4 minute read
Get Creative With Holiday Cleanup
Andrea Zani
Andrea Zani is managing editor of Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine.
Opening all those holiday presents sure can be lots of fun! But when everything is unwrapped, it also can leave plenty to clean up.
Here’s a look at what to do with all that trash, some recyclable and some not. You can make a big impact by helping to remind your adults what to do with these things!
• Cardboard: Flatten boxes and place in your recycling bin.
• Holiday lights: Strings can get tangled around recycling equipment. If nowhere near you has a special recycling program for broken or unwanted lights, put them in the trash.
• Plastic bags, film and wrap: These also get tangled in equipment. Clean, dry plastic bags and wrap are accepted at many store drop-off locations. Everything else should go in the garbage.
• Bows, ribbons and gift bags: Save them to reuse next year! It could even become a fun joke with your family, passing them around year after year. Otherwise, place bows/ribbons in the trash. If they’re free of glitter, plastic or foil, gift bags can be recycled. Just remember to remove any strings or ribbons first.
• Batteries: These shouldn’t go in your recycling bin. Alkaline batteries can go in the trash. Rechargeable batteries can cause fires so please don’t throw them away. Learn how to dispose of these at dnr.wi.gov/topic/recycling/batteries.html.
• Holiday trees and greenery: Some communities collect natural trees for recycling. If yours does, remove bags, tree stands, ornaments, lights and metal objects. Wreaths and other items often contain wires that can damage woodchipping equipment and should be thrown away.
What’s left? Wrapping paper is OK to go in most curbside recycling bins in Wisconsin, unless it can’t be torn, has glitter or metallic finishes, or is made with plastic. So, gather up what you can and recycle away.
Tissue paper is a special case and can’t be recycled. Why? The fibers in the paper are too short to be used again. Don’t worry — we have a fun craft activity to help you turn this holiday trash into treasure!
Supplies
Tissue paper in a variety of colors; you could even use some of that wrapping paper with glitter or metallic finishes that can’t be recycled.
Scissors
Cardstock paper, at least two pieces; white is recommended but have fun with other colors as well.
Glue stick
Pen or pencil
Paint or markers (optional)
Hole punch (optional)
Directions
1. Start with several sheets of leftover tissue paper or gift wrap, choosing whatever colors you like. Cut the tissue paper into 1-inch or 2-inch squares — don’t worry about making them perfect squares or exactly the same size.
2. Take a piece of white cardstock paper and glue the squares in random patterns all over the cardstock, overlapping the collage to your liking.
3. When the glue dries, turn over the cardstock and draw triangles on the back, making these any sizes you like — tall, short, skinny, wide — then ask an adult to help you cut them out.
4. Decide if you want this to be a photo or a card; for a card, fold your second piece of cardstock in half. Create your treescape — you can leave it plain or have fun and draw a sky and the ground, building the background.
5. Use the triangles you’ve cut out to create trees by overlapping them and then gluing them down to the cardstock. Draw in some fun critters, too, if you’d like, adding birds or deer or anything else you want for your winter scene.
Bonus: Make “snow” on your treescape by using a hole punch to punch out small white circles from another piece of cardstock or wrapping paper that's white on the back. Dab a bit of glue where you want the snow, and sprinkle on the white circle pieces, shaking off any excess. Push down the remaining circles to be sure they stick — it will look just like white snow clinging to your colorful scene!
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