Crafting with tissue paper is way to recycle and create as well

Sisily West — We've all been there: It's Christmas afternoon, the presents have been opened and we're drowning in a sea of tissue paper. While some will fold the paper neatly, saving it for their own gift giving, others gather it all and put it in the recycling bin. Still others will crumple their mounds of tissue paper into a manageable pile and pitch it in the garbage can. Instead of cluttering your cupboards or adding to the landfills, why not use your excess tissue paper in more creative ways? Here are five great ways to use your collection of colorful papers:

1. Bulletin Board

Have you ever seen those gorgeous bulletin boards covered with fabric and ribbon, designed to hang on the wall and hold photographs? You can easily design one of these boards using a piece of wood, an old cork board or even a piece of cardboard. Simply cut your board to the size you choose, cover it with one or more colors of tissue paper and criss-cross ribbon across the front. You can glue your ribbon in place with a hot glue gun or pin it with colored thumbtacks. When you're done, you'll have a lovely way to display all of your memories.

2. Table Covers

If you're having a New Year's Eve party or any other upcoming event, save your tissue paper to use as table covering. You can use a few sheets of the same color or a variety of colors for a more festive look. If your guests will be putting their drinks down on your tables, be sure to cover your paper with a piece of glass or set plenty of coasters out; the moisture will cause your tissues' color to bleed.

3. Kids Crafts

If you've got kids, tissue paper can be invaluable on a rainy day. Toss the tissue in your kids' craft box and pull it out the next time everyone is stuck in the house. Your kids can glue small, crumpled squares to paper plates to create wonderful masks, to foam forms to make gorgeous wreaths, or even between layers of wax paper to make beautiful sun catchers. With tissue paper, scissors, glue and imagination, your children can have an afternoon full of entertainment.

4. Wall Paper

Tissue paper can make fantastic wall paper, especially for a colorful child's room. Install a chair rail on the wall about three feet above the floor and glue the paper on the upper-portion of the wall. You can use several colors and layer the paper for a unique look. Paint the bottom of the walls in a coordinating color and you'll have a child's room that others will be envious of. Best of all, when your child wants to change their decor, the paper is easily removed.

5. Packing Materials

It may not be very creative, but tissue paper can protect your fragile gifts and is much more attractive than foam peanuts. If you mail items frequently, having a stash of beautiful tissue papers can provide a way to ensure that your items arrive to your recipient in one piece. Wrap your item with several layers of tissue paper, place it inside the box and then fill the leftover space with crinkled paper. Your item will be well-protected and visually appealing.

Resist the urge to throw out your mountains of tissue paper after the holidays. Tissue can be used in a wide variety of creative ways. Use the ideas above as they are or use them as inspiration for your own ideas; you'll be surprised at all of the unique uses for these lovely papers.

About the Author

Sisily West writes for retail blogs where you'll learn more about new ideas for retail packaging and enjoys finding creative ways for recycling.

Does surviving the Zombie Apocalypse mean going green?

Samantha Torrence--The Zombie Apocalypse is nearing and survival is the first concern in everyone’s mind.  Are you prepared?  And are you green enough?

Sure you have your regulation Zombie killing weapons, but besides the flame throwers, boomsticks, and machetes what else would you need to survive? After all there is not going to be just a constant wave of zombies to defeat like in a video game so in the downtime you will need to eat, sleep, and get ready for more. When the system collapses, trade ceases, power grids fail, and money becomes obsolete, how are you going to feed and clothe yourself?

If you look around your home,  you have all the convenience of modern life.  How much of the technology in your home that gives you those conveniences would become useless if power infrastructures failed? Would your gas or electric stove work? Would your computer power up? These are questions you need consider as you make a survival plan. What appliances and pieces of technology would you like to keep in a post-apocalyptic world? Things like radios, computers, cooking stoves, heating sources and the like would be essential to keep even a semblance of the quality of life you are used to. You will also need a tactical advantage against the zombie horde this is where radio transmitters, radios, and motion lights would be superb. Perhaps while you still can it would be useful to purchase a wind turbine or solar panels with a power storage and converter for your home. You can even make them yourself if you are handy.  It will not only help you keep appliances powered when the grid fails, but while the grid is in place it will help you with your bill and you can even sell energy back to the power plants.  This would also be a good time to replace any gas run appliances with electric, after all natural gas lines will not be full forever.

Electricity may be the initial choice for preservation, but what about a water supply? Unless your community survives enough to come together and create a defense, that water tower in your area is not going to remain full. Also the water purification system will not be functional. Most people are not used to the bacteria in the natural water supply and ingesting that water would lead to sickness. Learning how to filter your own water for cooking and drinking is essential for survival.

Do you know how to make flour? How about cooking oil? Eating will become mighty dull while trade is at a minimum and you cannot get prepackaged and ready-to-eat foods from the local grocery store.  Storing canned goods is a first step during the initial Zombie wave but eventually you will have to acclimate to old world style cooking. Maybe it is time to visit your grandparents and learn how to can and cook, or even look up these essentials online. For an idea of all you will need to learn to make first look at the ingredients in making just a loaf of bread. Then ask yourself how you will get each ingredient if there are no more stores.  No matter what happens you will need to learn to eat locally. Take this time before worldwide doom to find out what local plants and animals are in your area and how hunt and gather. Even now it is a good idea to get into this habit. Think of all the money you could save on groceries if you hunted for your own food and even made a garden in your back yard.

Clearly surviving the Zombie Apocalypse is going to be about more than just your weaponry, it is going to be about learning to live in a local and self-sufficient way. People will have to relearn old arts like blacksmithing, glass blowing, tailoring, candle making, soap making and farming.  Learning how to live in a localized community is what “going green” is all about. It isn’t about the EPA get rich schemes, or clean air acts, it is about merging the low impact self-sufficient way of life from the per-industrial era and the modern technology that has given us access to great medical care and knowledge of how to keep ourselves healthy through clean living.

Take this time before the Zombie Apocalypse to learn a craft and how to do the everyday housework that people living in super powered countries have forsaken.