Don't Throw Those Papers Out, Turn Them Into Frugal Gifts!
If you are like me, you find yourself, from time to time, buried under mounds of paper!
I have the best of intentions to either sort through it and file it away, or toss it out entirely.
But alas, it is one of those dreaded tasks I never seem to get around to.
One day, in desperation, I decided to grit my teeth and to sort and stash that mountainous mess. But then it dawned on me. I was merely making a more organized pile and shifting it to a new location!
Surely, there had to be a practical use for all this stuff?
I fixed myself a cup of Earl Grey tea, sat and had myself a think. Then, eureka! The idea came. Why not turn all of this paper trash into priceless, unique, and practical treasures my family and friends would enjoy?
Do you have:
Recipe clippings
Old greeting cards
Leftover pretty wrapping paper, ribbons and gift tags
Artwork from your kids
Newspaper and magazine articles you've saved
Photos you never got around to putting in an album
Exceptional homework, track meet ribbons, school music programs etc. you have saved for your kids
Maps, brochures, matchbooks and postcards you saved from a great family vacation
Why not turn them into attractive, one of a kind placemats and give them as gifts?
Do you know a mother-to be expecting her first child?
Take those great articles you saved on emergency medical tips, parenting advice, and child development milestones, group them by themes, and make a set of helpful placemats. They won't tear or fade, they wipe off, and they can be kept in a place that is always handy for the new (and probably frazzled!) mother.
Do you know a Grandma or Grandpa that lives far away and is sad they can't see their favorite kids very often?
Make them a placemat that is a collage of school pictures, recital programs, pre-school finger paintings, honor roll certificates or ribbons won in sporting events.
Do you know a new bride, or a young person getting their first apartment?
Put those recipe clippings to practical use, and turn them into placemats featuring Yankee pot roast, chocolate chip cookies, and tips for fixing a memorable holiday meal.
Did you go on a second honeymoon? Travel home for a family reunion? Just get back from the best vacation of your life?
Preserve those memories in a set of placemats. Include postcards, seashells, room receipts, matchbook covers from a hotel or restaurant, and photos you snapped from the tour bus.
The possibilities are as endless as your own imagination. And the process of making placemats is easy and fun.
All you need to do is :
Take a large piece of construction paper or card stock, and attractively arrange the items you want to use on it.
When you are satisfied with the result, glue the elements to the paper and let it dry thoroughly.
Sandwich the construction paper between two pieces of clear contact paper that you have cut slightly larger than the paper itself.
Voila! You have a beautiful, unique, and frugal gift that is sure to please.
Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com
