Go green this season (and save some money) by choosing repurposed wrapping paper alternatives.

If you are freaking out right now about getting everything done before the holidays, take chill pill. We’ve got your back–or at least we can help you with wrapping your gifts this year.

According to The Atlantic, we spend $2.6 billion annually on wrapping paper and much of it cannot be recycled as a result of the dyes, laminates, glitter, and other decorative materials that make up wrapping paper. Instead of wasting money on wrapping paper that will inevitably end up in the landfill, use repurposed alternatives found around your house, the craft store, or thrift stores. Can’t see how that would work? Read on to discover some super easy (and green) alternatives to using store-bought wrapping paper.

Alternatives to Wrapping Paper

1. Newspaper/Magazines

The most obvious choice for repurposed alternatives to wrapping paper is newspaper. Of course, many of us do not take part in paper delivery anymore, but it’s around. Try asking neighbors, co-workers, families, or friends.

2. Snack Bags

Get super clever with your gift packing by repurposing snack bags. Turn snack bags (like chip bags) inside out and clean them well. You can either use them as a bag or cut them along one side and the bottom to use a flat wrap.

3. Brown Paper

Nothing is simpler than brown paper packing. It works for all gift occasions–holidays, birthdays, weddings, housewarmings–and can be decorated with that special handmade touch. You can purchase extra large rolls of brown paper to keep on hand for gift wrapping, package stuffing, for covering the table for crafting time, and more.

4. Baskets

Baskets can easily be repurposed for holiday regifting and are ubiquitous at thrift stores and yard sales. Even Easter baskets will work, simply dip dye them in more winter holiday appropriate colors.

5. Tea Towels/Cloth Napkins

Give a gift within a gift by using a practical home textile like tea towels or cloth napkins to wrap a gift up in. Other ideas include handkerchiefs, hand towels, washcloths, dishcloths, and more.

6. Decoupaged Boxes

Repurpose food boxes (like cereal boxes) as gift boxes by decoupaging them with colorful paper like junk mail, newspapers, catalogs and more. Cereal boxes can easily be cut up and made into take-out style boxes using this clever tutorial.

7. Fancy Shopping Bags

Reuse those fancy shopping bags with the handles as gift bags. If you want to disguise them as store shops, easily cover over logos or lettering with repurposed paper like maps, sheet music, old holiday cards, and more.

8. Mason Jars

Of course, mason jars are perfect for food treats, but they can also work for for small gifts. Things like homemade soy votive candles or handmade jewelry gifts would also fit nicely nestled inside a repurposed mason jar.

9. Reusable Fabric Bags

If you are handy with a sewing machine, you can purchase (or repurpose) lightweight cotton fabrics and make reusable drawstring fabric gift bags.

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Repurposing textiles to keep them out of landfills may be one of the most impactful changes you can make in disrupting fast fashion.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, textile waste occupies nearly 5% of all landfill space in the U.S; Americans generate an average of 25 billion pounds of textiles per year. Those textiles include clothing, accessories, towels, bedding, and other home textiles. That works out to roughly 82 pounds per person per year. Even more amazing is that only 15% of that get donated, recycled, or repurposed. The other 85% (or 70 pounds per person) makes its way into our already stressed landfills.

To give a name to the problem, this textile waste is referred to as post-consumer textile waste and the amount of it ending up in landfills grew by 40% between 1999-2009 (most likely as a result of the increase in fast fashion). On the other hand, the diversion rate of textiles making their way to landfills only increased by 2% during this same period. This means we can do a lot more to keep highly reusable and recyclable textiles out of landfills.

The easiest way to help reduce this immense problem is at the point of sale, but completely avoiding the purchase of new textiles is not realistic for most us. That said, consumers can make better choices by supporting companies that rely on fabrics and products made from recycled textiles or purchasing secondhand where possible.

Divert for Recycling, Donating, or Repurposing Textiles

But what to do with those clothing and household textiles that we already own? Gently worn and like-new items can be donated or resold on sites like ThredUp, but that leaves out textiles that may be somewhat worn, have a small stain or tear, are out of style, or are otherwise not easily reused. These kinds of textiles can be recycled and many secondhand stores do sell unsellable textiles to recyclers, but repurposing textiles is another solution to this dilemma.

