New Uses for Christmas Things

Candy Wrapper as DIY Gift Wrap

Sworn off candy? Use the leftover wrappers to sugarcoat small-scale presents: Cut a wrapper into a flat sheet, then fold and tape as usual.

Cupcake Liner as Decorative Snowflakes

Create a winter wonderland in the entryway. Flatten white paper liners (foil ones will work, too), fold into halves or quarters, then snip out shapes along the folds. When you open them back up, voilà: snowflakes you can string from the ceiling.

Cocktail Shaker as Egg Scrambler

Whip up fluffy omelets by adding eggs, milk, and seasonings together in a cocktail mixer. Give it a few shakes and it's ready for the skillet. Submitted by: suziegirl

Confetti as Packing Material

Don't ditch excess confetti or shredded paper. Use it to cushion breakable items so they arrive in one piece.

Stretchy Bracelets as Wine Charms

Snag a couple of your child's stretchy bracelets to identify guests' glasses at your next party. Bonus points if the shapes match your party's theme. Submitted by: Abby123 

Toothbrush Holder as Vase

Don’t have a vase small enough to display those pretty buds you picked? A seldom used toothbrush holder fits a small arrangement perfectly.

Cake Stand as Soap Dish

Glam up a bathroom or vanity. Stock soaps and washcloths on top, or showcase your prettiest perfume bottles.

Paper Clips as Wrapping Paper Holder

Use paper clips to keep wrapping paper from unraveling.

Pipe Cleaners as Drink Labels

Skip the fancy wine charms and use an array of brightly colored pipe cleaners to identify guests' drinks at your next get-together. Submitted by: LassieBV

Tissue Paper as Wrinkle Preventer

Avoid ironing while on the road. Pack clothes between layers of tissue paper and they’ll arrive wrinkle-free.

Luggage Tag as Gift Label

Slip a gift label inside a tag.

Tissue Paper as Purse Shaper

Help a purse or boots to keep its shape with tissue stuffed inside.

Paper Doily as Cupcake Holder

These cute patterns on cupcake liners are there one minute, gone the next—they virtually disappear in the oven. For a pretty touch, trim off the patterned edge of a large (12-inch) doily and wrap it around the cupcake liner. Seal with clear tape.

Dental Floss as DIY Popcorn Garland

String a popcorn garland for the holidays (after a pit-stop in the medicine cabinet).

Pastry Tip as Place Card

Set a sweet table and use scalloped pastry tips in fun colors as place-card holders.

Votive Candle Holders as Place Cards

Arrange a luminous table setting. Write guests’ names on strips of parchment paper and wrap them around votive holders, securing the ends with tape. As an alternative, remove the candles, cut snapshots of guests to match the height of a holder, and then curl around the inside wall.

Paper Doily as Candy Cone

Form a cone with a small (5-inch) doily, secure with tape, and fill with candy and treats. The lacy server is a sweet upgrade for the next time you gather the ladies (think bridal shower) or girls (birthday party, sleepover, extra-special playdate).

Branch as Gift Wrap

Spruce up a wrapped gift. Tuck pretty sprigs into the ribbon in place of a bow.

Beans as Candle Anchor

Pretty and functional. Fill a hurricane vase with beans before adding a pillar candle to help keep the candle steady and minimize mess (the beans will catch the wax).

CD Case as Photo Place Card

Assign seating at a holiday dinner. Slide festive photos of various family members into a case and prop it in front of a place setting.

Book as Misleading Gift Box

To foil present-guessers, hide the real gift in a hollowed-out book. Using a box cutter carve a space just large enough to hold the small item.

Cookie Cutters as Ornaments

When you just can’t bake another batch of holiday cookies, turn the tin cutters―angels, bells, stars―into sun catchers or tree ornaments. Mix shapes and sizes, string them with various lengths and colors of ribbon, and tack the ribbons to the window casing.

Find more easy holiday decorating ideas here.

Jump Rope as Ribbon Replacement

Jump-start a trend with this fun, colorful decoration that doubles as a bonus gift.

Apple Container as Ornament Storage

Store delicate tree decor where the fruit once went to protect items from bumps and bruises. (You can also use wine boxes or egg cartons.)

Cupcake Liners as Light Embellishments

For a string of minilights that takes the (cup)cake, poke the pointy bulbs through foil cupcake liners. Use them for the tree or around your little girl’s bedroom mirror to make her feel like a holiday star.

Garden Hose Holder as Holiday Light Organizer

Coil strings of holiday lights round and round for knot-free hall decking. Your reward: You won’t blow a fuse trying to hang next year’s light show.

