Before you go out and buy brand-new invitations, birthday cards, ribbons and bows for you kid's next party, think of how you can repurpose colorful trash to make cute, inexpensive recycled cards and other party supplies.
The cards and garland pictured here were featured on Design*Sponge, the popular home and product design blog.Blogger Laura Normandin, of Wren Handmade, made them using newspaper, wrapping paper, envelope liners, notebook and grid paper.
"There are often fun surprises on the inside of envelopes, even junk mail," she wrote.
Normandin's project could apply to almost any birthday theme. Cut the shapes of lions, zebras and monkeys to make invitations to a zoo-themed party, for instance. Cut out tiaras for a princess party. Make paintbrush shapes for an art party. For a graduation party, cut the shape of graduation caps or make diploma shapes that you "tie" with string. The possibilities are endless.
The garland Normandin made from junk mail can be wrapped around presents, as shown, strung across a room or placed on top of the food table. You could even intersperse tissue paper pom pom flowers between the junk mail circles for a different look (using old tissue paper from a previous party's gifts, of course).
Visit Design*Sponge for the full instructions for Normandin's recycled party supplies, and then submit ideas below for how you turn trash into party treasures.
