How to repurpose tiny scraps for a fun Christmas project

My grandma on my dad’s side was a pack rat. After she died, when we went to clean out her house, we found carefully organized drawers full of nails, screws, nuts and bolts… you name it. She could have opened a hardware store.

My mother is another example of this…frugality. If you open up one of her kitchen cupboards, you will find carefully stacked margarine and other plastic containers. In fact, her thing seems to be containers: cardboard boxes, plastic boxes, baskets… wrapping paper. She must like to “contain” things.

So I’m stuck. This is part of my inheritance. And I’ve got it bad. I look at any and every recyclable material and wonder… “What can I make with that?” I have a whole cupboard in my laundry room stocked with empty toilet paper rolls, bottle caps, corks, egg cartons… you name it. And on top of it all, I don’t throw out any scraps of fabric or batting. Not even thread. I know it can be used for something.

Case in point: today’s project. So guess what we can make with this:

And this.

And this.

Not to mention a little bit of this:

You got it! Isn’t it obvious? These are the perfect materials to make this:

Doesn’t this make one cute placecard holder?

Now run over to my website for the tutorial!

P.S. In the meantime, I finished the crocheted napkin holders… a dozen of them! That does it for my contribution to the Christmas table. The kids get to cook! 🙂