Featured Article: Simple Ways to Reuse & Recycle Your Holiday Decor

The new year is here and with it comes the chore of taking down holiday decorations. Since taking down is a lot less fun than putting up, it's easy to think that maybe it's time to toss some older decorations. However, sending that decor to a landfill is just no good! So, today's article goes over just a couple easy way to reuse old ornaments in a fresh, new way.

Check out this article, and find a new way to refresh ornaments, lights, holiday cards and wrapping paper! Which is your favorite? Do you have another craft that you like to reuse holiday ornaments for? Let us know in the comments!

Read the article here.

Green Gift Wrapping Ideas

During the holidays it is easy to excuse that ever growing pile of barely used, discarded paper because we use it to wrap presents. However, most of this paper isn't recyclable and is heading straight to the landfill every year. Instead of filling a landfill, why not try one of these green gift wrapping ideas?

Brown Paper Packages tied up with string

There is something classic about presents wrapped this way. They're simple, but still nice looking. Using a heavy stock brown paper can be a great choice if you have some careful gift un-wrappers. You could re-use this paper for shipping items, but for the holidays they can be used to make pretty parcels for under the tree. You could also reuse old paper shopping bags to wrap with brown paper. This paper is also recyclable, so you don't have to send it to a landfill once the gifts are unwrapped!  If you like the gift tags on these check them out here. They're free to download! 

Use What's in Your Recycling Bin

Old newspaper can make some surprisingly elegant wrapping! It reuses something that you can recycle, and it curls like ribbon, so it can be just as festive! This picture tutorial explains the method pretty well. 

Reusable Shopping Bags

Reusable shopping bags make great gift bags- it's a present in itself! Another great idea might be a purse. These can be tied simply with a ribbon and they look festive and bright, but don't end up getting tossed out the next day. 

Recycled Wrapping Paper

There are many vendors who now offer 100% Recycled paper with a minimum of 50% post consumer waste. These papers are already recycled and you can find them in a variety of styles, thickness, and colors. The top vendors we've found include Fish Lips, Botanical Paperworks(which offers seed paper, so your giftee can plan the paper later) and Of The Earth.

An Old Sweater

You know your friend who's a bit of a wine collector? Well, now you have a sustainable method for their gift! Sections of an old sweater can be great gift wrapping. The sleeves work especially well for bottles, check out this easy tutorial to make the wrap pictured above here. 

These are our favorite green wrapping ideas, do you have some other ideas? Be sure to share them in the comments! 

Plant Gifting Guide

Finding  a great gift for a coworker, family member, or friend can be tough, and this time of year you have to purchase gifts for a lot of people. Plants make great gifts, and they can still be very personal. Check out our favorite plants for gifting.

Golden Pothos

These plants are great for a new plant owner, or a distracted one. They require very little care and flourish well on their own. Give them a Pothos with water retaining soil and they can water the plant very little, keep it in low to medium lighting and it will thrive. These plants are also known to purify the air as an added benefit! 

Amaryllis

This plant is quickly becoming the new poinsetta. Around the holidays you can find them everywhere from gardening centers to superstores in brightly colored pots. It is important for this plant to go in a sunny, warm spot (somewhere between 68-70 degrees on average). This plant requires light watering until it's stem appears. After that, increase the watering. A flowering Amaryllis needs daily watering. 

Paperwhites

Paperwhites are another low maintenance plant that is easy for beginners. Given lots of sunlight and adequet watering, this plant will brighten any room. When planted for use indoors they grow best in loose materials, like soil, pebbles, tumbled beach glass, things like that. Make sure you keep whatever you plant it in watered. The base of the bulb should be moist but not the entire bulb.  

Mixed Herbs

Herbs can be an extremely useful plant for a foodie who also has a bit of a green thumb. Pick the herbs you choose based on the skill level of the gift receiver. If they're an extremely skilled gardener they could handle a little more challenging herb, but if not there are plenty of herbs that are pretty hard to kill. Visit a local garden center for advice on what to gift for each skill level. The good news- you can plant a variety in one container, so it's a bit more varied of a gift. 

Kalanchoe

This hard to pronounce plant makes a great gift. It comes in a variety of colors, and since it is a succulent it is fairly hardy. Give them light and some water and they'll be good to grow. Plus you can grow a couple varieties, so you have one of all your favorite colors.

These are just a couple of plant you can gift, but they're definitely some of our favorites. What plants will you be gifting this year?

Holiday Season Upcycling DIYs

It's officially the start of the holiday season, and so it's only fitting that we have an upcycling blog post! There are so many fun crafts out there for any skill level. We've gathered X DIYs for you to try out this holiday season! Good luck!

Ornament Garland

DIY tutorial

This garland is pretty cute, and it's a fun and easy way to upcycle old ornaments that you aren't using this year, or extra ones that don't fit on your tree. The tutorial seems pretty easy and full of holiday cheer! 

Recycled Jar Snow Globe

DIY tutorial

Fun and cheerful looking, there's nothing not to like about this little snow globe! You can use an old mason or spaghetti jar and have a cute gift or decoration for the holiday season. 

Recycled Paper Tree

DIY tutorial

Either as a mantlepiece or a centerpiece, we think this lovely, wintery paper tree would brighten up any area and give it a little bit of seasonal flair. Maybe, if you were daring, you could test ou adding color to the sheets of paper first, although it looks great in white as well. 

Holiday Card Ornaments

DIY Tutorial

Every holiday season is brightened by the mail. Holidays are probably the one time of year where you consistently get mail other than bills and it's kind of nice! When the season ends it's easy to feel guilty trashing or recycling old cards, but this craft gives you a way to enjoy them for years to come! These ornaments work well on a tree, but we also think it could work well in a glass centerpiece. 

Stick Star Ornament

DIY tutorial

While yard waste is compostable, if you don't have a composting service or your own compost pile, dealing with those sticks and leaves from late fall and early winter can be a hassle. This craft deals with those sticks, although it could be fun to superglue some leaves on the front to make it very natural looking. 

Magazine Paper Ornament

DIY tutorial

Folded and coiled magazine paper can make for very interesting crafts. They're colorful and somehow feel chic, even though they're homemade. These ornaments are sure to impress and brighten up any tree. 

Cone Trees

DIY tutorial

This craft takes old dixie cups, toilet paper rolls, and scrap wrapping paper and makes a fun and decorative gift.  This fun craft is an easy way to give a smaller gift and looks very nice to boot! 

Cereal Box Snowman

DIY tutorial

Using old cereal boxes for crafts is always fun, but this cute snowman is sure to make everyone happy with the end result! 

Punched Tin Ornaments

DIY tutorial

These vintage looking tin ornamens have a high class feel, but are easy for even children to make! Plus you get to reuse tins from all your holiday cooking. These are fun and even more lovely shining against holiday lights.

Fabric Trees

DIY tutorial

If you're normally crafty, this craft may be perfect. Leftover fabric scraps will become chic and fun fabric trees for your holiday decorating. 

These are definitely some great Upcycling crafts that should lead to some fun snow days spent inside and some festive decor!