Five Ways to Reuse Your Holiday Wrapping & Packaging

You wave good bye to your holiday house guest, look at the ten pounds of leftovers that you have to pack up and put into the deep freezer when you realize that your holiday chores are far from over. You are Fa la la la la'd out and notice that every single box, ribbon, and piece of wrapping paper has been shoved in a corner and smashed in trash bags. So what now? Is there no better way to handle the trashy side of gift giving? Sure manufactures have come up with nifty containers to store what you want to use and reuse for next year. What about the mess that was created this year? Here are some ideas to go green and find everyday function with your holiday trash.

1. Shred wrapping paper for stuffing and packing - Many of us purchase shedders to protect against identity theft. Now you can use your shredder to shred wrapping paper to replace the packing peanuts or shredded strip paper that is sold in stores to pack boxes for shipping or to put in gift packaging. Take the wrapping paper, cut it into sheet size pages and place into the shredder. Once you are done, you can place the shredding into storage or garbage bags for future use. Be mindful that all paper may not be shredder friendly. Do not over stuff so that you do not damage your shredder. Always use a test sheet first.

2. Re-use jewelry gift boxes - Many jewelry stores, especially high end stores will place the boxed item in an additional gift box that is either plain or pre-wrapped. Those boxes are not cheap, as they should not be for the price that you spent on the piece of jewelry inside them. The box is durable enough for you to hang onto to use for an upcoming special occasion. Be sure to store the box in a dry environment, preferable a storage bag or container until next use.

3. Re-twist twist ties - Some packaged items that do not use zip ties use twist ties to secure packaging. Twist ties have common every day uses like closing garbage bags and goody bags for parties. They are also helpful for holding plant vines to stakes in planters in the garden.

4. Re-pack with bubble wrap - POP. POP. POP. Yes, bubble wrap was invented to protect items in transport not to drive people around you crazy (athough we all must admit to the insatiable urge to continue popping bubbles once you start) Think of it this way, if the manufacturer put the item in the bubble wrap to protect it before it came to you, why cannot you reuse it to protect something else? This bubble wrap can pack fragile items for storage, moving, or even for the next time you give another delicate gift.

5. Use any packaging and wrapping for arts and crafts- Anyone who has gone into a craft store knows that even the staples of craft supplies like glue; markers, decorative papers and paints are expensive. Specialized art projects and hobbies like Scrapbooking can be even more costly. The different types of wrapping paper, texture from boxes, tissue papers and gift bags are just a few ideas of things that can be saved for Scrapbooking. The shredded wrapping paper can also be used as confetti at parties. The ribbons can be used in making hair bows, ornaments, and add accents to existing home decor.

These are just a few ideas of what can be done with leftover wrapping and packaging from the holidays. Make this a family project where every member can sort and organize for reuse. This is a great time to bond and create memories for the family while completing that task at hand. Reduce, reuse and save money by turning what you thought was trash, into helpful everyday treasures. The limit is only as far as you imagination will take you!