Not only does repurposing textiles (clothing, bedding, curtains, blankets, towels) keep usable items out of landfills, but much of these items can be turned into really useful stuff. Need some DIY inspiration for repurposing textiles? Read on for a list of ideas below.

DIY Ideas for Repurposing Textiles

1. Patchwork Memory Quilt
2. Rag Rugs
3. Cleaning Cloths
4. Pillowcase Bags
5. Market Bags from
6. Homemade Draft Dodgers
7. Reusable Heat Pack Bed Buddy
8. Drawer Sachets
9. Holiday Ornaments made from Old Sweaters
10. Fabric Bookmarks
11. Fabric Roses
12. Decoupage and Mixed Media Wall Art

All that’s needed is a little sewing skill, some imagination, and a willingness to make somethign new out of something old!

If you would like to learn more about the textile landfill issue, visit the Council for Textile Recycling, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising public awareness about the importance of textile recycling and the need to reduce the amount of textile waste ending up in landfills.

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The trees are bursting, the birds are tweeting, and it’s staying light longer, all of which means spring is in the air and it’s time to get inspired by some clever repurposing DIY projects.

Whether for inside or out, repurposing everyday objects is both fun and practical. And springtime is the perfect time to work on projects for outdoor spaces–like for the front porch, patio, or deck–and to work on projects for the inside that repurpose things that might have had another life outside. Get your hands dirty and spruce up your space with these easy DIY projects..

9 Springtime Repurposing DIY Ideas

1. Garden Chimes – Turn everyday items into a back porch, patio, or garden chimes. Turn on your creativity. Use a large embroidery hoop or bend a wire hanger into a circular shape for a frame. Add everything from old spoons, broken pieces of pottery, old keys, sea glass, or what have you.

2. Dip-Dyed Herb Garden – Lots of household recyclables or other objects can be repurposed into indoor or outdoor planters–everything from jars and cans to old dresser drawers or baskets. Dip-dye for added color and design aesthetic.

3. Kitchen Cart Outdoor Bar – Come across an old kitchen or microwave cart at a yard sale? One of our favorite DIY ideas is to turn that cart into a patio or deck bar cart for your next outdoor gathering.

4. Step Stool Indoor Planter – By the same token, if you find an old step stool, then paint it up and turn it into a functional plant holder for the living room.

5. Bucket Base Coffee Table – Those galvanized buckets, that you probably have three of in the garage, can be neatly repurposed into a handy and smart coffee table. Here’s a tutorial for the how-to.

6. Gutter Planters – Replacing your gutters? Use the old ones as handy planters outside.

7. Tee Shirt Rugs – To keep the dirt at bay as you come and go from the outside, repurpose old tee shirts into fun tee shirt throw rugs. They can even be used for your outdoor spaces as well.

8. Tire Ottoman – Upcycle an old car tire, for the ultimate repurpose project, into a fabric-covered ottoman for your indoor or outdoor living space. Here is a handy tutorial.

9. Shutter Headboard – Bring the outside in by repurposing old shutters as a practical headboard. Add bright paint and a string lights to make it extra fun!

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From baby food jars to liquor bottles, get inspired to with these easy repurposing ideas to upcycle your empties.

In our mass consumerism culture, it’s all too easy to buy just what we think we need. But go back a generation or two and people made do a little more with what they had. I remember my grandfather stored about a gazillion different kinds of nails, screws, and bolts in glass baby food jars he collected. And my grandmom repotted clippings from her house plants in coffee cans until they grew big enough to replant.

Of course, today, it’s possible to order something handy from IKEA, Target, or Amazon and get it almost the next day, but what’s wrong with repurposing what we have on hand? Absolutely nothing. In fact, repurposing may actually be a virtue. At the very least, repurposing ideas are a lost skill (or art) that, with a little inspiration and practice, most of us can get the hang of easy enough.

Now, you could recycle all those empties jars and containers, but depending on the material, repurposing may actually be better for the planet. Not all materials are as easy to recycle as others and may be better being reused. Of course, not creating any waste in the first place is ideal, but just not nearly as attainable. The key is to reduce what you can, reuse and repurpose what you can, and recycle wherever possible–and in that order.

Get inspired by these repurposing ideas.

