‘Tis the season to be jolly, so how about spreading some Christmas joy and sit down with the kids to make these really cute recycled decorations. You’ll have heaps of fun doing them and they’re ideal for little hands.
This article originally appeared on makeuseof.com and image credits are given below.
Ball-Shaped Ornaments From Junk Mail
Do you get tons of junk mail? Did you buy too many Christmas cards and have nothing to do with them? Don’t throw it away! All this paper can be used to make impressive Christmas garlands and decorations.
To make this specific decoration, all you have to do is cut your spare paper cards into circles, fold them, glue them, and tie everything with a string. It really is as easy as it sounds. Read the full tutorial for detailed instructions.
Recycled Christmas Garlands
If the first project seems too complicated for young children, this one is going to be perfect. There’s no extra folding and gluing involved — just cut pretty pieces of paper and tape them onto a string. That’s all there is to it. You can use any paper for this, from unused Christmas cards to junk mail and magazines.
Read the full tutorial for a more detailed explanation.
Old Keyboard Ornaments
Using an old keyboard you no longer need to make Christmas ornaments is one of the most original ideas out there, and if you decide to make one, your tree is bound to get some extra attention. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a full tutorial for the ornament pictured above, but if you need detailed instructions, you can make a similar one using this Instructables tutorial.
All it takes to make keyboard ornaments are some keyboard keys and a little bit of creativity. Even if you just tie them in strings that make up words, you’ve already done something special.
Cork Reindeer
Are these awesome or what? Christmas or no Christmas, I’m getting a strong urge to make these.
Making cork reindeer as perfect as the ones in the picture takes a little bit of work and some tools, but it can be a fun project for you or your older kids, and the results are bound to get a response. All you need to make these are corks and twigs, although extra decorations (if you already have them!) can definitely help.
Follow this tutorial for a detailed explanation.
Scrabble Ornaments
Scrabble makes a great gift. This means you may have more than one box of the game lying away in the cupboard. Scrabble pieces also tend to get lost, which means you may have incomplete sets you feel bad about throwing away. The solution? Scrabble Christmas ornaments!
To make these you’re going to need some Scrabble letters and trays, as well as some tools such as a saw and a hot glue gun. If you have these tools available, making these ornaments shouldn’t take you more than an hour.
Learn how to make them in this full tutorial.
Snowflake Lanterns From Empty Jars
Got some empty jars lying about? How about some junk mail? You’re ready to make snowflake lanterns. Follow this detailed tutorial to learn how to cut perfect snowflakes from scrap paper. Then move on to the next tutorial to learn how to make the lanterns. To make a long story short, you need to glue the snowflakes onto some jars, and if you want, light candles inside. You can use the snowflakes in different ways too, such as gluing them to the wall, or any other way you can come up with.
Paperback Garland
Before you get the wrong idea, I’m not suggesting you ruin a good book to make these ornaments, but if you have a paperback that’s already coming apart and has missing pages, what better way to respect it than to re-use it? It doesn’t take much: take some pages from the book, cut them and attach a piece of string.
This ornament is super easy to make, and will lend your Christmas tree a true bookish look. Follow this tutorial for more details.
Yogurt Bottle Snowmen
This is a great craft for those who have young kids and want to get them in on the fun. Just gather up some empty yogurt bottles (or any other kind of smallish plastic bottle) and some extra bottle caps, and using some simple craft supplies, create these adorable snowmen.
The best thing about these? You can fill them up with all sorts of goodies. In this tutorial, for example, the snowmen are filled with jellybeans. Yum.
Lightbulb Ornaments
Don’t throw away burnt out lightbulbs! Cover them with glitter or paint, and hang them on your tree instead of those expensive store-bought ornaments. This one is really easy and requires no more than simple creativity and whatever supplies you have at hand. For an idea on how to make the ornament in the picture above, check out this tutorial.
Cork Wreath
Corks are a great thing to save if you like recycling and crafts. Aside from reindeer, you can also make other ornaments out of them, and of course, this wreath. All you need is a Styrofoam wreath, a glue gun, and of course, corks!
Follow this tutorial for more details.
Coffee Filter Christmas Tree
Feeling especially creative? Gather up some coffee filters you don’t need and make a tiny Christmas tree. As long as you have the filters, a foam cone or something else for the tree itself and something flat for the base, the rest is really up to you. Paint the filters or leave them white, glue anything you find around as ornaments, and find the perfect tree top to suit your little tree.
Follow this tutorial for some inspiration and instructions.
We wish all our readers a wonderful Christmas and New Year and would like to thank you for your support.
