9 Wonderful Things You Can Make With Recycled Paper
Finding creative ways to repurpose materials is not only environmentally responsible but also adds a unique touch to your home decor. One such versatile and readily available material for crafting home decorations is recycled paper. From old newspapers and magazines to discarded book pages and cardboard, recycled paper offers endless possibilities for DIY enthusiasts to create beautiful and budget-friendly decor pieces.
Here, we're sharing our favorite DIY home decor projects that showcase the beauty and versatility of recycled paper. Whether you're an avid crafter or just starting to explore the world of do-it-yourself projects, these ideas will inspire you to embark on your own sustainable home decor journey.
Discover how recycled paper can be transformed into eye-catching wall art, stylish lampshades, and much more. Get ready to see how simple materials can be transformed into remarkable works of art that add charm, character, and a touch of sustainability to your home.
DIY home decor using recycled materials
1. How to make floating paper lanterns
Our first project features DIY floating lanterns for a dinner party! This fun craft highlights a pool or pond area and is ideal for a summer get-together. The materials required for the project are parchment paper, plastic plates, tea lights, glue, fishing line or string, and a pool weight.
Follow the tutorial for step-by-step instructions on creating these easy lanterns and setting them afloat in the pool with tealights. Get tutorial here
2. Papier mache lampshade
In this project, Cinzanno shares her experience repurposing old and worn lampshades using paper-mâché. She tore up old maps to use as the paper-mâché material and prepared a glue mixture using flour, water, and salt. Then, she simply dipped the torn pieces of paper into the glue, wiped off the excess, and applied them to the lampshades.
After allowing the lampshades to dry overnight, they were placed back on the lamp stand, with a stunning end result. Get tutorial here
3. Book page decoupaged dresser
Next up, Miss Mustard Seed freshens up an old dresser with old books using decoupage. The process involves cutting the paper to fit the drawer, applying Mod Podge underneath and over the paper, and repeating the steps for each drawer. Get tutorial here
4. DIY wrapping paper Christmas tree
Don't know what to do with leftover bits of wrapping paper? Well, here, Sarah Vanderkooy shares her step-by-step guide on how to make Christmas trees using just that.
The process involves cutting cardboard tubes into different sizes, cutting squares of wrapping paper, curling the paper squares into cone shapes, assembling the cones onto the cardboard tubes using tape, and adding a bow as a finishing touch.
This is a fantastic way to upcycle cardboard tubes and unused wrapping paper. Get tutorial here
5. DIY newspaper flower basket cart
Can you believe that this cute flower basket cart is made out of old newspapers? In this project, Gail provides step-by-step instructions, starting with folding newspaper sections into tubes. To make the basket, the tubes are woven together vertically and horizontally, forming a basket.
The cart wheel is made by wrapping a flattened tube around a small cylinder shape, sealing it, and removing the cylinder. Wire hangers are inserted into tubes for stability. The final step is painting the entire cart.
The finished flower cart can be used as a decorative accent piece for floral arrangements, particularly in the summertime. Get tutorial here
6. DIY vase decor with paper napkins
To create this beautiful damask vase, you will need paper napkins, paint, Mod Podge, and rhinestones. Start by cleaning and drying the vase.
Apply two coats of white acrylic paint, allowing each coat to dry. Cut out desired designs from the napkins and separate the plies. Glue the designs onto the vase using Mod Podge, smoothing them with plastic wrap to minimize wrinkles.
Repeat this process until the entire design is completed. This is a classic DIY technique, but Ivelisse executes it so well. Stunning! Get tutorial here
7. Paper bag copper magnolia wreath
This DIY project involves transforming brown paper lunch bags into a copper magnolia wreath, suitable for the fall and holiday seasons. The bags are cut into sheets, painted with copper and brown paints, and then cut into magnolia leaf shapes. The leaves are creased and glued onto the grapevine wreath form.
The resulting wreath is lightweight and designed for indoor use. We love the rich rustic color and the simplicity of this DIY. Get tutorial here
8. DIY paper floor
Have you heard about this trend? People are using paper to makeover their floors! This cost-effective and simple method involves cleaning the floor, tearing paper into desired shapes, dipping it in a glue mixture, and placing it on the floor.
After drying overnight, multiple coats of polyurethane are applied, with sanding between coats for a smooth finish. The result is so beautiful! Get tutorial here
9. Paper mache goose
So this is definitely the most unusual project on our list of DIYs for home decor using recycled paper. To make this goose, Karen formed the basic shape, added scrap paper, finalized the form with masking tape, cast, painted, and used paper clay for additional details. She's a beauty for sure! Get tutorial here
