Sustainably 'Wrapping' Your Christmas Presents
If you've lived in your current house for over 5 years, then you probably have old paint in your basement or crawl space. If you have three kids under 18 years of age and you tend to save things that may yet have more use, then you probably have a lot of old acrylic, water, or finger paints, as well as paint brushes, stored somewhere in your house. And if you save the gift bags and tissue paper from presents your family has received, then you likely have old tissue paper that may or may not be in suitable condition to use again. Well, here's a great way to get rid of some of that stuff while saving money and reducing your contribution to the 2020 load of Xmas wrapping paper that will soon be stuffing our landfills. This is also a great craft project for kids of all ages, and you don't have to worry about what to do with your creations once they're finished; because, come December 25th, you can throw them in the trash with all the other Christmas aftermath.
My 10-year-old son and I used our old paints and paintbrushes to paint simple designs on the largest boxes under/beside the Christmas tree this year. (The boxes contain lightweight plastic sleds- shhhhh.)
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I'd originally thought we'd do just one big painting together, but we did a second the next day (not without a little prompting from Mom to finish the project once we started).
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Box #2. Who needs wrapping paper when you have a bunch of old paint, a willing 10YO and a nagging mom?
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Another box arrived a couple days later, and at my son's request we switched to tissue paper. I helped draw a symmetric circle for the wreath and cut up tissue paper squares, then my son finished this creation all by himself.
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Of note: the tissue paper image was much easier and less frustrating to create than 'stay-in-the-lines' paintings, and all you need is tissue paper, scissors and glue.
*Please* turn your Christmas wrapping into a sustainable craft experience with a child this year (and by child, I mean anyone with a childlike heart and inclination). You will immediately reap the rewards of homemade Christmas decorations that you can simply discard after Christmas (though I think we'll cut out our creations and prop them up in the snow, so we can watch them disintegrate organically before throwing them away).
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Like this idea? Check out www.MelissaRooneyWriting.com. Thanks for your support!
