In the midst of wrapping Christmas gifts, I have ended up with at least half a dozen rolls of wrapping paper that each have only a foot or two left on them. I was contemplating just throwing them out but just couldn’t bring myself to. :-) So I did a little research and one idea led to the next and soon I had several great alternative ideas to tossing my leftover wrapping paper out with the trash.
My favorite ideas involved using a very under utilized item in my house….my paper shredder.
Since New Year’s Eve is just around the corner I decided to shred up some of my shiny variety Christmas paper and make party confetti!
Just take your leftover piece of wrapping paper, fold it over on itself a few times until it fits within the width of your shredder, and feed it through.
For me, it’s just not a New Year’s Eve celebration without some sort of confetti involved! I know it can be kind of a pain to clean up, but hey, it only comes around once a year and that’s what vacuums are for.
Another great use for the shredded paper….packing material!
Protect and/or store fragile items, including delicate Christmas decor, with a shredded leftover wrapping paper. Or use it as filler for homemade gift baskets throughout the year.
If you don’t have access to a shredder…here are a few more ideas:
Do a makeover on your medicine cabinet! In My Own Style
Or on a bookcase! Jewels At Home
Line a party tray…… Thoughtfully Simple
…..or a drawer. I Heart Organizing
Frame the wrapping paper to be ready as a next year’s holiday decor! Thoughtfully Simple
Take larger pieces of wrapping paper, flip them over, hang them on the wall of your kid’s room, and let the kids have at it! They’ll love decorating their new “wallpaper.”
Make festive bunting for a party, or just for fun! RosiePink
Did you know you can curl paper like you can curl ribbon? Well you can! Make your own bows from old paper. Simple Julie
Roll paper beads that you can use for craft projects. Tonya Staab
Take your old wrapping paper and make NEW handmade paper! One Good Thing By Jillee
Cut your leftover gift wrap into squares and make beautiful origami hearts! Gathering Beauty
Make simple and festive placemats (that you don’t have to worry about getting food on!) Up To Date Interiors
And finally, once you’re finished recycling your wrapping paper, don’t throw away the paper tube it came wrapped around!
Those are great for keeping the rest of your wrapping paper from unrolling. No more pieces of tape that drive you mad trying to get off!
They are also great for storing and protecting tapered candles. Wrap with a little leftover tissue paper and store inside the tube.
