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Upcycling

Best Upcycling Ideas for Holiday Decorations Here on the Suncoast

| Angela Naff |

The holiday season of 2021 is now firmly in the rearview, and most of us have taken down the holiday decorations. Each year we buy millions of dollars of new holiday decorations around the globe and come the new year must find ways to store or dispose of the excess once again. We have a few upcycling ideas for holiday decorations that might ensure they don’t glut our landfills and can continue adding joy and merriment past the expiration date of the holidays themselves.

Christmas Tree to Wood Coasters

One Good Thing By Jillie / Via onegoodthingbyjillee.com



Use a handsaw to cut the lower portion of your Christmas tree trunk to make drink coasters or small trivets. Simply cut the trunk into ½-inch slices and then sand down the surfaces and stain and seal before using them.

Wrapping Paper Liners and Confetti

We often feel wasteful when we wrap presents, to then just tearing it up and disposing of it within a week! Instead of trashing that beautiful wrapping paper, there are so many different ways to repurpose that beautiful wrapping. The easiest way to recycle it is just by shredding it up! The remains make perfect confetti for any celebration or even kid’s birthday parties. If you’re looking for a more evergreen solution, try lining the walls behind a bookshelf with your favorite wrapping paper, or even the inside of your drawers. 

Greeting Card Placemats

Upcycling Christmas cards for DIY placemats are easily created by running a set of Christmas cards (arranged in your chosen size and pattern on construction paper) through a laminator. Now you can use these memory placemats for your next arts and craft session, meals or future holiday get togethers.

Christmas Ornament Mosaics

Turn those broken ornaments into beautiful mosaics that you can use to decorate any number of things. You’ve seen DIY mosaic glass stepping stones and other decorative items…this is the same concept. You just take those broken shards and glue them onto anything you want to make your mosaic. This is a great way to keep special ornaments and display them for Christmas or all year long. And DIY mosaic projects are so easy to do.

Donations over Landfills

Did your current holiday decorations no longer fit your home’s style? You simply don’t have room to store? And DIY ideas are too time consuming? Instead of tossing the items out, consider donating items to a thrift store. This option ensures that the decorations get reused and do not sit in landfills. Most holiday decorations nowadays are made of plastic. This material is nonbiodegradable and can sit in landfills for years. Thrift stores save these items from landfills so they can get reused. 

Are your creative juices flowing? Did those decorations you were just going to donate or store, suddenly find new life in your home. Whether crafting fun, or new home decoration we hope that you find many more hours and days of enjoyment from the holiday decorations you have around.

Happy Creative and Upcycling New Year Suncoast!

Feature photo courtesy of Deposit Photos

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