37 NEW Ways To Use OLD Magazines & Newspapers

You'll be amazed at what can you do with yesterday's news! Don't just dump your old newspapers and magazines into the recycling bin, try some of these different ways to re-use them.

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1. Make your own Christmas Tree

Break with tradition and make your own Christmas tree out of rolls of newspaper. You'll need a strong cardboard tube to stick them to, but it's surprisingly easy to put together once you've sourced one. Visit Instructables for a step-by-step guide with pictures.

2. ...and Christmas baubles

Twist your newspaper into a cone and glue it into place. Then twist a slightly smaller cone and stick it on top of the last. Repeat until you have around  6 layers then take a pair of scissors and snip one inch cuts into layer. Bend them up slightly and spray with hairspray so they stay in place. You can decorate with glitter or leave plain!

Or Christmas tree pots like Handspire (they have lots of great ideas fyi).

3. Summer shoe deodoriser

Keep those hard-working Summer shoes smelling fresh as a daisy by sprinkling some baking powder onto some newspaper and scrunching into balls. Place them in your shoes overnight and by morning they'll have soaked up any moisture and odour.

4. De-grease your oven quicker than ever

Don't waste your cleaning cloths or sponges to de-grease your oven - it can ruin your cloths! Simply use scrunched up  newspaper to get rid of oil and fat before washing. It works a treat.

5. Beautifully wrap your gifts

Don't waste money on expensive wrapping paper when newspaper is free! With some contrasting ribbon, a gift wrapped in newspaper can look very chic. Don't just take my word for it though, check out these beautifully wrapped gifts...

6. Cover your car windscreen to prevent frost

In the winter you can save valuable time in the morning by leaving layers of newspaper sprayed with anti-freeze on your car windscreen the evening before.

7. Transform your newspaper into a feather duster 

Remove cobwebs and dust from those hard to reach areas with a home-made feather duster. Roll the newspaper up tightly to form a tube then attach several together depending how long you need it to be. Cut the ends into strips and you'll have a very efficient feather duster.

8. Make your own quirky envelopes

If you love to send letters, don't just buy a pack of white envelopes. Re-use your old newspaper by cutting, folding and sticking them to transform them into cute and quirky envelopes like Kanelstrand and Brit+Co - who also have loads more ideas for re-purposing newspaper.

9. Fold your own Origami bows

While you're decorating, you should also consider making a contrasting origami bow from colourful magazine pages. These will brighten up any gift and look far more impressive than a regular stick-on.

Or just use newspaper to add those final touches.

10. Make a mini basket

Weave your very own basket to keep all those trinkets in. Or next to the front door with all those essentials like car keys, tissues and sunglasses. It's really easy to do and won't take you very long. You could use up a month's worth of newspapers or magazines to create this super gift. Follow the tutorial at Nifty Thrifty Things.

11. Wear newspaper nails

For a cheap and fun alternative to expensive nail art, grab yourself some newspaper and rubbing alcohol (or drinking alcohol like vodka or whisky) and follow this super-easy nail tutorial. You can also use this method over already painted nails for a colour pop.

12. Make your own wedding bouquet

For a fun and thrifty wedding idea, make your bouquets out of newspaper and magazine. It's really easy to make, just be careful of wet weather - they could end up a soggy mess! You could also make a nice bouquet for your house as an alternative to artificial flowers.

13. Get creative with cut-out art

Here's a nice idea from Craftster if you wish to decorate your home with some of your own creations. Cut out strips from your old papers and magazines, stick them onto a large piece of card and take another piece of card and draw your images or patterns onto it. When you're happy with how it will look, take a Stanley knife and carefully cut out the various sections then glue it onto the strips of magazine.

14. Make your own gift bags

Have you ever spent a small fortune on a gift bag, wrapping, card and decorations and thought to yourself 'I could put that money towards a better present'? Join the club. Don't waste your precious funds on those added extras when you can make your own with old papers.  Find out how to make these bags at How About Orange.

15. Create a hanging garland

You don't need to spend a fortune on decorations for your indoor parties. Make pretty garland with newspaper and magazines with ThinkCrafts blog post.

16. Wind your newspapers into beautiful coasters

Make these beautiful pin-wheel coasters by winding strips of gluey paper into a wheel. Don't forget to cut the strips into equal widths - a ruler may come in handy for this - so the coasters will be even. For the full tutorial on how to make these beautiful coasters visit Instructables.

