5 Ways to Use Left Over Christmas Gift Wrappng Paper

It is typically not a common effort to calculate exactly how much wrapping paper you will need to wrap Christmas gifts. Usually we just buy the beautiful paper for adults or the cute, Christmas-y paper for the kids. A certain color to match our house decorations or a cartoon character in its Christmas glory. Sometimes cost is a factor, other times it is not. We just buy want we think we will need. But most often, there isn't a year goes by that we don't have some
wrapping paper left over. We can store it, but next year, we will probably buy new and start wrapping before we unpack last years leftovers! So, instead of storing it all year, why not use it! It is only paper...what can you do with
paper?

1. The extra added feature is that Christmas gift wrapping paper is bright and colorful - both of which features are used to brighten up a dark or small area. Take the lightest and brightest color paper you have, and use it for shelf paper in your pantry and dish cabinets. Not only does it brighten up the pantry but look how pretty! Every time you open the pantry, there is Santa looking up at you! How can you not smile! Or some candy canes are scattered around looking festive and cheerful! If you got a cartoon character print Christmas wrapping paper, there's you favorite cartoon character, smiling at you every time you open the pantry! Kids might be more anxious to help out in the kitchen if they get to see Rudolph or their favorite cartoon character every day! Granted, it is just a frame of mind, but hey, your shelves are covered and it didn't cost you a cent!

2. I had just found this wonderful "real-life" looking, 3-D style paper with bright and beautiful red and white candy canes on it. Nothing else, just a slough of candy canes! Made me want to lick the paper they looked so "real"! Candy canes are among my grand daughter's favorite candy so of course I had to get it to wrap her presents! I cut off a strip about 5" wide, to accommodate the package, and it dropped to the floor. As I picked it up, the first thought to my mind as I was holding that long strip of paper, was seeing Santa holding his list and ""checking it twice"and stationery came to mind! I can write to my grand daughter through out the year on the back of this Christmas wrapping paper strip and on the back is her favorite, beautiful candy canes! She will get such a kick out of it! Fold it or roll it, either way, any kid will get a kick out of a "long" letter full of candy canes!

But hey - why stop there! Use your left over gift wrap for stationery to anyone! Cut the wrapping paper pieces the size you want and start writing! Fold it to fit the envelope with the pretty design is on the outside, so when the envelope is opened, the first thing the reader sees is a beautiful snow scene or a cute snowman as they open the letter to read it - - with a smile on their face! Now, for those of you that don't know what stationery, letter writing and "snail mail" is, now is a great time to learn an old fashioned way of life. Forget the email and surprise your friends with a letter on beautiful stationery! You don't have to tell them that is Christmas leftovers! Just know you did a good think when they call you (okay they can email you) and tell you how cool it was to get something "in the mail".

3. Whether you are moving or just packing away Christmas decorations, you need packing paper. Gift wrap paper is a thicker paper making it perfect for wrapping breakables. The inside is white so no color will get on your items but you will see that festive gift wrapping paper as you unpack and smiles are always a big help to get through any move!

4. Kids love to draw and cut and create and design. If you have a roll with a few feet left, just unroll it (white side up), secure the ends and let them draw away! Have them lay down on the white side and you trace around their bodies and then let them decorate themselves! Use crayons or markers to draw their hair, a cute outfit, fun shoes, whatever they want! They can draw a group of pictures or have 2 kids one each side of the paper drawing their imaginations! They can draw pictures of anything they want and if they don't want to keep the drawings .... then throw the paper away!

5. If you really want to save the wrapping paper for next year, take all the wrapping paper you want to save, take it off its own cardboard tube and roll it all together on one cardboard tube-roll. This way you only have to store one actual roll instead of trying to do the sometimes impossible feat of storing several large, long cardboard tubes. And since often Christmas wrapping paper is also sold in folded fashion, fold yours in large sections the size of the side of your largest storage box. Fold your papers that same size and then just slide them down the side of the box. Safe and secure from folds and tears! Then mark that box with "wrapping paper" so you will be sure to make that the first
box you open next year so you have the gift wrap ready for that first gift!

The joy of Christmas doesn't have to stop on the December 25th. It can offer fun, smiles and practicality all year long! You just have to decide how you want to use it!