Recycled Wrapping Paper Project

Image: Greenista

Tis the season to be wasteful.

Especially when it comes to wrapping gifts. You spend a whole night wrapping gifts for all your loved ones, only to have the brand new paper ripped clean off it a few hours later and it either gets balled up and thrown in a large black bin with all of the packaging and torn boxes or, depending on how young the kids are, the thing they play with as it's more fun than the actual (expensive) gift you fought tooth and nail to get.

So, instead of buying expensive wrapping paper, here are a few alternatives you can use from items you should be able to find around the house. You can also try out these homemade gift bows in a way to spruce up your wrapping.


Newspaper -  It’s easy to find, cheap and large and you can make wrapping unique by using colorful comics or photos.

Image: Sustainable Baby Steps

Image: furniturehomedesign

Magazines - You can cover your gifts in glossy magazine pages. Just tape a few together to create larger sheets for bigger presents.

Image: Paper Crave

Sheet Music - Sheet music adds a beautiful touch to your gift wrapped present.

Image: Love 2 Upcycle

Calenders - Since you are going to be throwing out your old one anyway, why not use it to personalise a gift?

Image: Paper Source

Maps - If you've read some of this blog before then you'll know how I feel about maps.

Image: Curated By Color

Brown paper shopping bag - Not only is it recyclable, but you can use almost anything (even straw!) to decorate it and it will look great.

Image: EcoFront

So, by taking advantage of some of these products, you not only reuse materials you may already have around the house, but you can also utilize materials that can be recycled once all of the gifts have been opened.

Remember, Christmas comes once a year and sometimes we spend far more than we can afford. If you use some of these ideas instead of forking out on expensive wrapping paper it might mean you won't end up giving the shirt off your back.

Image: a subtle revelry

Or maybe you will?

Christmas (Origami) Tree Project

Image: arraddia

It's that time of year again.

The old dusty box of glitter baubles, angels, tinsel, snow globes, Christmas lights and reindeer come out of hibernation when everything else seems to be going in to hibernation.

Sometimes the festive cheer inside the home inevitably spills outside the home and onto the front of your house. We don't go overboard in this house but walking around my local area you would be forgiven for thinking you had moved to Las Vegas when seeing the blinking, flashing, glowing lights on neighbours homes.

The one thing that we all have in common though is having a Christmas Tree.

Now some of you might think I don't have the space for a Christmas Tree, I don't need the mess of a Christmas Tree or I won't be around for all of Christmas so what's the point in having a Christmas Tree?

Well here is your solution.

An Origami Christmas Tree that won't take up too much space, make a mess with falling pine needles and buckets of water or feel all alone sitting on it's lonesome in your empty house/apt while you are out gatecrashing every Christmas party to be found.

Brought to you by Francesco Guarnieri at Happy Folding.

So now you have no excuse to get into the Christmas spirit.

Just don't go and make your home look like a casino.

DIY Vintage Tin Project

Image: Tortoise and the Hare

I'm always searching for new ways to recycle old things but every so often I come across an old way to revamp a new thing.

Here's simple way to put a vintage spin on a plain tin.

Image: Tortoise and the Hare

 

Step 1: Spray paint your tin whatever color you like.
(O'Sullivans Art supplies on Camden Street have great offers at the moment on spray cans)

Step 2: Choose an image and resize it to fit your tin.
There's a great selection here where you can find images just like these.

Image: pilllpat

Image: pilllpat

Image: pilllpat

Image: pilllpat

Step 3: Print the image onto adhesive paper or you can print on plain paper and use craft glue to stick the image to the tin. Once attached - use a sealer like Mod Podge to waterproof the label. You should be able to pick some up in any art or crafts shop.

If all of this sounds like a great idea but you are faced with one small problem and that's having any tins to spruce up, fear not, IKEA have a set of 3 tins, seen below, for a tidy sum of €3.59.

Image: IKEA

So now you have 3 good reasons to get organized and make your own vintage style tins.