Real Simple
New Uses for Old Things
New Uses for Christmas Things

New Uses for Christmas Things

By Real Simple

Updated January 31, 2014

Skip gallery slides

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Surprising tricks for holiday-inspired items.

Start Slideshow

1 of 70

Tinsel as Wreath Garland

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Ropes of tinsel, wrapped around a foam circle, make a fun, modern wreath that you can use year after year.

2 of 70

Holiday Tags as Drink Labels

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Merlot gone missing? A small, adhesive gift tag keeps each drink in the right hand.

3 of 70

Bobby Pin as Gift-Card Clip

Credit: Philip Friedman; Styling: Linden Elstran

More than just a hair accessory: Attach a note to a ribbon with a colorful or bedazzled bobby pin.

4 of 70

Wrapping Paper as Confetti

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

You could toss old giftwrap in the garbage or… in the air. Use a hold punch to turn gently used paper (or last year’s stock) into confetti.

5 of 70

Gift Tags as File Label

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Use leftover, adhesive gift tags to label file folders. Holly leaves = medical records, Santa = bills (obviously—you owe him for the bike, the LEGOS, the dollhouse…).

6 of 70

Playing Card as Gift Tag

Credit: Philip Friedman; Styling: Linden Elstran

A playing card is a winning stand-in for a gift tag. Numbers 2 to 10 are fun for kids' birthdays; the king and queen of hearts are perfectly suited as valentines. (Use a permanent marker to write your message.)

7 of 70

Toilet Paper Tube as Wrapping Paper Holder

Credit: Photo, Erica McCartney; Styling, Kristine Trevino

Slide empty toilet paper tubes over wrapping paper to keep it from unraveling.

8 of 70

Holiday Lights as Night Light

Credit: Levi Brown

Fill a large Mason jar with a strand or two of battery-powered lights to add whimsy to a walkway or a nightstand.

9 of 70

Ribbon as Place Card Embellishment

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Punch four holes around a piece of cardstock, then tie two pieces of ribbon along the top and bottom to make a striped place card.

10 of 70

Wristband as Wine Protector

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Toting more than one bottle to a party? Slip a wristband over one to prevent banging or breaking.

11 of 70

Wrapping Paper as Placemat

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Turn rectangles of giftwrap into placemats you don’t mind getting dirty. You can even write guests’ names on the edges to designate seats.

12 of 70

Party Hat as Candy Dish

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Use extra paper party hats to corral candy on a display table—or fill them with popcorn to hand out to kids.

13 of 70

Use a Wineglass as a Candleholder

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Give some height to a candle display by perching a pillar on an upside-down wineglass.

14 of 70

Ribbon as Photo Matte

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Glue ribbon around an existing matte to turn a basic frame into one-of-a-kind art.

15 of 70

Shoelace as Ribbon

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Happy birthday, sport! Use a (clean) shoelace for a simple, reusable gift tie.

16 of 70

Sticker Dots as Party Cups

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Turn plain white cups into custom-designed party wear with simple dot stickers, available at any office supply store.

17 of 70

Tinsel as Ornament Filler

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

If you have extra tinsel but aren’t feeling a fuzzy tree this year, stuff a handful into clear glass ornament balls. You’ll get tinsel in small, sparkly doses.

18 of 70

Wrapping Paper as Tray Liner

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Turn an old tray into a special serving piece with a single scrap of pretty paper. Use double-sided tape to keep it secure.

19 of 70

Tree Bow Ornament as Napkin Ring

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Use tree bows (with built-in loops on the back) to hold napkins for Christmas dinner—or turn any ornament into a decorative tie by threading a ribbon through the wire loop on top.

20 of 70

Cupcake Liner as Mason Jar Lining

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Secure a cupcake liner over the top of a jar with a rubber band. It can be a temporary fix if you’ve lost the lid, a pretty solution to keep flies out of the lemonade, or a cute topper for a gift-in-a-jar.

21 of 70

Paper Towel Tube as Linen Organizer

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Keep linen placemats and runners crease-free; roll them around a paper towel holder instead of folding.

22 of 70

Buttons as Appetizer Stand

Credit: Philip Friedman; Styling: Linden Elstran

Here's a fanciful and fun way to serve cubed cheese, cherry tomatoes, and more: Place large buttons on a tray, spear the hors d'oeuvres with toothpicks, then anchor the toothpick ends in the buttons' holes.

23 of 70

Hanger as Ribbon Organizer

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Turn a tangle of ribbons into a neat presentation. Hang coordinating colors over the prongs of a tie hanger.

24 of 70

Kid Art as Holiday Wrap

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Oh, that’s grandma dressed as an alligator? Perfect for wrapping her birthday gift. (And the fridge door is full anyway.)

25 of 70

Gift Box as Sugar Holder

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

More lovely to look at than the branded box from the store, but it still slides easily into the pantry for storage.

26 of 70

Cupcake Liners as Garland

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Using a large sewing needle, thread a string through the alternating colorful cupcake liners to make a ruffled garland.

27 of 70

Binder Clip as Ribbon Organizer

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Clip one end of the spool to keep the ribbon from unfurling in your giftwrap drawer.

28 of 70

Candy Canes as Place Card Holder

Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

What nice curves… for holding a place card. Tie together three canes with a ribbon to make a sturdy stand.

29 of 70

Candy Wrapper as DIY Gift Wrap

Credit: James Wojcik

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.

30 of 70

Cupcake Liner as Decorative Snowflakes

Credit: John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran

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.

31 of 70

Cocktail Shaker as Egg Scrambler

Credit: John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran

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

Account

More

New Uses for Christmas Things

1 of 70

Tinsel as Wreath Garland

1 of 70

2 of 70

Holiday Tags as Drink Labels

2 of 70

3 of 70

Bobby Pin as Gift-Card Clip

3 of 70

4 of 70

Wrapping Paper as Confetti

4 of 70

5 of 70

Gift Tags as File Label

5 of 70

6 of 70

Playing Card as Gift Tag

6 of 70

7 of 70

Toilet Paper Tube as Wrapping Paper Holder

7 of 70

8 of 70

Holiday Lights as Night Light

8 of 70

9 of 70

Ribbon as Place Card Embellishment

9 of 70

10 of 70

Wristband as Wine Protector

10 of 70

11 of 70

Wrapping Paper as Placemat

11 of 70

12 of 70

Party Hat as Candy Dish

12 of 70

13 of 70

Use a Wineglass as a Candleholder

13 of 70

14 of 70

Ribbon as Photo Matte

14 of 70

15 of 70

Shoelace as Ribbon

15 of 70

16 of 70

Sticker Dots as Party Cups

16 of 70

17 of 70

Tinsel as Ornament Filler

17 of 70

18 of 70

Wrapping Paper as Tray Liner

18 of 70

19 of 70

Tree Bow Ornament as Napkin Ring

19 of 70

20 of 70

Cupcake Liner as Mason Jar Lining

20 of 70

21 of 70

Paper Towel Tube as Linen Organizer

21 of 70

22 of 70

Buttons as Appetizer Stand

22 of 70

23 of 70

Hanger as Ribbon Organizer

23 of 70

24 of 70

Kid Art as Holiday Wrap

24 of 70

25 of 70

Gift Box as Sugar Holder

25 of 70

26 of 70

Cupcake Liners as Garland