12/28/09

Old holiday candles you no longer want or burn can be recycled into new ones. Simple melt the candles in a large Pyrex measuring cup over a double boiler. When melted, pour the hot wax into watertight containers -- chipped wineglasses work well -- and insert a pre-tabbed wick (available from the craft store). Let cool completely and voila! You've got new candles.

12/27/09

Use old egg cartons to keep delicate holiday ornaments protected and safely stashed away. Place one ornament in each compartment and close it up. Put the cartons into airtight storage boxes (along with your holiday lights) and nestle them away for next year's festivities.

12/26/09

The Day-After-Christmas Tip: Ripped-up gift-wrap can become useful gift filler for future gifts or when shipping fragile items in the mail. Just run sheets of gift wrap through a paper shredder (this might be an after-hours office project for you), and save it in a large, old shopping bag. Tip: Shred perfume advertisements found in magazines and add them to the mix to scent your shredded filler.