New Uses for Old Things: Holiday Edition

Aluminum Foil as Party Garland

Twist foil into links to make a sparkly garland for an almost-instant party decoration (or a rainy-day distraction for the kids).

Olive Oil as Sap Remover

If dragging and decking out 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.

Paint Chips as Valentines

Create a homemade Valentine with rose-colored swatches cut and arranged in a sweet way on craft paper.

Corkboard as DIY Coasters

Keep tables safe from water rings. Cut up corkboard to make coasters and place mats.

Sponge as Envelope Sealer

Safeguard your taste buds during holiday card season. Replace a dried out ink pad with a damp sponge and use it to seal envelopes and attach stamps—no licking required.

Candy Canes as Cupcake Decorations

Remove the cellophane wrapping from the canes and form hearts by placing them hook to hook and tail to tail on a nonstick baking sheet or one lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for 2 to 4 minutes (depending on the canes’ size) or until they stick together when you pinch the ends lightly. Cool thoroughly and remove with a spatula. If you want to make flat hearts with psychedelic stripes, bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Easter Grass as Packing Material

Don't trash that plastic Easter grass (but do keep it away from your pets; it can be dangerous if consumed). Use it as packing materials for delicate items—so you won’t need to worry whether Uncle Bob's favorite Chianti will make it to his wine cellar unscathed.

Baby Food Jar as Easter Egg Decorating Aid

Design Rothkoesque Easter eggs. Fill a jar with dye, then dip half the egg in and let dry. Dip again, but only one-third of the egg. Repeat with both ends of the egg until you have stripes in varying shades.

Need a quick refresher on how to dye Easter eggs? Watch this quick video to learn how to hard-boil an egg, then check out these homemade Easter egg dye recipes.

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.

Paper Clips as Wrapping Paper Holder

Use paper clips to keep wrapping paper from unraveling.

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.

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.

Confetti as Packing Material

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

Cake Stand as Soap Dish

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

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 

Plastic Easter Eggs as DIY Maracas

Fill emptied plastic eggs with puffed rice cereal and silver-ball cake decorations to make impromptu maracas for kids.

Branch as Gift Wrap

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

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.

Dental Floss as DIY Popcorn Garland

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

Cupcake Liner as Halloween Decoration

Show what a creative Halloween party “ghost-ess” you are. Turn white liners upside down, attach spooky googly eyes, and display them by a boo-fet of seasonally inspired treats.

Greeting Card as Bookmark

You'll never spend a penny on a bookmark, plus you'll get a special surprise each time you pick up your book.

Beer Can as Noise Maker

Cut down on drinking? You can still start 2012 off with a bang—or at least a rattle. Drop a dozen coins into a clean, empty beer can and seal the opening with tape. When the clock strikes 12, shake some noise.

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.

Candy Corn as Cookie Mix-In

Chop leftover chocolate candy or candy corn and use in place of chocolate chips for cookie recipes.
 

Coat Rack as Art and Photo Display

Display a collection of photos, treasured items, or seasonal ornaments over the mantel or in a hallway. Use ribbons or strings of different lengths to hang the arrangement from the pegs.

Cookie Cutter as Candle Stencil

Repurpose mini alphabet cookie cutters as monogramming tools for pillar candles. Hold the candle steady, position the letter, and tap it lightly with a hammer. Do just an initial or go wild and spell out JOYEUX NOEL or HAPPY HANUKKAH.

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.

Dish Towel as Wine Bag

Place the bottle along one side of the fabric so that the bottle’s top meets the top of the fabric. Fold the excess material at the bottom over the bottle, forming a pocket of sorts. Then roll the dish towel evenly and secure at the neck with ribbon.

Easter Baskets as May Day Gifts

Maximize your green quotient by recycling that Easter basket for a May Day treat. Simply fill the basket with treats—a batch of fresh-baked cookies, candies, flowers and candles, or something more elaborate—for a surprise on your best friend or relative's doorstep.

Plastic Easter Eggs as Snack Containers

Give Easter eggs a year-round use (and save on resealable bags) by filling them with snacks like crackers or Cheerios.

Eggshells as Bottle and Vase Cleaners

Here’s an idea for all those eggs you hard-boiled: Use their broken eggshells to clean the hard-to-reach places in bottles and vases. Drop some crushed shells in the bottle, add warm water and a drop of dishwashing liquid, and give it a good swirl. The shells will scrape off the gunk you can’t get to, so you can save your elbow grease for the dinner dishes.

Flat Iron as Ribbon Smoother

Get the kinks out of wrinkled wrapping ribbons that were tied around your birthday presents for recycled bows without the telltale creases from the previous gift box.

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.

Gift Box as Cupcake Carrier

If the forecast calls for iced roadways, stabilize your sweet cargo by cutting X’s into the tops of gift boxes and inserting the cupcakes. (A shirt box will hold about eight.)

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.

Baby Spoons as Condiment Servers

Dish out dips or condiments at a party. Reuse those old shower gifts to spoon the sauce from a teacup or a candy dish for a presentation a tad more elegant than the squeeze bottle.

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.

Dictionary as Art

Send a message that speaks volumes. Make a blow-up copy of an entry that relates to the occasion (for Valentine’s Day, try kiss or love) and use a highlighter to mark your most heartfelt sentiments.

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.

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.

