5 Creative Ways to Upcycle Scrap Paper

If you love scrapbooking, we're sure you have tons of paper products, stacks of magazines, and even extra wrapping paper at home. Instead of throwing these away, you may want to turn a few of it into functional pieces that can add pizzazz to your space. Gather your scrap paper and work on these ideas:

1. Use it to update an old table.

Customize an old piece with a few coats of paint. Once dry, stick paper cutouts to serve as additional decor. Your finished project will surely have a quaint, whimsical appeal.

2. Turn it into a capiz-like curtain.

Don't let your stacks of old magazines gather dust in a corner. Pick colorful pages and make cutouts in different shapes and sizes. Once you have enough, connect the cutouts using string. When you're done, you can hang it up as a curtain that separates one area from another. You can also craft a decorative mobile you can display in the bedroom.

3. Colorful paper can spruce up kitchen containers.

Bored with the look of your kitchen shelves? Aside from sticking cutouts to your exisiting containers, you can recycle a few tin cans into storage essentials. Clean each can well and make sure there are no rough or sharp edges. Wrap each can with colorful paper for a bright and cheery final look. Don't forget to put labels on the can so you can get what you need easily.

4. Create wall art.

With a little creativity, some old gift wrappers, a pair of scissors and glue, you can create a quick inexpensive wall art. Cut them up and use them as matting for your picture frames. You can also cut interesting shapes and border patterns, then frame them to create an instant artwork.

5. Craft a wallpaper headboard.

 
If you don’t have an existing headboard, you can do it yourself. Just trace the pattern of your desired design on an old newspaper page, cut out the pattern and paste it onto a heavy matt board or foam board. Once, cut out, cover it with used wallpaper or gift wrappers and stick this onto the wall behind your bed. This headboard with a pretty floral print can add a feminine touch to your bedroom.

Read the original article in the May 2008 issue of Real Living Magazine. Download your digital copy of Real Living on the Real Living App. Log on to summitnewsstand.com.ph/real-living for more details.