Go green with recycled Christmas crafts and gifts

Use the old wrap before you buy new

Christmas can be a wasteful proposition or an opportunity to make a difference. Do the world a favor Make this Christmas a low impact holiday. Create lovely, simple Christmas decorations, recycled and up-cycled crafts, gifts, decor and even Christmas cards this year. You might be surprised at how fun these green Christmas craft projects are and how beautiful they turn out.

Christmas cards.

Each year you receive Christmas cards from family and friends. Sure, you display them during the holidays. What becomes of them once the season is over? Don't throw those beautiful cards in the trash. Turn them into green Christmas crafts instead. Buy blank recycled paper cards from the craft store to decorate or use plain paper to make your own. Cut out the beautiful pictures on the cards you received from friends and family last year. Use raised glue dots from the craft store to make 3D designs on unique homemade cards for this year.

Wrapping paper.

Many people save their Christmas wrap to use again next year. It's a great way to have a greener Christmas. Why not take it a step further? Cut designs or simple shapes out of old wrapping paper to make a lovely Christmas mosaic. If you're artistic, this Christmas craft project can form a picture. If not, the random colorful shapes can be glued to recycled cardboard to make a colorful abstract design. Once your creations are done, hang them up as up-cycled holiday art. Frame them if you wish for a more finished look.

Up-cycled fabric scraps.

Can you think of a better Christmas gift than a beautiful handmade quilt? Through the ages, this traditional recycled craft has warmed heart, mind and body. Be sure to do it the old fashioned way for a truly ecofriendly Christmas. Don't buy new fabric for your green quilting project. Anyone who can stitch a straight line can make a Crazy Quilt from random fabric scraps. Sew all shapes and sizes of fabric scraps together. Use squared off pieces for the edge. Stitch your finished quilt top to an old blanket as backing for even more green power.

Up-cycled socks?

Got some well loved, colorful old socks lying around? You know the ones where the toes are full of holes but the upper part of the sock is still good? Why not try this project? Simply cut off the foot of old colorful socks. Hem them using elastic thread and you have a nice pair of leg warmers. Better yet, use several pair. Cut out horizontal sections from several different colors of sock. Sew them together with elastic thread for a striped effect. Nobody will know these gifts are made from old socks unless you tell them.