Post-holiday clearance: recycle leftover wrapping into child’s play!

Published 5 January 2015 ● Last Updated on 26 November 2016

After weeks of excitement – school holidays, Christmas festivities, new year celebrations – getting back to the grind of daily routine is rather anti-climatic. On top of that, there’s the unavoidable ritual of post-holiday cleanse: alcohol in the system, half-filled bottles of wine, leftovers in the fridge, old gift wraps and discarded packaging – they all demand to be purged pronto!

Fortunately, there’s a Monica Geller hiding inside some of us, and the clean-up can even be fun when coupled with a makeover. You could turn the open wine to Sangria, or relish the challenge of a dryanuary! As for the old gift-wrapping, it’s worth a day-full of laughter if you have little feet running around your house.

Here are my favorite ways to recycle old wrapping; hope you enjoy them as much as my family does!

1. Paper rockets

Even the youngest of children can participate in making paper rockets. And even the rumpliest of wrappers can create a great one. If that’s not a sign of an epic kid activity, I don’t know what is!

Here’s how:

2. Origami

Paper planes are an eternal favorite as they aren’t just decor but a real, flying toy. More creative (and less restless!) kids can be encouraged to try cranes, roses and even jumping frogs!

3. Lanterns

Varying designs and colors of wrapping papers make them perfect for this craft activity. In addition, all you need is scotch tape and scissors. For an easy tutorial, refer to AuntieAnnie’s directions. If you’re reusing paper with pre-existing folds, make sure you don’t go against the fold while crafting the lantern.

I had been mulling a balcony project for a while now, and this gave me a chance to involve my children in recreating the decor. We lined up the lanterns over twine, and you can judge the results yourself! Patios, barbeques and parties are perfect destinations for your creations.

Don’t forget to drop us a note if you use these ideas (or have more to offer!). And Happy Clearance!

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