Tinsel Tissue Box "Gift" Decorations

So I saw this idea on Pinterest, but can't remember who pinned it or what website it came from!  But I could remember enough to try and make my own, even without instructions!  These turned out GREAT, it was fun to make, and I love how they look in my home!

 

Here's what you need;
empty tissue boxes
Tinsel Garland (your choice of colors)
Some pretty holiday ribbon & bows.
A hot glue gun & hot glue sticks

 

 

How to make it:
Start by wrapping the tinsel around the tissue box.  Use the hot glue gun to hold it in place, and layer it together close enough that you can't see very much of the tissue box showing through.

 

.....around and around you go.  Glue, Tinsel, turn, repeat.

 

Back and forth with the tinsel garland across the top of the box.  I didn't cover the bottom of the box, so it sits flat.

 

Wrap with ribbon and add a pretty bow, just like you would a present!  Use the hot glue gun again to hold the ribbon and bow in place if needed.

 

Here is another one I made;

 

So Pretty!

 

Here they are on display!  Pretty sparkly presents!  And I up-cycled those tissue boxes, they won't go in the trash but will continue to live on as Holiday decorations for many years to come!

 

Oh, and if you are interested in the pinecone vase centerpiece between the two gift box decorations, click HERE to see my blog on how I made that!

 

Interested in another UPCYLCLE Holiday Craft?  Check out the Holiday Wreath we made out of plastic grocery bags!

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Easy Holiday Centerpiece

To make a really simple Holiday centerpiece, all you need is a big glass (or plastic) vase that you're not using right now.  Then get some small "bulb" or "Ball" Christmas ornaments and some pine cones;

 

 

We had these pine-cones from last Christmas.  They were cinnamon scented and some of them are glittery or gold!  I found the pretty green ornaments at the dollar store, where I also found the "Holiday Pick" which adds the "spray" coming up from the top.

 

I simply filled the vase up with the pine cones and Christmas ornaments!  Very simple and a pretty centerpiece for your Holiday table!

 

This only cost me $2.  It was $1 for the green bulb ornaments, and $1 for the pretty tinsel spray coming out of the top.  I simply re-purposed a vase we have and the pine-cones from last Christmas!

Up-cycled Holiday Wreath

Yeah, I know if you are like me, you fully INTEND to take the re-usable canvas bags with you every trip to the grocery store, but 9 times out of 10, you forget and end up using the awful plastic bags.  Also, if you are like me, you hate throwing them away, so you save them.  I mean, they make great liners for the bathroom trash bins. And they come in handy when cleaning out the cat's litter box.  But honestly, you will use.... what... 3 or 4 in a week, but bring home 18 more from your next trip to the grocery store.  These things MULTIPLY and before you know it, the pantry is overflowing with plastic bags, you finally get frustrated and throw them all away, only to have 30 more sitting in a chair in the corner a week later.  That is, hypothetically, if you're like me.

So here is a super-easy, cute holiday craft idea to use those plastic bags.  This isn't recycling, this is UPcycling!  Because this is WAY better than using the bag to line the bathroom trash bin and putting it in the trash after saving it because you didn't want to throw it away....

You will need;
An old wire coat hanger
About 25 - 30 plastic shopping bags
Scissors
Tinsel
A nice pretty bow.

Here's how to make it;
Bend an old wire hanger into a circle. Or you can use any other type of wire that is sturdy yet can be shaped into a circle.   For mine, I simply twisted a wire hanger in half and bent it into a circle, leaving the hook on the top.

 

About 25 plastic grocery bags.  Any color will do, most are white or brown.  I had a bunch of the brown ones so that is what I used.

 

Scissors.  Cut each plastic bag into 4 strips.  Cut from the bottom of the bag to the top, and leave each strip folded in half the way it was when you cut it.  (so it's a double layered strip)

 

Tie each strip around the circle part of the clothes hanger or wire frame.  One knot is enough, and the ends will be sticking out.  It doesn't look pretty... yet.

Every 4 bags I tied a little piece of tinsel.  You could also add bells or other ornaments.

 

Once you have tied all the plastic strips all the way around the wire frame, trim the ends off.  I ended up cutting 2 or 3 inches off of the end of each strip.  Then you kinda "fluff" the edges out.  We added this pretty bow to the top.  Bend the hook of the clothes hanger down a bit, it's now the hook from which you hang your wreath!

 

If you wanted to get really fancy, before adding bows you could spray-paint the whole thing green or gold or whatever color you want.  But we were happy with ours just like this.  (my 13 year old daughter did most of the work on this one)  These would make great gifts for the kids to make for their teachers or grandparents!  More decorations could be added to make them more festive... use your imagination!  But hey, a great way to use those grocery bags!