Whether you love Christmas so much that you just can’t put it away, or you’re trying to pinch pennies and find alternate uses for holiday decor, you need this list.
1. Eat your Christmas tree.
Did you know you can actually use your leftover (real!) tree in recipes like pine needle tea, pine needle vinegar, and pine-roasted potatoes?
Of course, take proper precautions and make sure your tree isn’t covered in chemicals before you eat it. Also, I’m not your doctor so don’t get angry with me if this doesn’t go well. But it is possible.
2. Turn ornaments into wall art.
This works best with flat ornaments, but there are tons of ways to dress up a Christmas ornament (paint it, add embellishments, etc.) to make it look more neutral.
Find out how to do it here.
3. Use pinecones from a holiday wreath to make a votive holder.
You just need pinecones, a glass vase, hot glue and some string or twine.
Get the details here.
4. Make a garden planter out of your old faux Christmas tree.
I mean, who doesn’t want a bit of pine during the spring and summer too?!
5. Spray paint your wreath and decorate it for Easter.
Something as simple as a lighter shade of green takes your holiday wreath to the Easter place almost instantly.
Add Easter eggs or spring flowers and bows as a finishing touch.
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6. Use Christmas lights to make a glittering lightscape.
You need a canvas, paint, an awl to poke holes into the canvas and twinkle lights from your tree.
Get the full tutorial here.
7. Cut Christmas cards into gift tags to use year-round.
You’ll be surprised at how many Christmas cards you can cut up to make them usable for birthdays and other occasions.
And any that are too Christmasy can be used the next year!
8. Repurpose wood slices from your Christmas tree into wall art.
This can be as easy or as challenging as you want it to be, depending on your vision for tree stumps.
Here’s a tutorial for making color blocked wood wall art.
9. Make a year-round wreath with twinkle lights.
Classy and simple, twinkle lights should never be put in a box in the garage!
Here’s how to do it.
10. Make a chandelier out of ornaments.
This works best with clear glass ball ornaments, but as long as you avoid pairing red and green, you should be able to avoid that Christmas vibe.
Here’s the tutorial.
11. Turn leftover candy canes into peppermint spoons.
Because peppermint should never be wasted.
Find out how to turn leftover candy canes into peppermint spoons to use in hot cocoa or dipped in chocolate.
12. Cut up your old Christmas tree trunk and make a pathway in your yard.
Granted, it might take a few years of Christmas trees to fill a whole walkway. But you can start slicing and saving them this year!
13. Upcycle pinecones into a monster wreath for Halloween.
Spray paint and googly eyes make this wreath tutorial a cinch.
14. Decorate your faux tree for New Year’s Day as an excuse to leave it up longer.
Again, why take the tree down if you don’t have to?
15. Use leftover party cups to create a garland for your patio.
Or your laundry room or wherever you want to add a touch of class.
Here’s the tutorial.
16. Make refrigerator magnets out of old ornaments.
This one might look a little holiday-ish. But if you just can’t part with Christmas, this is a good year-round compromise.
These also make great gifts for next Christmas.
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