13 Dec 2019
With Christmas right around the corner, we usually spend time buying knick-knacks and getting our home ready for festive parties. But when the day after Christmas arrives, we find ourselves having to store or throw these items away. We say don’t let them go to waste this year. We’ve got five smart upcycling tips and ideas that will bring you joy during Christmas and all throughout the year!
1. Find Calm with Scented Candles
Christmas-themed candles can be used to brighten your house and bring a warm glow to any festive spread. What’s more, candles can be given a second life when Christmas is over. Simply collect the leftover candle wax and make brand new candles out of them in a few simple steps!
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Use a spoon to remove the leftover wax and melt them in a small saucepan over low heat. Alternatively, you can microwave them in a microwave-safe bowl (in increments of 60 seconds until they are fully melted).
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Prepare a new container which can either be an empty glass jar or even an old teacup.
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Place a candle wick of a length that fits the height of your new container. Secure the wick to the bottom by using a bit of melted wax.
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Hold the wick with one hand and carefully pour all the melted wax into the container.
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Decorate the container with ribbons, lace, or paint. Voila! You’ve got yourself a DIY masterpiece.
Pro tip: When you’re melting leftover candles, separate the wax up by their scent. For unscented candles, add a few drops of essential oils or dried flowers, like lavender, to create your own scented candle.
2. Brighten Memories with Fairy Lights
Fairy lights add a cosy ambience to any room. And even when Christmas is over, you could hang them by your bed to brighten up your personal space.
Take it up a notch by creating a rustic memory collage by clipping on your cherished photos, polaroids and postcards across the fairy lights using wooden pegs. We recommend getting clear or warm-coloured lights for this.
3. Don’t Bottle Up Your Creativity
Not a fan of waste? You’ll be happy to hear that you can easily upcycle those beer and wine bottles from your Christmas parties! Glass bottles are extremely versatile for both decorative and functional purposes, so it’s a win-win situation.
Decorate old beer and wine bottles with dried flowers and patterned fabrics.
Personalise chic flower vases for your home in three simple steps:
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Remove the labels from bottles by soaking them in warm soapy water. Once the adhesive loosens, you can easily peel or scrub off the labels.
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Paint your bottles, stick scrap fabric or decorate them with washi tape to create unique patterns and textures.
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Last but not least, add stalks of fresh or dried flowers to your art pieces.
Paint your bottles in pastel colours and add dried herbs and flowers to perk up the room.
Leftover wine bottles can also be used to tidy-up your pantry. Store grains like rice, quinoa, dried beans and lentils, label each bottle with a waterproof marker and you’ve got yourself a well-organised pantry.
Get your art supplies from Umistrong Art Store & Art Studio at
Eastpoint Mall.
4. Explore Cork Art
Other than wine bottles, turn the corks that come with them into cute succulent fridge magnets!
Upcycle corks into green fridge magnets.
Those with green fingers will love this D.I.Y project! Did you know you can plant baby succulents into corks? Follow these simple steps:
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Carefully remove the centres of the corks by turning the tip of a knife in a circular motion. Leave about a quarter of the cork below.
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Use glue to stick a small magnet to the side of the cork.
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Add some soil into the cork and pack it down.
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Add a small succulent piece into the cork and more soil if needed.
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Sprinkle water and let it dry before sticking your new succulent magnet on your fridge!
You could also save your corks to create your very own photo pinboard.
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Start by making the backing of your pinboard. Cut a piece of cardboard into the desired shape and size of the board.
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Cut the corks vertically in half and arrange them on the cardboard. This will help you check if you have enough corks.
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Glue down the corks once you’re happy with the arrangement.
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Let the glue dry before pinning on your holiday Christmas postcards and photos!
5. The Most Overlooked Part of Christmas
Ripping Christmas presents apart is one of our favourite festive activities! But this year, try unwrapping your gifts carefully because they can be thoughtfully reused on other occasions. This also means keeping the pretty ribbons aside!
Another way to reduce waste is to opt for plain coloured wrapping paper and dress up your presents with creative cards or baubles instead. This will make it easier to reuse wrapping paper for the next occasion.
Pro-tip: Yet another reusable alternative is to present your gifts in cloth wraps or mini scarves that your recipients can reuse at their own leisure.
So there you have it - our five easy post-Christmas DIY projects. We hope that you’re now inspired to celebrate a zero-waste Christmas with your loved ones this December and beyond!
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