Greeting Cards as Gift Tags

Create a gift tag by cutting a greeting card down to size, then punch a hole in the corner and slide a ribbon through it.

Last Year's Holiday Cards as This Year's Table Runner

Rescue last year’s heartfelt wishes by turning them into a festive table runner of winter wonderlands. Place the cards facedown on a color copy machine (they should cover most of the glass). Next, put a piece of colored fabric or paper on top of the cards to serve as a border. Print out multiple copies (enough to cover the length of your table) on 11-by-17-inch paper. With double-stick tape, join the copies along the top and the bottom.

Holiday Lights as Wreath

Ring in the season with a brilliant mantelpiece. Start with a wire wreath frame (this one is 18 inches in diameter, but you can use any size). Then wrap a string of lights around the frame, making sure to leave enough slack to reach the plug; otherwise use an extension cord.

Clothespin as Holiday Card Display

Adhere a wide grosgrain ribbon to the wall with double-sided mounting tape, then attach holiday cards up and down it for a jolly–and changeable—seasonal exhibit. Both regular-size and mini clothespins will work.

Oranges as Mini Snowman

Build snowmen without bundling up. For a holiday party, give each child three oranges, some toothpicks, a sturdy plate, and store-bought frosting. Stick the large orange to the center of the plate with a dollop of frosting. Poke a few toothpicks halfway into the top of the fruit and spear a smaller orange on top. Repeat with the third orange, and layer on frosting, a vanilla wafer, and peppermints to make a hat. Use candy-cane pieces for arms and a nose, cloves for the eyes, and red licorice for a scarf.

Shoe Box as Holiday Light Storage

Trim off the edges of a shoe box lid and wrap string lights around the flat cardboard. Then slide the whole thing inside the box. This will keep lights untangled and tidy during the off-season.

Sugar Bowl as Homemade Candle Holder

Fill mismatched sugar bowls and tea cups with melted wax and a wick for beautiful handmade gifts.

Artificial Holly as Centerpiece

Plastic greenery tends to look, well, plastic. But place boughs of holly, evergreens, or mistletoe in clear glass jars or vases and they make for a glossy yet understated table decoration. Group various sizes and shapes together for a stronger statement.

Key Chain as Gift Tag

Add a fun touch to a gift box by using a bright key chain as a tag, attached with big rubber bands in place of ribbon. The recipient will love it, even if it doesn’t go with a bow-wrapped Lexus in the driveway.

Olive Oil as Tree Sap Cleaner

If dragging and decking out the fresh spruce leaves you with sticky digits, pour a tablespoon of oil onto a cloth, then rub until clean. Bonus: The oil is a great moisturizer for dry winter skin.

Ornaments as Chandelier

For this whimsical piece, you’ll need 16 ornaments. First mount eye-hook hardware to the ceiling (or use a preexisting plant hook). Tie two three-foot-long ribbons to it, knotting a glass ball at each end. Then cut four more ribbons two inches shorter than the first; tie them to the eye-hook so they surround the center balls. Attach ornaments to the ends. Build the next tier (again, two inches shorter than the last) with four more ribbons to create an upside-down pyramid. Last, use Blu-Tack (a reusable adhesive) to secure each ball to the one next to it. After the holidays, store the arrangement in a large box stuffed with tissue paper.

Ornaments as Window Hanging

Maintain a cheerful outlook with the help of a “curtain” fashioned from retro bell-shaped ornaments. Cut a length of ribbon one foot longer than the length of the window. Securely tie the ribbon to a tension rod fitted in the frame. String the bells through the ribbon, knotting them in place about five inches apart. Repeat this across the width of the window, staggering the ornaments.

Red Ornaments as Hungry Bird Banishers

Hang unbreakable ornaments on tomato plants early in the season. When pesky sparrows or blue jays come to peck, they’ll find the hard bulbs (instead of juicy treats) and abandon their attacks by the time the real fruits ripen.

Photo Corners as Gift Tag Securers

Neater and more attractive than Scotch tape (but just as easy to apply), self-adhesive photo corners make even the simplest wrap job look impressive.

Scarf as Christmas Tree Skirt

If each member of your family has, oh, four or five scarves, put some of them to work as a tree skirt. Arrange in a pinwheel fashion around the base of the tree and secure with safety pins.

Tinsel as Napkin Ring

Transform over-the-top tinsel garland into a tasteful trimming with a few quick snips. Cut four-inch strands from the garland, then feed them through the opening of a clear glass ornament until full. Attach a ribbon to the ornament’s loop to create a napkin holder or a gift topper.