Thrifty Thursday- 10 Ways to Reuse Leftover Paper from Printable Coupons

 

I do not like wasting anything. I have always been that way. I am not sure if it is from growing up without having a lot or if it is just in my genetics! Since I do not subscribe to a newspaper, the majority of my coupons are printed. Therefore, I seem to have lots of leftover paper. I thought I would share with you some of our ways to reuse the paper! We keep ours in a cardboard box so it can be reused as we need it!

1. Use it for your children draw on it! A fairly obviously way to reuse your paper. My children love having a nearly unlimited amount of paper for drawing!
2. Use the drawings for cards or wrapping paper! Keep the drawings and wrap presents for family members or even friends. My children will also sign their names to some of their artwork and mail it to a friend or relative!
3. Use it for Paper Crafts! There are many types of paper crafts from English paper quilting to origami to paper air planes. We have used it for all of the above and then some! Michaela (my 9 year old daughter) and I cut all of our patterns for our English Paper Piece Quilting out of coupon papers! We have also used it to make patterns for doll clothes!
4. Use it as a liner in a drawer. If you have a drawer which often gets crumbs or other dirt in it, use some of this paper to line the drawer! It works great! All you have to do is remove the items on top, take out the paper, and throw it away without a mess!
5. Use it as a placemat or work surface for messy crafts! This paper is excellent for putting down when the children are painting or doing some other type of project where they could mess up the table.
6. Use it in the garden as a weed barrier. The paper will decompose well. Use it under your soil and plants to act as a mulch or weed barrier. It will also help retain moisture and put more nutrients back into the soil.
7. Use it as scrap paper! As I mentioned before, we keep our paper in a cardboard box to reuse as we need it. When I need to jot down a quick note or even my grocery list or a to-do list, I use this paper!
8. Use it for book marks. I usually have leftover pieces which are smaller than usual. I use these to mark pages in books I am reading or even to mark pages in my cookbooks for favorite recipes.
9. Use it to write love notes! Write love notes or words of encouragement to your husband! Put them in his planner, bible, car, wallet, coat pocket, or lunchbox! I do not write these often enough, but my husband LOVES it when I do!
10. Use it for planner pages! Right now my favorite use for the paper is to use it as my planner. I have stapled several of the same size pages together. I use one page for each week. I plan to use this paper for lesson plans in the fall as well. You can easily make a nice looking binder, but I used one of the paper folders which I purchased for 1 cent during the back to school sales! I love it!

You can always print more coupons on the larger sheets or you can take it to a recycling center or use it to start a fire in your fireplace! The possibilities are endless for recycling paper! What are some ways you recycle the paper from the coupons you print and clip? I would love to hear them!

 

By the way, I use my Max Perks Rewards from Office Max to purchase copy paper. I have not paid anything out of pocket for copy paper since I bought it to receive the Max Perks Rewards about three or four years ago! I have even gotten it free at other places as well with coupons and deals, but the main place I get it free Office Max. I usually have it shipped to my house too for free!