PaperlessKitchen Blog

10 Upcycled and Recycled St. Patrick's Day Crafts

St. Patrick's Day is just a couple of weeks away, and if you want to decorate the house or deck yourself or your kids out for the holiday, you have a great opportunity to upcycle and recycle some items. Here are 10 of our favorite eco friendly recycled or upcycled St. Patrick's Day craft ideas:                             

1. DIY Pots of Gold for St. Patrick’s Day - Laughing and Losing It has a fun tutorial on how to turn old paper towel rolls or toilet paper rolls into pots of gold for the kids. 

2. Lucky Leprechaun's "Pot of Gold" Kid's Craft - Neetu at Super Mommy will show you how to use a rinsed plastic takeout container to make an adorable pot of gold with your kids. 

3. Pinch Proof DIY St. Patrick's Day Headband - In this tutorial, The Brass Paperclip Project shows you how to use old belts that your kids have grown out of into rainbow headbands for St. Patty's Day or any other occasion.

4. Beer Bottle Candle Holders - Join Jessi at Practically Functional to learn how to transform green beer bottles into pretty votive holders. 

5. Recycled champagne cork St. Patrick’s Day earrings tutorial - Make It Easy Crafts has an adorable DIY shamrock earrings project made out of old corks. 

6. St. Patrick's Day Clothespin Wreath - Got some old clothespins lying around? Transform them into a festive wreath with the help of Patti Allen from Celebrations. 

7. Shamrock Mason Jar Luminaries - Take old mason jars and give them new life with this project from Pauline Molinari from Club Chica Circle, as featured on Mom 4 Real. 

8. Tutorial: St. Patrick's Day Rainbow Mini Book Cover  - Danielle Hunter from EcoScrapbook has found the perfect use for those plastic tubes that are left behind when your kids finish the bath crayons! 

9. Upcycled & Kid-Sized St. Patrick's Day Bangles - Also from EcoScrapbook is this great craft that uses the empty rolls from duct tape or masking tape to make St. Patty's Day bracelets for kids. 

10. Upcycled St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Craft - This unique project from Nicolette at Momnivore's Dilemma uses broken or scratched CDs and DVDs to create a lovely shamrock craft. 

Which one of these is your favorite? Let us know in the comments section.

10 Crafty Ways to Upcycle Old Greeting Cards

Sending greeting cards is a festive part of the holiday season, and it's always nice to hear from friends and family. Photo cards can easily be added to albums after the holidays, but just what can you do with all of those greeting cards if you don't want to contribute to paper waste this holiday season?

To help you decide what's best to do with your cards, we bring you this roundup of creative ideas from the blog and online magazine world:

1. Paper Garland - You can use any old paper, including your Christmas Cards to make this great Paper Garland project dreamed up by Shellie Wilson of Craftbits.

2. Menu Holders - Make your holiday dinner extra fancy by using different greeting cards to make this project from Country Living.

3. Paper Quilt - The paper quilt project from Linda & Harriet allows you to keep your Christmas cards displayed in a transformed way all year round.

4. Mason Jar Lids - If you'll be giving away any homemade treats in mason jars this season, use your cards to decorate the lids as shown in this tutorial from The Sweet Spot. 

5. Chargers - Better Homes and Gardens has a great tutorial on how to convert your Christmas cards into the border for custom chargers for your holiday dinner table.

6. Wine Gift Label - Also from Better Homes and Gardens is this crafty idea for making wine gift labels out of your Christmas cards.

7. Christmas Wreath - Turn those old holiday cards into a festive wreath with this guide from Good Housekeeping.

8. Ornaments - Scoutie Girl has a very cute Christmas ornament idea made entirely from old Christmas cards. You could do an entire tree with these!

9. Gift Bows - Save money on gift bows by using the tutorial from How About Orange for making a DIY bow.

10. Necklace - Make some homemade beads for a necklace with this tutorial from ILovetoCreate. These could even be given as holiday gifts!

Which of these projects is your favorite? Tell us about it in the "Comments" section.

Decorate the Green Way with Hip Hooray

Recently, we added Hip Hooray Green Garlands to our collection, and we're excited to offer them to our customers. These festive decorations come in a wide variety of colors for holidays and for parties.

No matter which color you opt for, you'll be getting a green decorating solution when you choose the ecoGarland. That's because the paper is Terraskin, a material made from minerals and nontoxic resins instead of wood pulp. The paper is certified by Cradle to Cradle because of its sustainability, and no water is used in its manufacturing.

Hip Hooray ecoGarlands are perfect for use outdoors and indoors, and they are durable enough to be reused multiple times. Easy to store, the garlands are made with low impact inks and strung with genuine hemp cords.

Check out our Hip Hooray garlands today, and let us know which is your favorite in the Comments section.

Choosing an Eco-Friendly Christmas Tree

If you are committed to being paperless, trying to decide the best way to bring the beauty of a Christmas tree to your home can be a challenge. Both artificial and living trees pose some woes for eco-minded folks. To help you make the best decision, here are some points to consider.

1. Deforestation - Opinions on Christmas trees vary in terms of deforestation. Some environmentalists feel that having a real Christmas tree is unethical because it involves killing a tree for display. Others do not quarrel as much with Christmas trees grown on farms, not viewing that as true deforestation.

2. Waste - Waste from a living Christmas tree is a lot like paper waste from some people's points of view. Others think that Christmas tree waste is preferable to disposing of an artificial tree, which is made from plastic and won't biodegrade.

3. Origins - Christmas trees are clearly the more natural choice for the holiday season. Artificial Christmas trees are often made from plastic derived from petrochemicals. Some companies are now offering Christmas trees made from recycled materials, which would be more eco-friendly.

4. Longevity - If you opt for a genuine Christmas tree, you'll have to replace it every year, resulting in lots of waste. An artificial Christmas tree will last for many years.

5. Toxins - Artificial and living trees may both harbor toxins. With an artificial tree, there could be lead or other toxic chemicals lurking in the plastic. Choosing a tree manufactured in America can cut down on the risk of this some. Living trees could be sprayed with pesticides that are toxic, but you can protect your family from these chemicals by opting for an organic tree.

Paperless Kitchen wants to know: are you going real or faux for the holidays this year? Let us know and tell us why in the "Comments" section.

Four Ways to Green Your Holiday Shopping

If you want to keep your environmental impact to a minimum this holiday season, a great place to begin is with your shopping. Before you begin to work on your shopping list, take a look at these tips that you can follow to reduce your eco footprint.

1.Shop Online. According to a study conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, shopping online has a smaller economic cost than visiting malls. The total carbon footprint of so many single vehicles traveling too and from shopping malls and the higher incidences of returns makes shopping at brick and mortar stores less friendly to the planet. In addition, online businesses typically consume less natural resources and energy than traditional retailers.

2. Plan Your Trip. Can't avoid the mall this year? If your holiday season won't be complete without some traditional shopping, plan to spend one day getting all of your shopping done. Plan a route that will result in the fewest miles traveled and be careful about your buying decisions, so that there is no need to make a return.

3. Bring Your Own Bags. When you finish paying for your purchase, place it in a reusable cloth shopping or tote bag, so that you can say no to paper and plastic. Make sure you bring a few with you, so that you can fit all of your purchases.

4.Take Public Transportation or Car Pool. If possible, try to avoid traveling solo in your car. Take the subway or a bus to the shopping center, or make the day a shopping trip with a group of friends. Even if you split up when you get to the mall, you'll save gas and reduce carbon emissions by carpooling.

Do you have any green holiday shopping tips of your own? Share them in our "Comments" section.