Items to Salvage while Unwrapping Gifts

Our ribbons collected from gifts.

While you are busy unwrapping gifts over the next week, be sure to save some of the scraps. You can keep some of the nicer pieces for future gifts. Some of the other items, you can use in projects throughout the year. Here are a few things to hold onto:

• Ribbons and ties: We keep a box full of these. You would not believe how many we use throughout the year! You can even use them to wrap your own gifts or maybe to hand up Christmas cards next year.
• Envelopes: Be sure to keep envelopes that have not be written on. You can use these to mail letters throughout the year, etc. You can also use ones that have been written on to make shopping lists or to hold coupons, etc. Recycle the ones you don't need!
• Christmas cards: Keep some of the nicer cards. You can use the covers for gift tags next year. Or, you can cut out pieces of the pictures to use as accents on framed photos or in scrapbooks.
•  Holiday tags: Sometimes, gift givers like to use fancy cardboard tags. You can use them for photo accents or in other projects later. In fact, I found a little tutorial on Childhood 101 that shows how you can use them as practice sewing cards for kids! Neat!
• Bells and beads: I have received a number of gifts beautifully decorated with bead and bell creations. Be sure to save these for decoration or to craft your own pieces!
• Cardboard: Some items will have nice, flat pieces of cardboard in them. Cardboard can be used in projects or as a backing when packaging. Cardboard pieces can also be cut to help your store ornaments.
• Boxes: Having a few boxes around can be useful if you need to ship things. You can reduce them down for storage and then build them back up when it is time to ship a package. Some gift boxes have nice designs to use for organization. We have been able to score a few during the holidays that have compartments just like the one that we used for our ribbons!

• Cute little fixtures: Some people get very creative with their gift wrapping.
• Tissue paper: Nicer tissue paper can be used again. However, the tissue paper that is a little more beat up can be used to help with packing ornaments. You can also use tissue paper to make flowers or for a mod podge creation. In fact, One Artsy Mama made an adorable Valentine Heart Vase with tissue paper. Real easy way to put those scraps to work!
• Wrapping Paper: Nice pieces you can use for wrapping next year. Some of the other scraps can be shredded for gift bags, used in mod podge projects and more. You can read our ideas here.
• Bags: Many times, you can reuse gift bags. If you can't, take a look at the handle. Sometimes, you can salvage ribbon or string handles. You also may be able to score a gift tag!

**Be select in what you salvage! I tend to get a little over zealous and keep too much.