I really hate waste, I’ve gotten better in the last few years. When I first started working at the vegetable shop I took home a 3kg box of mesculun lettuce that was heading for the scrap pile and made pesto out of it. Like 3 litres of it, and many other random creations like that I subbed 2 bulbs of garlic for 2kg. Never again. I’m a bit the same with paper scraps. I don’t love spending money on expensive card making and scrapbooking stuff.
Stephen and I sometimes have debates over throwing stuff out, like my tiny little scraps of paper that I fastidiously save for some future date when I will use them. (His shed is just as bad, at least it’s easier to move my paper collection then his shed!) I want to share some uses for things that would otherwise find their way straight to your bin. Working my way across the lines from left to right, here are some little ideas for your crafty time this month.
1. Wrapping paper scraps. These can be really cute on the front of cards, or as a whole scrapbook page, or stick it on a boring envelope to make someone feel special when the open up their letterbox. Even packaging that might be around a craft product that you buy or a beauty product can be useful.
2. Tags; I love these 2 cuties, but I’m always using stuff like this. The little teddy is from Erin’s brand new jacket from Lifeline and will go straight in the scrapbook and the other one is from a pair of jeans I bought years ago. One day I will use it!
3. Gift bags and paper bags, gosh I see so many of these at the dump, and if I was allowed I’d climb in the dumpster and pull the out, but I can’t, so I’ll just say please don’t throw these out! Scrapbooking pages, card stock and Christmas decorations could all be made out of these, or you can use it to post your sister a birthday present in by cutting off the handle and taping up the top.
4. This is one of my scrapbook Christmas pages, where I saved all the beautiful Christmas tags my sisters had used to label the gifts to decorate this page, plus a few little random font smileys from Vanessa. (Okay, another confession, if I have to print something out to cut up and there is a line left on the page I will type in some cool fonts to use later on scrapbook pages and cards.)
5 &; 6. Another sample of wrapping paper used for scrapbooking.
7. A place card from a special dinner last night. Stick a nice picture over the top and you’ve got a perfectly good greeting card. I also do this with envelopes that have just my name written on them, that people give me. It spruces it up with a bit of colour and no waste.
8. An example of the cards I’ve made in the last few weeks from recycled cardboard place cards, paper bags and scraps.
I hope this inspires you to look twice at the stuff in your bin, and even other peoples.
