Give gifts vou don’t have to wrap or ship, such as
music and movies from iTunes, club memberships,
charitable contributions, concert tickets purchased
online, and virtual gift cards.
ON TH E SHELF
NEW GREEN
TRADITIONS
End the year with more ideas and less
waste. “During the holidays, consumer
waste output increases by
25-30
percent,
some say more,” says Anna Getty, author
of
I’m Dream ing o f
a
Green Christm as
(Chronicle Books,
2009
, $
24
.
95
). To
counter that trend, Getty offers ideas for
reusing household items, such as turning
incandescent lightbulbs and tea
bags into ornaments;
making wreaths
and pillows out of
old sweaters.
and
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS DECEMBER 2009 101
EASY REUSE
second-chance
garlands
Decorate with garlands
made from paper you’d
ordinarily toss in the
recycling bin. These ideas
are easy enough for kids
to complete after you’ve
made the initial cuts.
tubes (from paper towels,
toilet paper, or gift wrap)
into
1
-inch sections and fit
rings inside each other.
Poke holes in rings using
a sturdy large-eye needle
threaded with ribbon.
BEADS
Cut pages from
magazines and catalogs
into V/
2
-inch-wide strips.
Spread glue on one side,
place a drinking straw
lengthwise along one
edge, and roll the paper
around the straw. When
dry, use scissors to cut
the paper-covered straw
into
1
-inch pieces. Thread
the beads onto ribbon.
RINGS
With a sharp
box cutter, cut cardboard
CUTOUTS
Use a circle
punch or trace something
round to make assorted
circular cutouts from last
year’s greeting cards.
Glue each layer of circles,
placing two lengths of
twine between the two
bottom layers.
BED BATH & B E Y O N I
The
Shark
CollecHon
Steam Pocket Mop
Clean and Sanitize
With Both Sides
N avigal'o r™
Never Loses
Suction
