10 Ways to Recycle and Reuse Newspaper

This Sunday - April 22, 2012 - is the 42nd Earth Day!

As you know, I am a huge supporter of trying to preserve the earth with little steps that you can take each day.  And I love making things with items that were originally destined for the trash!

Today, I bring you 10 Ways to Reuse Newspaper!

First of all, you can eliminate the need to do anything with newspaper by getting your news online!  However, I know that sometimes you just want the physical paper in your hands. 

If you must subscribe, here are some things to do with your newspaper when you're done reading it:

1.  Make a newspaper flower!  It will never wilt!

2.  Make cute decorations!  I made hearts for Valentine's Day, but you can make any shape you like!

3.  This was originally another Valentine's Day project for me, but you can make any shape you want with this great tutorial.  It basically transforms newspaper into clay.

4.   More newspaper flowers!  These were at Ripley's Believe it or Not in Atlantic Ciy, NJ!

5.  Crumpled up newspapers are great for absorbing odors.  Put them in coolers when you are storing them to keep them fresh!  Put in luggage when you are storing it.  Or stuff them in your sweaty sneakers to absorb the moisture and odor.

6.  Line your veggie draws in your frig with it.  Again, it absorbs the moisture and smells.

7.  Wrapping paper!  Look at that amazing bow on top, too!  I found how to do this on Adelle.com.au

8.  Paper Hat

9.  Flower Pot!  Bonus:  you can put the pot right into the ground!

10.  Use around the house:  messy cleanup, line pet cages, line kitty litter (or even use as kitty litter in a pinch!), wash windows and line trash cans.

Believe it or Not: Newspaper Flowers

A few weeks ago, my fiance and I went to Atlantic City, NJ for his birthday.  As you may remember (or as you can tell from my flickr stream!) we like to visit weird places.  Lucky for us, there is a "Ripley's Believe it or Not" on the boardwalk!

As a child my family visited the Ripley's in Toronto.  I remember it being interesting, but scarey.  As an adult, I found it fascinating.

One of the many wonderful rooms in Ripley's was full of amazing visionary art!  The photo above is one of the pieces.  They are, "believe it or not," flowers made from newspapers.  If you click on the photo, you'll be taken to my photostream and can check out all my photos from our trip. 

I'm amazed and inspired when I see artists reusing and repurposing everyday things - waste, in fact - to  make amazing art!

Maybe these flowers will inspire you to take your newspaper flowers to the next level!

Cardboard JFK

New Eco- Friendly Packaging

I have changed the design of my gift boxes.  They now have newspaper flowers on top.  You'll remeber that previously they had a ribbon and a button on top.  Now I feel like they are more in the B.B. Bellezza style. 

I basically used the newspaper flower tutorial I posted previously, but made the flowers a little smaller and added a round piece on the bottom and on top.  As you can see there is a button on top, too.

I think they turned out adorable!  They vary depending on the colors in the paper, etc. 

I make each one - and even make the boxes the flowers are attached to!

The only way to get one is to make a purchase through my etsy shop or through me personally!

Eco-Friendly Valentine's Day Tutorial

Valentine's Day is coming up soon.  Instead of the usual Rose Rat Race - how about a thoughtful gift of flowers that don't die that you make yourself!

My newspaper flower tutorial works well for any sort of paper, magazines, tissue paper or even fabric!

In Progress...

 

I hate to say it, but I am so sick of winter.  The snow is dirty.  It's cold and raining today. 

I think it's the perfect time for some pretty flowers!

I am working on a bunch of fabric flowers in various fabric patterns.  Or if you can't wait to get these from me, try my newspaper flower tutorial.

18 Fun and Useful Ways to Reuse Newspaper

1. Make a Newspaper Flower that will never wilt!

2. Make it into a clay-like substance to make sculptures. See my Recycled Newspaper Puffy Heart Tutorial.

3. Wash windows or mirrors with it
4. Pack crumpled-up newspapers into containers to absorb orders. For example, put it in coolers when you store them for the winter.
5. Line your vegetable draw in your refrigerator with them to draw out moisture and smells.
6. Line pet cages with it. Also, you can use cut up newspaper as kitty litter in a pinch.
7. Make seed starting pots from newspaper.
8. Make a newspaper hut for your kids!
9. Use as wrapping paper. (It would be so adorable with a newspaper flower on top!)
10. Use newspaper to cushion packages you send.
11. Stuff crumpled newspaper into wet shoes to help them dry more quickly.
12. Use in your gardening.
13. Make a cool paper hat!
14. Go fly a kite.
15. Use it to make large patterns for sewing or crafting.
16. Use it for anything you would use any paper for!
17. Donate to farmers - I see boxes around asking for newspapers.
18. Make a newspaper fountain (see video below)

What other ideas do you have for reusing newspapers?

Newspaper Flower Tutorial - Flowers that Never Wilt

Newspaper Flowers - Flowers that Never Wilt
Tutorial

This is one way to use up the newspapers that pile up every day (if you read papers.) If you don't get the paper, you probably have a friend or neighbor who does and who would love to give you a pile!

Materials:
Newspapers
Plastic shampoo or other bottle OR button
Floral Wire
Flower Pattern (this is in pdf form - you can also draw your own!)
Scissors
Pliers
Awl (not pictured)

Step 1:
Print out and cut out the Flower Pattern. You can also draw your own pattern. Just make one shape smaller than the other shape.

Step 2:
Pin the pattern onto newspaper. I used 8 sheets of newspaper for each pattern piece.
Don't worry about putting the pin in, it just leaves a couple of holes that you won't notice and the middle will cover it up later anyway.

Step 3:
Cut out the flower pieces.

Cut out both the smaller flower and the larger flower pattern.

Step 4:

Curl the "petals" up using a pencil. I curled up the first couple of sheets individually, then did the back sheets all together.

Step 5:

Stagger the petals on a pile.

Step 6:

Carefully cut the plastic bottle and then cut out a circle. (Instead of doing this step, you could use a button.)

The plastic may be a little difficult to cut - be careful!

Step 7:

Use your awl to poke 2 holes in the plastic circle. It will look like a button. (Again, if you are using a button, obviously skip this step.)

Step 8:
Use your awl to poke 2 holes in the middle of your newspaper flowers. I was able to use my awl to go all the way through the newspapers.

Step 9:

Bend the floral wire in half

Step 10:

Place the plastic circle or button on the wire.

Step 11:

Place your cut out newspapers on the floral wire.

Step 12:

Twist the floral wire together. (This photo shows a very sloppy job! You can fix it up as you go along.)

I hold the wire with my pliers and carefully twist by the top flower part. You can also twist this by hand, but it will be a looser twist.

And here is the completed Newspaper Flower!

Make a bunch and you have a full bouquet! Use for decorations or give them as a gift. You could put them on top of presents instead of buying bows.

Have fun!