Like most people, I receive junk mail each and every day, and I used to get tired of shredding the mail that I’m not comfortable tossing into the trash. The shredder bin fills up fast, and I’ve often thought what a shame it was to throw away those perfectly shredded pieces of paper. Instead of throwing it all away, I’ve since discovered many practical and creative uses for shredded paper. These days I don’t mind the junk mail since I’ve found many ways to use the mounds of shredded paper that accumulate on a weekly basis. Give these ideas a try, and you might develop an entirely different attitude about the junk mail you receive!
Gift Bag Filling
When my sister’s birthday came around, I had her gift, but I wasn’t prepared to wrap it. I had a few pretty gift bags, but they were lacking the tissue paper they needed to conceal the gift and provide the cushioning it required. The gift looked out of place in the empty gift bag, and I had to come up with something to use as a filler.
Instead of running to the store for sheets of tissue paper that weren’t exactly cheap, I immediately thought of my paper shredder. I had several pieces of junk mail stacked on top of the shredder, and all I had to do was shred it to make gift bag filling to conceal and cushion my sister’s fragile gift. I sifted through the envelopes for pieces of colored paper, and by the time I was finished I had a rainbow of shredded paper that was perfect for filling the gift bag.
Small Animal Bedding
Shredded junk mail is perfect for small animal bedding, especially hamsters, gerbils, and other rodents that make their own beds. Paper alone doesn’t keep odors down, and when I had a hamster, instead of just using paper from my shredder to line my hamster’s cage, I mixed it with cedar shavings. A combination of shredded paper and cedar shavings was the perfect bedding for my hamster, and she always had a fresh nest in her favorite corner of the cage.
Packing Material
If you need packing material, don’t waste money on Styrofoam peanuts or bubble wrap. Make use of something that might otherwise go to waste, and shred your junk mail into packing material. Before my last move, I collected bags of shredded papers to fill empty spaces in boxes containing fragile items. I’m happy to say that not one piece ended up broken when we arrived at our new home.
Fireplace Starters
Those who have a fireplace can make use of shredded junk mail by making handy money-saving fire starters. I make fire starters for my fireplace using shredded mail and empty tissue paper and paper toweling rolls. Stuff the empty rolls with the shredded paper, light both ends beneath a pile of wood, and get ready to sit back and enjoy a roaring fire. These easy fire starters work very well, and they’re free since they’re made entirely from trash. I’d much rather use my chemical-free fire starters than expensive store-bought fire starters that are coated with flammable chemicals.
Confetti
Next time you need confetti, consider your shredder and the mounds of shredded junk mail it contains. When I needed confetti for a party, I took handfuls of paper from my shredder and randomly cut the strips into finer pieces. I mixed the pieces of confetti with inexpensive sequins and tiny metallic balloons, party hats, and happy birthday messages I bought from a party store. It was a perfect combination, and the tiny bits of junk mail made the confetti I had go a lot further.
Shredded paper is fantastic material that kids can use for craft projects. My five year old daughter has used shredded paper to make three-dimensional pictures. She glues shredded paper to people she draws to make hair, and she has used it in other creative ways I would have never thought of. If you have kids, give them a little shredded paper, construction paper, crayons, and a bottle of white glue. You’ll be amazed by uses they find for shredded paper and ordinary craft supplies!