17. Or create some handy trivets

The same way you would make your home-made coasters, you can also make home-made trivets too. Just make smaller pin-wheels and glue them together to make a square or circle shapes. SarahGrand will show you exactly how to do it with her DIY Magazine Vase, Trivet and Coasters post. I found similar trivets to these in Sri Lanka where they were lovingly made by locals.

18. Make a clock - yes really!

Remember making fans out of paper? Take the same technique and glue your fans together to make a circular pinwheel and insert a clock mechanism with hands. They're readily available online and surprisingly affordable. For the full tutorial check out La Casa de Crafts.

19. Fashion your own iPad Mini Case

Why spend a fortune on a case for your beloved iPad or tablet when you can make your own! Brit+Co have made this beautiful case using just newspaper, a padded envelope and velcro tape. To find out how to make one visit their post 12 Creative Ways to Repurpose Newspaper.

20. Wrap precious items in newspaper 

Protect everything from Christmas baubles to plates and glass cups with newspaper and magazines. Whether you're putting things into storage or moving house (for more fantastic moving tips check out Colleen's 17 smart packing tips) grab yourself yesterday's news.

21. Make a feature wall

Black and white print newspaper can look surprisingly stylish on walls. Use different layers as wallpaper for a feature wall in your home. Take inspiration from artist Andrea Zittel.

22. Keep your vegetable drawers whiff-free

Vegetable drawers in the fridge can soon get whiffy so keep it free of smells for longer by lining them with newspaper. Change it every few days and you'll enjoy a cleaner fridge.

23. Curl your hair with newspaper 

Avoid heat damage to your hair and create beautiful wavy curls with strips of newspaper. Lush Maorigal will show you how in her video on how to curl your hair with newspaper.

24. Make a statement necklace

Now you're a dab hand at pin-wheels, how about making your very own statement necklace? You need just newspaper pin-wheels and some twine. Take inspiration from this beautiful necklace designed by Indian eco-designer Devi Chand.

25. Ripen your fruit and vegetables in no time

Wrap that under-ripe Avocado or tomato in newspaper and it will help it to mature quicker. A very handy tip for the kitchen!

26. Make pretty candle votives 

Cut hearts or other shapes onto a sheet of newspaper and roll it through the inside of an empty jam jar. Make sure the paper sticks to the glass by using a small amount of blue tack. For more uses for empty jars check out my 57 exciting ways you can transform empty jars.

27. Make your own bunting

Bunting can look great in any colour of pattern - sometimes the more colourful and random the better! Cut your shapes out and use twine to attach them all together. I find using a punch hole to punch in hole and weaving the twine in and out works well.

28. Paper mache a balloon to make a bowl

Tenpenny Splendid will show you how to make an easy paper mache bowl on her blog. It's a crafting project perfect for both kids and adults, and these bowls will come in super handy for parties - less washing up for starters!

29. Green fingered? Make your own seedling pots 

Instructables have a great step-by-step guide on how to make organic planting pots using old newspapers. They're great for small plants and when they're ready you can even plant the newspaper pots, too.

30. If you're feeling brave...wear your newspaper!

Need to make a statement? For an alternative birthday outfit, prom dress or even wedding dress, you could make your dress from newspaper. Visit Instructables for the low down on how to make this head turner.

31. Make a newspaper bin

Make a bin for your old papers out of old papers! Wind up a large pinwheel for the base and smaller ones for the 'walls'.

32. Create a Christmas wreath with a difference

Brit+Co have made this lovely wreath out of newspaper. You just need a cardboard ring, newspaper, glue and a pair of scissors. It may also require some patience to get it perfect.

33. Make your own side table 

Got your newspapers and magazines stacked up already? Glue them together to make a solid structure and place a glass top on it to make a very stylish side table.

34. Put your origami hat on and start making 3D stars

Make your own stars with some basic origami. There's a very easy picture step-by-step on Pinterest. Hang them up at weddings, christenings and other special events.

35. Hide plant pots with a plant cover

Roll up pages of magazines stick to make a cover for your plant pots. Grab some PVA glue and stick them together tightly in whatever shape you prefer. This cube one from Surviving College look great...

36. Make a beautiful feature wall 

Indie Fixx has some beautiful ideas for using up paper of any kind. I love this 3D leaf design she's made out of magazines. It's really simple to make a leaf shape -just cut into strips and stick together and pinch on one end.

37. Get crafty with homemade gift bows 

Make your own bows with strips of magazine paper. I'm telling you, it's so easy you'll never buy a bow again! Just take a look...