5 Repurposing Ideas for Everyday Recyclables

1. Liquor, Beer, and Wine Bottles – Reuse liquor bottles in actually pretty simple. Add a pump to turn your vodka bottle into a hand soap dispenser, create a succulent planter from an empty Sapphire Bombay bottle, spray paint empty wine bottles to use as bud vases, or make handmade candles from beer bottles that have been cut in half.
2. Medicine Bottles – Whether you take preventive medicine for migraines, or you need antibiotics to get over that sinus infection, many of us end up with empty prescription bottles. They can be repurposed as handy bottles for storing everything from quarters in the car to carry jewelry while traveling. Definitely hold onto these bottles, as you will find yourself needing to store something tiny securely.
3. Glass Jars – So, you don’t make homemade sauce or salsa, so what? You can repurpose those glass jars, though. Use them to store your colored Sharpies, turn them into mini-terrariums, or decorate them with glass paints and an add votive candles to create magical mood lighting. They are also pretty handy for making salad-in-a-jar lunches too!
4. Cereal Boxes  – While the rest of the world has gone gluten-free, some of us still eat cereal for breakfast. While cardboard is pretty easy to recycle, those cereal boxes can come in handy around the house. Cut them up and cover them with gift wrap to make homemade gift tags or bookmarks. They can also be used to make a homework storage boxes for kids or are a great way to store paper dolls, coloring books, and crayons in the car.
5. Plastic Bottles – You might think there’s not much to be done to repurpose plastic bottles like lotion or shampoo bottles, but think again. Here’s a simple how-to for making a hanging cell phone charger from a lotion bottle–and another one for making a hanging storage bins system!

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Bombay Sapphire Planter via Rehabulous

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Repurpose vintage home decor goods because it looks cool–and because it’s better for the environment.

No matter what your decorating style, there is always room to repurpose vintage home decor goods to add both form and functionality. Whether your space can be more accurately described rustic, boho, modern country, Scandinavian, mid-century, or is actually just a mishmash of leftover college furniture and whatever your neighbors have put out on the curb, get inspired to repurpose with vintage home decor goods.

Almost everything can be reused or repurposed. From the ubiquitous mason jars to the more elusive letterpress type cabinets, and everything in between, all you need is a little imagination and inspiration to give vintage goods new life. You are on your own for the imagination part, but we have got the inspiration covered for you here!

Finding vintage goods is as easy as checking out your local thrift shops, estate sales, yard sales, CraigsList, Freecycle, and even Etsy and Ebay.

Repurposed Vintage Home Decor Goods

1. Picnic Coolers – Take the lid off (keeping it on could pose a risk for children and pets) and this 40-year-old Coleman Picnic Cooler could work as a great storage spot for everything from magazines and children’s books to yarn and recycling.

2. Pie Safes – Pie safes were used to keep pies and other baked goods fresh back in the days before refrigeration and air conditioning. This tin tabletop or counter version would add some vintage chic to your space and would be a clever place to store spices in the kitchen.

3. Vintage Mirrors – Glam up your space with the addition of vintage mirrors instead of buying new ones from some big box store. Pick a design period that will match well with your decorating style.

4. Old Maps – Looking to wallpaper a room or a to decoupage a piece of furniture? Consider using vintage maps instead. Or use old maps to create unique DIY wall art. Troll yard sales, barn sales, and more for unique map finds. This vintage pull down style school map would make for a real conversation piece.

5. Vintage Suitcases – Old suitcases can be repurposed in a number of ways. Use them as under the bed storage containers, turn a stack of them into a functional occasional table, or even use them as shelves for all your bric-a-brac and knickknacks.

6. Sewing Machine Tables – Old sewing machine tables are infinitely useful if you want to get crafty. They can be used for everything from bathroom vanities to a drink station like this repurposed example.

7. Metal Headboards – Metal bedsteads can be repainted and used as headboards or turned into decorative wall art, room dividers, used for hanging jewelry storage, or as a garden trellis.

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Images: Upcycled Luggage via The Blue Ram, Picnic Cooler via Troys Collectibles, Pie Safe via Red River Antiques, Vintage Art Deco Mirror via uulipolli, Vintage Map via old new house, Suitcase Shelves via the cherry chic, Repurposed Sewing Bar via Double Arrow Designs, Metal Headboard Trellis via Casa e Jardim

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Don’t worry. Whether you have leftover embroidery hoops from projects never started or never completed, I won’t judge you. Instead, I will share creative solutions with you for repurposing all those unused embroidery hoops.

