Decorating Your Home with Recycled Materials

Most people when decorating a new or existing home turn to new items they see in stores. Yet, why not add a twist of individual uniqueness to the furnishings of your living space and lend a helping hand to nature at the same time for a fraction of the cost? Here are some creative "green" ideas on decorating your house.

Using recyclable glass jars or wine bottles as flower vases or other decorative pieces is a simple way to beautify your home in a "green" way. A clear wine or champagne bottle is ideal to be sued as a flower vase. Simply clean the inside and fill with water and trim the base of the flowers so that they will be proportional with the bottle you are placing them in. Or take some clear or colored glass jars and fill them with smooth tiny pebbles, glass tones, or marbles for a contemporary, yet earthy touch. These filled jars can also be used as paperweights or book ends depending on the size and weight.

Instead of throwing away those pieces of clothing, cut out the portions that are still clean and not worn and make them into all sorts of shapes and sizes of pillows that can be displayed on furniture all throughout the house. Don't stick too the generic square and rectangle shapes; fold and bend the fabric geometrically to create extra detailed designs and texture. You can use the unused remaining fabric as the inner pillow stuffing. See a pattern that you like? Cut that portion out with enough side portions to fold over an older frame, picture holder, or canvas. Display it like framed art.

Before tossing out those magazines or newspapers in the recycle bin, leaf through them and carefully tear out any picture or image that catches your eye. Use the cutouts to create a bold collage, or paste the images onto recycled or leftover index cards or thin cardboard and use them as earth-friendly savvy note and greeting cards. You can also cut out unique font letters and use them to create message bulletins or name posters and use those to individualize you bedroom, study, or personal library.