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Making your life greener - one bite at a time.

Create your own Christmas paper and cards from recycled stock. It is as easy as cutting up recycled paper, adding dried flowers and grass and putting in a blender with warm water. Add shells, found items from nature or even little discoveries from Grandma's sewing basket.

Follow the instructions to create an alternative to conventional greeting cards that both you and the environment can appreciate.

Make Beautiful Recycled Paper and cards from Paper Shreds

Step 1:   Cut junk mail into small shreds, soak it in warm water for about 2 hours, and blend it in a blender.

Step 2:   Add small quantities of flowers, grass, and leaves for fun, color, and texture.  

Step3:   Spread it out on a flat, fine-holed, wire-mesh screen—use a rolling pin to flatten it.

Step 4:   Smear a tablespoon of cornstarch over the paper to increase its strength.

Step 5:   Add whole leaves or flattened dried flowers. For additional effect when dried, glue dried flowers on top of the paper.

Step 6:   When it dries, you can use this paper as stationary, Christmas cards or to decorate presents and used boxes. This technique isn't restricted to just Christmas - use to make holiday, Valentine's Day & other celebration cards.

Other alternatives to making your own paper: 

* Send 100 percent recycled paper or tree-free cards made by environmental organizations like Defenders of Wildlife.
* Glue pictures from old cards onto homemade or store-bought recycled paper to create new cards.
* Glue pretty paper on the inside of old cards to cover previous writing--and send them again.

* Make a greeting card or gift tag from scrap paper, fabric or wallpaper.

* For short messages use a large leaf or flat stone.

* Make cards or gift tags from pieces of a food box.

* Send an Ecard.

DIY - Want to Create your own natural Christmas Decorations. Follow the simple step by step instructions. Make and decorate Christmas trees, baubles, hanging decorations and more - CLICK HERE