throughout the year.
-Use them as ribbon when tying small bags or for rolled up notes (like a scroll).
Wrapping Paper
-You can cut paper into smaller pieces and use as a decoupage material to decorate shoe boxes, packing boxes, and not-so-pretty jars or tins.
-You can even re-use birthday paper in the same way.
Tinsel/Garland
-Old tinsel or garland can be cut into shorter lengths and used to decorate wreaths and centerpieces.
-Use to spice up a wrapped package by adorning with the tinsel instead of just using ribbons and bows.
Lights
-Cut up old strings of miniature lights and use for electricity experiments.
-Each light makes a great 1.5 volt battery tester.
Ornaments
-Spray paint & glue glitter on old ornaments to give a fresh, “new” look.
-Glue or decoupage printed pictures of your family onto an old ornament (print pictures in sephia or black & white for a cool effect), then seal with clear spray.
-Glass ornaments can be soaked in soapy water to clean, and then re-decorate how you want. You can add some lace, baby’s breath, or even make mini snow globes inside.
Christmas Cards
-Cut out three pictures from your old cards. Using a glass, trace a circle around the section of the picture you would like to use. Fold each circle in half. Glue or staple the three circles together with the pictures facing out so that it forms a triangle-like shape. Punch a hole through one of the sides; place an ornament hook through it. Hang it from the tree.
-Use the card to make small gift boxes or even Christmas crackers (tubes) out of them.
-Use cards to make origami gift boxes. The front of the card makes the top and the back makes the bottom. The boxes end up about the size of a ring box, and can be hung on the tree as an ornament, or be use to surprise someone with a diamond ring.
Election Signs
Since elections are near to Christmas time, here is one tip on how to even recycle those.
-Decorate the sign by spray painting it, and then tying a bow around it to look like Christmas presents. You can place them randomly in your front lawn.
-You can use painter’s tape to tape off a cross shape after the first paint color, then paint again with a second color to have a “ribbon” that will last a long time.
-You could even paint Merry Christmas or some holiday cheer on the sign.
Please share some of your Green Christmas ideas with us. If we receive enough, we will post a second Green Christmas article for you.
Popularity: 11% [?]
About the Author: Allison Levy is an expert in the Environmental Field having over 15 years of experience working with government agencies and private industries. She graduated from the University of Maryland University College with a Master’s of Science in Environmental Management. Allison has worked in the field by conducting environmental, health and safety surveys/inspections on underground storage tanks, air quality, hazardous material, and the like.
