Christmas Clearance Items Repurposed | Family Economics

By Cathe

Once the after-Christmas sales are in full swing, you can usually find me in the crowds when holiday-themed prices are drastically cut, often as much as 90 percent off. I certainly don’t need any more store-bought holiday decorations, but there are many ways to repurpose these items in other ways throughout the year.

Here are 10 simple ideas for repurposing holiday clearance sale items after Christmas:

1. Silver, clear glass and mirrored decorations work beautifully to decorate for princess-themed parties, graduation, other celebrations and even a girl’s bedroom.

2. Red items are perfect for upcoming Valentine’s Day celebrations. I use a small red metallic tree to hold sweetheart dinner guests’ cookie ornaments. Also, look for red napkins, garland, and paper or plastic utensils.

3. Some holiday décor is only “holiday” because of its colors but may be neutral in style, such as woodland animals, angels, etc. Look for pieces that may be interesting or lovely in a solid overall color. Now that spray paint is available in so many awesome colors, you can spray a series of holiday sculptures or ornaments in monotone for beautiful everyday décor.

4. Many ornaments, such as birds and nature items, make great ceiling-hanging décor. Suspend from fishing line or create a lovely mobile. Sports figures and designs are fun for kids’ rooms as well.

5. Christmas photo albums and photo boxes can easily be re-covered with your favorite fabric or paper.

6. Beaded garland can be repurposed into all kinds of bead crafts. I used red wooden garland beads to create simple summer cherries.

7. Christmas serving trays can be beautifully transformed with découpage and decorative paper or vintage ephemera. Metal trays make fantastic magnet memo boards.

8. Holiday candlesticks can be transformed into serving plate pedestal legs, string spool holders, or craft fair displays pieces.

9. Boxed Christmas card envelopes are perfect companions to handmade all-occasion greeting cards. Spray paint the Christmas cards in different colors, cut into squares or random straight edge shapes and use for faux mosaic tiling of projects, or fold into small gift boxes for next year’s giving.

10. Holiday food tins are awesome for storing toiletries, craft supplies, office supplies, dry goods, and more. Again, spray paint or découpage to coordinate with your décor and remove the holiday theme.

Share your holiday repurposing ideas!