8 Clever Ways To Repurpose Empty Wrapping Paper Tubes

Opening presents during the holidays is nice, but what happens afterwards might be considered naughty. All that wrapping paper typically gets thrown away and ends up in a landfill, where it pollutes our planet. Most wrapping paper and wrapping paper tubes are recyclable, so this could be an easy solution to the problem. However, before you put those cardboard or paper tubes out in the blue bins, consider all the ways you can repurpose them. Instead of being thrown away or recycled, these can become useful and decorative items for your home.

Some of these ideas require wrapping paper rolls to be cut to shorter lengths, which means that you might be able to use paper towel and toilet paper tubes in their place. If you're celebrating at home and entertaining guests, you'll likely have a few extra of those around the house during the holidays, too. Before we get into the many ways to reuse wrapping paper tubes, consider this bonus idea: use them to keep your wrapping paper organized. To do this, simply cut them down and turn them into small sleeves that prevent the paper from unravelling. Now, check out some other ways to reuse these versatile items.

Lighting a fire can be a bit more economical using wrapping paper rolls, as kindling can be quite expensive. To use them for this purpose, slice rolls down into smaller tubes and stuff them with lint from your dryer vent, dry leaves and debris, cotton balls from the dollar store, or a combination of all three. Some pour melted candle wax over the filled tubes standing upright in a cookie tin to meld everything together. You could also add some potpourri for scent. This is another fire pit idea to turn your outdoor living space into the perfect oasis.

Christmas lights often end up getting tangled, which can make decorating extra inconvenient. Fortunately, wrapping paper tubes offer a great solution for storing them neatly and kink-free. Drop one end of a Christmas light string into a tube about half way. If you want, you can secure the end to the inside of the tube with a piece of tape. Wrap the light string evenly around the outside of the tube from end to end. The other end of the Christmas light string can then be placed inside the opposite side of the tube and taped down.

A genius pool noodle hack that you can use in your closet can also be accomplished with empty wrapping paper tubes. Use the tubes to maintain the shape of your boots. This helps the boots to stand upright. Placing a tube cut to the length of boots inside them, whether they're over the knee or just at the ankle, is said to prevent the shoes from looking worn by preventing creases. In other words, the boots won't fold over. It also helps to save space by allowing the footwear to be neatly and tightly organized on a closet shelf.

The tube inside wrapping paper might be made of rolled-up thick brown paper as opposed to hard, thick cardboard. If you open up the tube and dampen it with a misting bottle or just a slight sprinkle of water, it can be turned into crafting paper. Use Mod Podge to add imagery and cut it into the shape of gift tags, then cut a hole at the top of each tag for a ribbon and tape it to your gifts. This is one of the most creative ways to use decoupage in your home. 

Two wrapping paper tubes can also be turned into a door draft stopper with a pair of old tights or pantyhose. Measure the bottom length of a door, and cut two tubes to its length. Next, cut off one leg from the pantyhose and place both the tubes inside it, right next to one another. Shimmy the piece under the door so that a roll sits on each side. Once closed, the unit will block cold or hot air from entering or leaving the room. This ingenious hack could save you money on your energy bills.

Christmas crackers are a British tradition. These festive tubes are filled with small gifts and are perfect for placing on table settings for your guests when hosting holiday parties. You can make them from wrapping paper tubes — and some leftover wrapping paper. Cut tubes to size and glue tissue paper on the outside, then put wrapping paper over the center of the roll. Leave some slack and tie the ends with ribbon, but not before stuffing them with trinkets like candy or even lottery tickets. While the crackers won't snap like with traditional Christmas crackers, they will still make a memorable addition to a holiday meal.

Here's another idea that will help you use up both your wrapping paper tubes and extra wrapping paper: make some decorative trees. To complete this craft, you'll first cut the wrapping paper tube down to the height you want the tree to be. Then, cut squares of wrapping paper that are both 6 by 6 inches and 4 by 4 inches. Wrap these into cones with a point in the front and secure them with tape. To assemble the tree, tape these cones around the base of the tree, moving upwards until it's finished. Add a bow on top to complete the project.

Many of us have extra supplies in the kitchen than what we use on a regular basis. If you have some extra knives that don't fit in your knife block, store them safely in drawers and cabinets inside wrapping paper tubes cut to size. Close one end of the tubes with tape so the knives don't slip out. This will prevent harm when someone reaches for the knife, and makes easy work of bringing knives outside for a backyard barbecue. Some also recommend wrapping the knives in paper towels or clean rags before sliding them into the tubes for extra protection.