At an estate sale years ago, I came across a large lot of embroidery hoops and other embroidery gewgaw. I snapped the lot up, brought it home, and promptly put it in the closet and forget about it. Recently, while closet cleaning, I came across the lot and thought, “Oh geez, what in the world can I do with all these embroidery hoops?” Here are some of the cleverest ideas I came across. I haven’t tried them all yet; I’m still working on the closet, but some of these are on my craft to-do list for certain.

Ideas for Embroidery Hoops

1. Front Door Wreath – Decorate your front door with a seasonal wreath made from a large embroidery hoop. Wrap the hoop in yarn and decorate with felt flowers or use two hoops, some cardboard, and fabric to create a double hoop wreath.
2. Photo Frame – Use both small and large embroidery hoops as quick and easy to hang photo frames.
3. Fabric Gallery Wall – Create a gallery wall by adding fabric to a bunch of embroidery hoops and artfully arranging them on a wall. You can even paint wooden embroidery hoops for a more gallery style effect.
4. Mobile Idea 1 – Make a DIY mobile using an embroidery hoop as a frame. Start with the hoop laying on its side. Ideas for mobile decorations are only limited by your imagination. Ideas include making felt feathers, paper flowers, or fabric scraps to hang.
5. Mobile Option 2 – Add lace to small hoops and hang those from a larger embroidery hoop for a boho style mobile.
6. Hoop Clock – Buy a clock kit from the craft store and turn a hoop into a wall clock. Make several clocks to display several different time zone for extra points!
7. Bed Canopy – Use a super large embroidery hoop as a frame for making your own DIY bed canopy.
8. Photo Display Mobile – Another mobile idea is to create a photo display mobile using embroidery hoops, wire or fishing line, and mini clothespins.
9. Corkboards or Chalkboards – Add cork roll fabric to hoops for instant cork boards to hang wherever you need to leave notes. Or paint canvas fabric with chalkboard paint for a handy chalkboard where you need it. Mix and match hoops with cork and chalkboard paint to create a fun and practical gallery wall.

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Handmade Fabric Felt Hoop Image from ItzFitz

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Reuse and recycle some of the most commonly thrown out items with these repurposing ideas for around your home.

You know the old saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”, but it’s never truer than when referring to repurposing items destined for the landfill or recycling center into practical, functional or decorative objects. No matter what it is being thrown out–whether it’s an old bathtub used as a flower bed or old clothing turned into a patchwork quilt–there are repurposing ideas for all of them.

So, what are some of the most commonly thrown out items and clever repurposing ideas for each of them?

Repurposing Ideas

1. Glass Bottles – Whether it’s beer bottles or vinegar bottles, we all end up with lots of glass bottles in the recycling bin. Repurpose them into drinking glasses, vases and more.
2. Wine Cork Repurposing Ideas – Regular wine drinkers end up with a lot of corks, but what to do with them? They can be repurposed into coasters, cool wall art, planters and more.
3. Repurposing Ideas for Cans – Even if you are trying to reduce the amount of food you purchase in aluminum cans, you still seem to end up with them anyway. Turn those cans into planters, vases, utensil holders, candle holders, garden lights and more.
4. Cardboard Tube Projects – You may have sworn off using paper towels, but toilet paper and those leftover cardboard tubes are a part of our lives. They are actually quite useful and can be made into all kinds of cool decorative art projects from wall art to cardboard flowers. They also make useful cord storage holders.
5. Cardboard Boxes – We all know you can give a kid or a cat a cardboard box and they will be content for days, but there are some really fun ways to repurpose cardboard boxes–like a cardboard guitar, a kitty house, a ball maze and more.
6. Recycled Paper Projects – Whether old magazines, junk mail, wrapping paper, old work or school reports we all have so much paper that needs recycled. Repurposing ideas include making your own envelopes, garlands, cake toppers, coasters and door wreaths.
7. Egg Carton Ideas – Turn those egg cartons into biodegradable seed planters, flower lights, DIY fire starters and more.
8. Plastic Dishwasher Tab Container – If you use a dishwasher and use those dishwasher tabs, turn the plastic dishwasher tab container into a trash receptacle for your car.

