The Holidays are Over, but the
Wrapping Paper Remains…

 

Now that the holidays are over, I’ve got about a half dozen rolls of holiday paper taking up space in my already-crowded hall closet. Instead of storing it until this time next year I’ve come up with some ways to use it all year round. I admit many seem to involve lamination, but if you have any you think I’ve missed (lamination or no!), please leave it in the comments section for us to check out.



  • Placemats – cut a piece of wrapping paper to 14”x18” and have it laminated. If you have the time – and patience – you could also weave together 2” strips of two types of wrapping paper to make a more colorful and dynamic design.

  • Coasters – cut out and laminate several 4”x4” squares to make easy-to-clean but festive party coasters.

  • Bookmarks – slice elegant wrapping paper into 2”x9” strips. Place the strips back to back and laminate to create a two-sided bookmark. You can also punch a hole at the top and attach a tassel of color-coordinating thread.

  • Scrap Paper Notebooks – laminate 8.5”x11” or 5”x7” pieces of wrapping paper to serve as the front and back covers of a homemade holiday notebook. Just put blank paper between the laminated covers and have the stack spiral bound at your local FedEx Office or similar store. These would be great to keep track of holiday shopping lists and party ideas!

  • Drawer Liners – if the wrapping paper isn’t too holiday specific (think plain metallics or stripes), you can cut it down to serve as inexpensive and easy drawer and shelf liner sheets.

  • Packing Materials – shred the old wrapping paper and use it as cushioning and filler when shipping packages or to fill gift bags throughout the year.

Related FedEx Office Solutions: Lamination Service, Finishing Services, Shipping Services

Comments

Halloween - uses for ugly holiday wrapping paper

Use ugly wrapping paper for no-cost halloween decorations for your windows! Measure out enough wrapping paper to cover the windows. Dark background paper works best. Sketch out a scary monster, jack-o-lantern, or goblin face. Cut out the teeth and eyes so that you're left with a large sheet of paper with holes in it where the teeth, eyes, and nose will be. Tape the large sheet of paper to the window, with the dark side facing the street. Take some light-colored tissue paper, and use 1-2 sheets to cover the openings, taping the tissue paper to the to the back of the wrappign paper. Tack a string of lit christmas tree lights around the inside of the window, behind the wrapping paper. Turn out the lights in the room and plug in the christmas tree lights. Go outside and admire your creation from the street! (FYI, you could subsitute a well-placed lamp without a shade for christmas tree lights)

Recycle Wrapping Paper in your on-hands scrapbooking photo's

Cut the wrapping paper into frames for your scrapbooking photo's.

Cut it into letters for scrapbooking page headers.

Use it to make paper beads that you seal with decopague, then string together to make pretty necklaces for little girls.

Cut out little design portions you like (e.g. snowmen, presents, stars, drummer boy, polar bears, penguins, navtivity, etc.) and decopague onto vases for dried flower arrangements, or decopague onto square cube shaped clear glass coin banks.  They can be decopagued onto little wooden jewelry boxes too, or electric pencil sharpners that have a clear portion where you can see if the pencil shavings have filled up the removable emptying cups.

Use the papers for paper layering, paper piecing craft projects, or cut them into perfect squares of equal size for Tea Bag folding crafts, or Iris folding crafts.  You should be able to find info on these crafts on the internet via a search with Tea Bag folding or Iris folding crafts as the search phrases.

Buy flat white foam craft foam, and glue little designs from the papers onto it.  Let the glue dry thoroughly before cutting.   Once they are dry  cut out the shapes.  If the wrapping paper doesn't have little shapes you can use star cookie cutters to trace a design on the back side of the craft foam and cut out the design. Next on the back side of the foam without the paper design glued to it, glue on a magnetic strip.  If your insurance man/woman gives you magnetic calendars for your refrigerator every year, you can use the old ones and cut them into strips with scissors (just don't use your best pair to do the cutting with), then glue the written on side to the foam back side.  Use good white craft glue that is good for multiple crafting needs.  Now you have magnets to use next year, or store in zip lock bags and give as little gifts at Christmas time next year.

If your children are old enough let them cut out designs off the wrapping paper, to make Grandparent Christmas cards for next year.  They can use light weight card stock or construction paper and glue to make the cards.  The cards can then be kept in a large zip lock type bag and stored until next Christmas.  If the children got gifts from relatives and they need to write a thank you note, they could use the same principle as the Christmas card only make it smaller in size.

If your small child has a reward chore calendar in their room where you normally give them stick on stars to show they accomplished the goals/chores for the day, you could stop using stickers and instead use a paper punch and punch out stars from the wrapping paper and just use a tiny piece of two sided tape to attach these new wrapping paper stars to their chore/goal calendar.  Chore examples:  brushing own teeth, picking up toys, putting own dirty clothes in clothes hamper, tying own shoes, etc...

These are just a few of my ideas, but I really like yours too.

Thank you and Happy New Years and a blessed 2010 to everyone. 

Great ideas!

Wow, thanks for sharing so many of your great ideas!  You have some very creative uses for left over paper. 

Love the placemat idea! I

Love the placemat idea! I have never thought of that one! I have been guilty of wrapping presents throughout the year with Christmas paper that has been turned over to the white side...I let my son decorate and have gotten alot of compliments on such a creative idea! ;)

To recycle used wrapping

To recycle used wrapping paper, I use it as packing for shipments.  I crinkle up a bit and put in it a plastic grocery bag (tied shut).  Same goes for tissue paper! 

Great ideas above for bit and pieces of pretty wrap that are left over!  Thanks!!

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