With Christmas Day come and gone, getting crafty with leftover decorations and other seasonal items allows families to not only save money, but convert holiday traditions into overall eco-conscious DIY projects.
There are many unique ideas for repurposing Christmas staples, including holiday greeting cards, string lights and even your dried-out Christmas tree that’s taking up space in the living room. Here are a few simple do-it-yourself projects you or the whole family can take on.
#1. DIY Projects for Holiday Cards
Convert Holiday Cards into Gift Tags
Receiving greeting cards in the mail is always a pleasant, but when it comes time to take down these holiday well-wishes from the mantle, it can be difficult to throw such sentimental messages in the trash. Instead of sending holiday cards to take up space in landfills, convert them into next year’s holiday gift tags.
Simply cut out illustrations on the front of the card into shapes like Christmas trees, doves, stars and other holiday-themed silhouettes. If you have construction paper and glue handy, you can get even more creative by gluing on an additional trim or backing for a special DIY touch. Use a single hole-punch and reuse gift ribbon in place of twine. During the holidays, buying a packet of new gift tags can cost about $5, but why deprive your savings account of these funds when you can recycle holiday cards into one-of-a-kind tags? (Image: Better Homes and Gardens)
Create a Christmas Tree Garland
Another way to prepare for next year’s holiday festivities ahead of time is to use your cutting and pasting skills for a colorful Christmas tree garland. Instead of wasting money on holiday tinsel and yards of beading to decorate your next Christmas tree, cut holiday greeting cards into strips, link two pieces together and close the ends (make sure the card’s text and images are facing out). The end result should form a long holiday linked garland to coil around the tree next season. (Image: junkgardengirl)