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Image:  girlingearstudio

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Repurpose your Christmas cards and gift wrap this year.

When the holidays come and go, that means its time to clean it all up and put everything away. Of course, every year our family always wonders what to do with all those thoughtful and pretty Christmas cards and leftover and used gift wrap. This year, I vowed to discover some clever repurposing ideas for reusing my gift wrap and Christmas cards. Here are some of the most unique and useful ideas I came across.

Repurposing Ideas for Christmas Cards and Wrapping Paper

1. Card Gift Boxes – Make gift boxes from old holiday and Christmas cards that can be used to package small trinkets like jewelry and ties!
2. Paper Holiday Card Garland – The patterns and prints of holiday cards are perfect for making a festive paper garland that can be used year after to year to save your cards.
3. Wrapping Paper Wrapped Candles – Use wrapping paper to make decorative pillar candles for a table centerpiece or to gift.
4. Card Bookmarks – I always love it whenever someone gifts me a book with a bookmark inside!
5. Christmas Card Wreath – Use this year’s Christmas cards to make a wreath for the next holiday season.
6. Wrapping Paper Bows – Stay away from those plasticized paper bows and instead make your own from leftover wrapping paper.
7. Festive Card Centerpiece – Use Christmas cards for a pretty and decorative centerpiece.
8. Wrapping Paper Wrapped Tin Cans – Turn recycling into practical storage containers.
9. Christmas Card Trees – This is a really clever idea to make decorative paper trees from cards.
10. Wrapping Paper Beaded Curtain – Use all that used wrapping paper to make paper beads and turn them into a beaded curtain.
11. Card Gift Tags – An obvious idea it to use cards to make DIY gift tags.
12. Card Luminary – A awesome idea for a decorative centerpiece.
13. Wrapping Paper Decoupaged Drawers – Leftover wrapping is perfect for decoupaging furniture pieces.
14. Geometric Card Ornaments – Make pretty ornaments from all this year’s Christmas cards.
15. Gift Toppers – Use Christmas cards as pretty gift toppers for brown paper wrapped packages.

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We’ve rounded up some of the most useful organization tips to make your junk useful again.

You’re feeling really proud of yourself: You’ve finally decluttered your home! You’re now sitting with a gigantic pile of rubble in front of you… and have no idea what to do with it. (Womp, womp.)

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to repurpose your clutter, and here are 6 organization tips to get you started:

1. Yard Sale
This is one of those classic organization tips that never goes out of style: Have a yard sale! Get the entire family in on the action, make a weekend of it and turn your junk into extra coin.

2. Sell Online
Websites like Craigslist, Kijiji and of course eBay are great places to sell your items online. Make sure to take clear photos of each item and write clear descriptions that include any wear and tear (it helps to take close-up shots of these flaws too).

If you’re like me and just want the clutter gone already, here’s one of my newly discovered organization tips: Ship everything to Amazon. They’ll store and ship all of your items as they sell on their website. Here’s a fantastic tutorial to get you started.

3. Give away
If you’re not a big fan of yard sales but don’t want to throw your items out either, post what you want to give away on Freecycle. People in your area will see your listing and you can coordinate a pick-up time that’s convenient for both of you. Easy breezy.

4. Donate
There are plenty of ways to donate your items to good causes. Here are just a few examples to get those gears turning:

• The Women’s Alliance helps provide disadvantaged women with the tools, education and support to become self-sufficient through employment. Through their local chapters, you can donate your old clothing and accessories to help women nail their interviews.
• Donate Games is dedicated to supporting children with rare diseases through repurposing video games and related devices.
• Sports Gift takes your old baseball mitts, bats, and other sports-related gear and donates them to needy children in the U.S. and abroad.

5. Give to Friends
Setup everything you don’t want in one room, and anytime you have friends, family or neighbors over, tell them to take a browse and see if there’s anything they’d like for themselves. If you’d like to get rid of your clutter as quickly as possible, turn it into a weekend clearance event.

6. Regift
How many of you are guilty for buying something and then never taking it out of the box? How many of you have pieces of clothing that still have tags attached? (Bashfully raises hand.) Let’s face it: If you were going to use/wear them, you would have by now. Think about the people in your life and designate each item as an upcoming Christmas or birthday gift.

When it comes to clutter, what organization tips do you live by?

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