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We hope we’re driving home the point that you don’t necessarily have to spend more money to make choices that are better for the environment. One area where that is particularly true is the holidays: Generally, people don’t run out and buy all new Christmas ornaments or winter village scenes each year. Instead, they reuse and even cherish the ones they have, and for good reason. Often, the most appreciated decorations are those that are handmade or that evoke a certain memory or sentiment. Why not use what you already have to make even more?
The concept of upcycling is not as familiar to most people as recycling, but the idea is simple. It is the practice of taking something that is disposable and transforming it into something of greater use and value. Opportunities to upcycle holiday materials abound. You may have already done it when you used some trimmed branches from your tree for a wreath or table swag!
Here’s a simple and fun project you can do with holiday cards. Kids old enough to be safe with scissors can help, too!
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- Pick a holiday phrase or saying. I used the lyrics “May your days be merry and bright” from the song White Christmas
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- Taking the fronts or decorative portions of a number of cards, consider which portions would make good letters or shapes, given how many letters you need
- Using a stencil or sketching freehand, trace the letter onto the card and cut out carefully using scissors and, if necessary, a pen knife (I used a small set of paper stencils from Target that cost $1.49 and that I have used for countless projects through the years, and a pair of small, sharp, slightly pointed scissors)
I had the most fun picking the individual parts of my cards to highlight with the different shapes of the letters. I did this three years ago and it shows up in a different location each year — on the mantle, by a mirror, and now in our built-in buffet nook in the dining room. You could punch a hole in each letter and make a garland or a bunting, or mount them in a frame with a holiday picture.
The possibilities are endless, as are the holiday cards streaming in your door each year that would otherwise wind up unused. Recycling paper is always good, but creative reuse is even better!
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