One product, many uses: 2. Transform a tea tin

Note: This post is part of a series on atypical uses for Ecosaurus recycled cards and gift wrap. The series is intended to inspire and demonstrate how one Ecosaurus purchase not only goes a long way with our green start-up, but goes a long way with customers in terms of possible uses. Find the original series intro here.

Fall is here, which means hot bevvies are back in the sipping saddle. Consequently, households and office spaces have begun turning out empty tea and coffee tins like nobody's business. We see this as an opportunity to reduce, reuse and recycle creatively with the holiday gift-giving season in mind. Of course, we have a specific idea to share to share with you today.

A little more than a year ago, we did a post where we talked about handmade gifts and showcased these images. Today, we revisit these photos, designating them the before and after shots for our second post on alternative uses for Ecosaurus recycled gift wrap.

Project supplies:

Old tea tin

Remnant of wrapping paper

Scissors

Tape, rubber cement or spray-on adhesive

Making it happen: 

Leave original paper label on tea tin as it provides a nice grip for Ecosaurus gift wrap. Measure the tin, and cut a piece of gift wrap to size. Ecosaurus-brand recycled paper is luxuriously thick, which means you won't need to adhere a blank sheet of paper to the tin's label before tacking on wrapping paper. (However, it may be necessary to do so with other gift wrap or paper you have around the house.) Make sure the piece of paper hugs the tin to size. Next, we recommend a spray adhesive or rubber cement, as Elmer's glue - unless applied very carefully, evenly and lightly - tends to render paper lumpy. In any case, be judicious but ample with your selected adhesive to ensure the wrapping paper will stick yet remain free and clear of adhesive-induced blemishes. Once dry, fill the can with whatever suits your fancy. If it's going to hold a gift, consider stocking it with nuts, candy, homemade trail mix or granola, tea, coffee or mini cookies. If you plan to use it at home, there's the option of storing office supplies, hair accessories or coins in a stylish way.  

~A.F.

One Product, Many Uses: 1. Reuse gift wrap to dress up a drab drawer

Use remnants of wrapping paper to dress up drab drawers  and cabinets around the house. Here, a slice of Square Pegs/Round Holes recycled gift wrap by Ecosaurus is used to line a kitchen drawer.

At home, cabinets and drawers provide a streamlined artifice for storing a hodge podge of homeowner necessities. People love these storage spaces because they offer hiding places for everything while giving the appearance of beauty and order regardless of what lies beneath. The world's super-organized types further up the ante of beauty and order - thoughtfully arranging the items inside those cabinets and drawers in often awe-inspiring ways. But for less organized types, there's still a quick and easy way to enhance the interior look of drawers and cabinets without having to become the methodical person you are not. The way? A pretty liner. And instead of going to the store to buy one, we suggest using a remnant of handsome gift wrap you have around the house.


Project supplies:

Remnant of wrapping paper

Scissors

Tape or Elmer's adhesive puddy

Making it happen:
I am in and out of one particular kitchen drawer every day. While the drawer was designated for a few random items (kitchen  essentials, keys, a couple markers for making lists), the drawer's setup was no sight for sore eyes. As part of an ongoing fall cleaning initiative, I emptied the thing, wiped it out and tacked down a remnant of Ecosaurus recycled wrapping paper. Now, not only is the drawer free and clear of a few items that didn't belong, it's pretty in there. The attached photo is proof in the pudding (even though I've since added two sets of keys and a pair of purple scissors.)

Note: This post is part of a series on atypical uses for Ecosaurus recycled cards and gift wrap. The series is intended to inspire and demonstrate how one Ecosaurus purchase not only goes a long way with our green start-up, but goes a long way with customers in terms of possible uses. Original series intro here.