Creative Uses for Old Wallpaper

When I was a child, one of my favorite things to do was to unwrap the presents on Christmas day and my birthday. I mean come on, this is the case for just about every child, right? Tearing apart that thin, crinkly paper to get to my buried treasure was always an insurmountable pleasure. What happened to that annoying paper afterwards was none of my concern; I just wanted the present. My mother, however, never threw away the mutilated wrapping paper. She instead would use this paper for future craftwork, typically paper-mache work. In fact, the one time I was at a friend’s house for Christmas morning, I was fairly stunned that my friend’s mother didn’t do precisely the same. She just collected the wreckage and put it with that week’s recycling. My mother always had neat, artistic uses for leftover paper like this, and that extends to excess or old wallpaper as well. Contrary to what many may think, wallpaper does not have to be used strictly for walls. There are all kinds of creative and fun uses for wallpaper you make not be using. Here are some of them. The first one I can think of stems from what I’ve been talking about: Wrapping paper. There’s no reason that the leftover wallpaper you have can’t be used this upcoming holiday season for wrapping the presents (This applies to upcoming birthdays as well, obviously). Wallpaper is actually ideal for heavier gifts, or gifts that have sharp edges that have the potential to rip the wrapping. This is because wallpaper is harder than typical wrapping paper. Another interesting use for wallpaper that I have already talked about is paper-mache. Just as with any other type of paper, wallpaper can be used in a paper-mache project. One might even say wallpaper is a natural fit for such an undertaking, as many use wallpaper glue to make the paste that is essential to the paper-mache process. Yet paper-mache is not the only art or craft leftover wallpaper can be used for. Many mothers and daughters have used old or leftover wallpaper scraps to decorate dollhouses. Why can’t your dolls have the same kind of beautiful and decorative wallpaper that you have? Speaking of dollhouses, many children have used wallpaper to make paper dolls. Clearly, these aren’t dolls that can be used in a standard dollhouse, but they will entertain children nonetheless. There are so many other resourceful and fun ways to use old wallpaper. One of the more creative ways I have found is to make a jigsaw puzzle. Simply take the wallpaper, wet the back and attach it to a sturdy piece of cardboard. Cut out the pieces from there to make the puzzle that you want to make. Leftover wallpaper is good as decoration for paneled furniture as well. Many have applied wallpaper to the backs of such things as bookcases and entertainment centers, thereby adding more color and dynamism to the room. Ultimately, it’s your call. My friend’s mother didn’t do anything wrong by recycling the torn wrapping paper by any means. If anything, recycling should be an encouraged habit. But there are an abundance of cute and clever ways to use old wallpaper. Don’t recycle it simply because you don’t know what else to do. For more information about custom wallpaper or custom printed wallpaper, check these out.