How to Recycle Used Wrapping Paper and Ribbon

After the present are opened on Christmas morning, the area around your Christmas tree tends to look like a war zone of present givers. Wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, and boxes are strewn everywhere. However, you can actually use these leftover Christmas trimmings to store away your Christmas decorations, ornaments and lights. Here are the ways that you can recycle this trash until next Christmas season.

Wrapping Paper:

While wrapping paper is beautiful, it is also expensive. Why not get a little more for your money by wrapping your breakable decorations in the used wrapping paper. If you are storing the items in a box you can also place scrunched up wrapping paper balls in between the decorations to safely carry them into next Christmas season. You can also use this technique to protect your breakable Christmas tree ornaments.

Ribbon:

Used Ribbon can usually be used reused for another gift. You can also use ribbon to tackle the dreaded Christmas lights. Many of us have stored Christmas light strands perfectly put in a box only to find that the next year they resemble a large Christmas tree snowball. To store the lights, simply wrap the lights around your hand to form a ring. Take to strips of ribbon and tie the ribbon around one side of the ring and then on the other side of the ring. This will keep the ring tied together securely together and use up your ribbon.

Boxes:

You can use the boxes to place your ornaments, lights, and decorations and store them. You can place balled wrapping paper inside the box and then place a breakable ornament. The ornament will stay safely inside until next Christmas. You can also use these boxes to store your leftover ribbons and bows until next year. Try storing your decorations for each room in one box to make decorating easier. If you have one room that has more than one box, you can use your used ribbon to bind them together.