Paper Shredder as Gift Wrap Maker

Dress up presents by running tissue through a shredder instead of scrunching it inside boxes and gift bags.

Paper Shredder as Confetti Maker

Feed colorful gift-wrapping tissue through your shredder to produce instant Easter-basket grass.

Paper Towel Holder as Ribbon Organizer

For easy access when you're wrapping, slide spools of ribbon with at least a one-inch diameter opening onto the towel stand's post. Stack the spools from largest to smallest, bottom to top, and tape the ribbon ends to their spools when you're not using them.

Salt as Wreath Duster

Place a wreath of pinecones or faux evergreen in a paper bag with a 1/4 cup of salt. Fold the top of the bag over and gently shake.

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.

Luggage Tag as Gift Label

Slip a gift label inside a tag.

Shoe Organizer as Gift Wrap Storage

Arrange gift wrapping supplies so you can easily locate bows, ribbons, scissors, and tape.

Sugar as Lip Scrub

Perfect your pucker. Make a paste of sugar and petroleum jelly and gently brush on dry, peeling lips with a toothbrush until they are smooth.

Sugar Bowl as Homemade Candle Holder

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

Wire Hanger as Ribbon Dispenser

Dispense ribbon for wrapping gifts. Untwist the hanger—or pop out the cardboard-tube bottom of a hybrid hanger from the dry cleaner—and slide on spools for easy storage.

Farfalle as a Gift Bow

All out of premade bows? Tie up wrapped gift boxes with cooking twine and farfalle pasta.

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.

Jelly-Roll Pan as Turkey-Carving Station

Carve your bird without covering the counter with drippings. Set a plastic cutting board inside the pan so you don't fowl it up. Less time cleaning means more time for tryptophan-induced, post-dinner napping.

Jump Rope as Ribbon Replacement

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

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.

Lazy Susan as Egg Decorating Helper

Use a lazy Susan to simplify egg dying―you don't have to precariously pass those cups of green, red, and purple dye. And you won't end up with a "tie-dye" finish on your kitchen tabletop.

Need a quick refresher? Learn how to hard-boil an egg.

Lightbulb as Ribbon Smoother

To smooth a wrinkled ribbon, hold it taut, run it over the surface of a clean, warm (but not too hot) lightbulb. (Caution: To avoid singeing the fabric, don't use a bulb that has been on for more than five minutes or so.) You'll have a beautiful bow all without hauling out the iron.
 

Muffin Tin as Centerpiece

A centerpiece of mini muffin tins filled with tea candles turns a simple dinner into a special occasion. Mix in a few Christmas balls that have lost their caps to add splashes of shiny color.

Newspaper as Wrapping Paper

Save the comics section for a child's birthday surprise or use the wedding announcements for an engagement.

Nutcracker as Cap Remover

Clamp the nutcracker around the top of a glue, nail-polish, or beverage bottle to give you extra gripping power. Your reward: Tight caps no longer drive you nuts.

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.

Paint Chips as Gift Tags

Paint-sample strips make great gift tags. Besides all those hues, they’re printed with fantasy-inspiring names, like Flamingo Dream. Slide one under a ribbon, or punch a hole and thread ribbon through as a tie.

Pant Hanger as Gift Wrap Organizer

Keep individual sheets of wrapping paper crease-free by hanging them from the clips. Do the same with gift bags, or drape their handles over the hook of the hanger. (You can also use a shoe organizer: Stash scissors, tape, gift tags, and other decorating supplies inside the compartments.)

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.

Plastic Bag as Gift Wrap

No time to make an emergency pre-party run for wrapping paper? Riffle through your bags to find the prettiest and most colorful―or just ones without writing. Triple-bag the gift, then tie all three sets of handles into a knot. Cut the tops of the loops and fan out the pieces to make a plume.

Play-Doh as Sparkler Holder

Prevent burned fingers by planting a sparkler’s stem in a  tub of Play-Doh before lighting it.

Peggy Gilchrist
Zanesville, Ohio

Pumpkin as Centerpiece

For a festive seasonal table-topper, cut off the top and hollow out the seeds. Then arrange fresh flowers, such as daisies or mums, in a water-filled jar and place inside, or use dried leaves and twigs.

Ribbon as Gift Bag Handle

Give a white gift bag a makeover with a simple ribbon transplant. String the ends of the ribbon through the holes to the inside of the bag and tie knots to hold them in place.

Rubber Band as Easter Egg Decorator

Decorate eggs by positioning bands around them in a pattern before dipping them into the dye.

Need a quick refresher on how to dye Easter eggs? Watch this quick video to learn how to hard-boil an egg, then check out these homemade Easter egg dye recipes.

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.

Wrapping Paper as Table Runner

Cut wrapping paper with pinking shears to craft a runner. (Use double-stick tape to secure the runner to the tablecloth.) You can also use cupcake foils as tea-light votives that require no wax cleanup; simply toss the foils when the wick is snuffed.

Rubber Bands as Gift Bow

Add a snazzy touch to a gift in a snap. Instead of tracking down a bow, stretch several colored bands around the box. Bonus: You can slide a card under the bands.

Salt as Wine Chiller

Chill a bottle of bubbly fast. Place ice around the bottle’s base in a bucket and sprinkle with a few tablespoons of salt. Repeat, layering ice and salt up to the bottle’s neck. Fill with water, wait 10 minutes, and serve.