Event Designer Shares 5 Ways to Reuse Leftover Tissue Paper After the Holidays

This article was prepared from the source material provided, which includes tips from event designer Colleen Kennedy Cohen as originally published.

After the holidays, many households face a surplus of tissue paper and gift wrap, often leading to guilt about throwing it away. Event designer and creative director Colleen Kennedy Cohen, based in London, offers five practical ways to repurpose these materials, extending their life beyond the holiday season.

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Packaging Softener

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When packing away delicate ornaments and holiday decor, wrap fragile items in used wrapping paper. This saves money on bubble wrap or other cushioning materials and adds a bit of cheer when unwrapping the items next year. Reusing tissue paper this way also refreshes your supply annually.

Arts and Crafts Projects

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Leftover tissue paper can be used for various crafts. "If you have little ones like me, there are so many fun art and craft projects utilizing tissue paper," Cohen says. "Allow them to tear, cut, fold, crumple, and let their imaginations run wild."

Ideas include making confetti for New Year's Eve, cutting it into papel picado for a Cinco de Mayo party, or stringing it up as festive garland decor. The possibilities are endless for both children and adults.

Make Some Ornaments

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Empty or outdated ornaments can be filled with used tissue paper to create custom designs. Curate the colors and patterns inside, and consider adding design elements to the outside. This activity is suitable for friends or children and allows you to store the new ornaments with the leftover paper. Seeing these creations again next year can be exciting.

Save for Another Gift

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If the tissue paper's designs or colors are too appealing to discard or cut up, reuse it in gift presentation, but not as the main wrapping. "A great way to reuse tissue paper while maintaining aesthetics is to crumple the tissue at the base of the gift bag to help prevent your present from sliding," Cohen says. "Add a fresh piece of tissue at the top for visual appeal." Alternatively, shred the paper for filler in a box gift. Cohen notes, "I love nothing more than a beautifully presented gift, so I would avoid reusing tissue paper as gift wrap due to wrinkling."

Compost It

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If all else fails, tissue paper can be composted. Because it is thin and made of lower-quality fibers, it decays readily. "Tissue paper is usually compostable as long as it's free of glitter, foil, and any special coating," Cohen says. In cold weather, it can also be used as mulch or a winterizing agent to protect plant roots.

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