We all want our homes to look nice for Christmas. But, we envision that the only way that we can do this is to buy new stuff each year. New items are not the only ones that shine and make an impression on visitors. Learn how you can create recycled decorations from things lying around the house.

There are a lot of items that can be reused for creative decorations. Think of your Christmas cards. We get them and after the holiday is over we threw them away. Instead of throwing them away, use them to make new decorations for the house.

Christmas cards can be used to create a collage. For a wooden coffee table, have a piece of glass cut to match the dimensions of the table top. Underneath the glass, place a piece of thin cardboard the same size and cover it with the fronts of various Christmas cards. Cover with the glass.

Old ornaments can be given a new look with some non-toxic paint and some string. The color comes off of bulbs all the time. Instead of throwing them away, come up with other ideas to save them like covering with ribbons, colored buttons, or sea shells. Save some from the summer at the beach. Color them with holiday paint and create ornaments, candle holders, and wreath accessories.

Local artisans use soda cans, bottles, and cardboard boxes to make ornaments for Christmas. Around the holidays, several local artisans will showcase their crafts at venues around your area. You’d be amazed at the wonderful things they can come up with from items most people have thrown away.

Even used light bulbs can be turned into ornaments. Cover a light bulb with a brown sock or stretchy material. Fashion ears out of felt and use felt pieces for eyes, nose, and mouth and you’ve got a reindeer ornament. Tie a string around the top to secure the brown fabric and make a second loop to hand the ornament on the tree.

Besides recycling items around the house and creating ornaments, try using decorations that are friendly to the environment. Collecting these items can start at any time during the year. Like we said before, sea shells provide a wealth of ideas for decorations. Scratched CDs can be turned into Christmas tree ornaments.

Collect pine cones, nuts, sand, and broken tree branches. The tree branches can be weaved together to form a natural wreath. Pieces of discarded wood from household projects can be fashioned into nativity scene figures, crosses, wooden angels, and toys by someone who is skilled in wood working. Websites like www.ctstore.com use recycled Christmas trees to create wooden ornaments.

Before you throw out what appears to be useless ornaments and Christmas cards, think about how they can be reused for another year of celebration. Get the kids involved and turn the quest for recycled materials into a treasure hunt through the house.

Candle making is a tradition from the Old Country. Hanging wicks and dipping them in wax until the candle is the correct consistency was something we did in art class. Get the family together during the holiday season and teach the kids how to make beeswax candles.

Beeswax candles can be made with beeswax sheets. True beeswax candle makers don’t use these sheets but for homemade candles, beeswax sheets are easy and safe for children to use. The wax is pressed into sheets for use in making different shapes of candles.

Beeswax is a clean burning candle wax. It cleans the air and removes odors as it burns. Beeswax also melts away until almost gone. Any that is left can be molded with more beeswax to create new candles to burn.

Before making beeswax candles, prepare by getting all of your supplies together and setting up an area to work. To make these candles you will need: beeswax sheets, scissors or a knife, candle wicks, a cutting board or other hard surface for cutting. When purchasing the supplies, check to see that the wicks do not contain any lead or other chemicals.

Beeswax usually comes in a light color which is the color of the wax. Adding color introduces chemicals into the wax that can be burned off in the flame. You can get beeswax candles in different colors but they may not burn as clean.

First, watch the children when sharp objects are around. Do any cutting that needs to be done and keep the knife pointed away from the body. Work on the kitchen table so the kids can lean as they work.

1. Lay out a sheet of beeswax. If using colored wax in combinations cut the sheet and add other colored pieces. Lay them close together so they overlap.
2. Take the wick and place it near the beginning of the wax sheet. Let an inch or so of the wick hang out of the bottom of the candle and two inches out of the top of the beeswax sheet.
3. Press the wick gently into the beeswax sheet. The wick needs to be secured so that it will not be displaced during rolling. After the wick is firmly in place, it is time to create the candle.
4. Slowly, roll the beeswax sheet over itself. Keep the rolls tight so no gaps are present in the wax. Continue rolling until the entire sheet is finished or the candle is as wide as you would like it. Larger candles like pillars have one or three wicks depending on width.
5. Cut the wick at the bottom even with the bottom of the candle. Trim the wick at the top of the candle until it is about half an inch long.

Create beautiful candles in various sizes and shapes. Kids can use their creations as homemade gifts or to decorate the house for the Christmas holiday.

One of the mainstays of aromatherapy is candles. Candles put us in a good mood. The flicker of the flame mesmerizes and relaxes our mind. But, most candles are made of paraffin wax. There is another alternative-beeswax candles.

Beeswax candles are made by, you guessed it, bees. Bees work to make the honey for the wax. It is all natural. Beeswax candles have many advantages over paraffin candles.

Paraffin is the wax that comprises most of the candles on the market. It is made from vegetable, animal, and petroleum wastes. You’d never know it to look at the candles, but this is what is in them. Most people don’t read the labels on candles anyway.

When you burn these substances, toxic substances have the potential to be given off in the flame. Have you ever seen black smoke coming from a candle flame? It occurs when the candle is getting close to being burned out because there is no more wax to burn. These are the chemicals being released into the air.

Decorative candles of this type do not burn clean. When the wax re-hardens you will see the black residue in the wax. The wax creates a pitting phenomenon in the center of the candle and the wax also drips down the side and ruins the look of the candle.

A little known fact is that the wicks in the center of the candles contain lead. The metal button that holds the wick can also be dangerous. When burning the wick, the lead can be released into the air as well. As we burn candles, we are polluting the air around us. People with respiratory problems shouldn’t burn paraffin candles.

On the other hand, beeswax candles are available. Many people pass them over as a fad. They cost more so why buy them when there are cheaper better smelling candles on the market?

Beeswax candles are environmentally safe. They burn clean. That means no pollutants are released into the air. The air is actually cleaner because what is given off by the beeswax works to eliminate odors and other pollutants from the air.

For people who like the way that their candles look, beeswax candles do not do any pitting when the wax is burned. In fact, the wax burns out towards the end of the candle. It doesn’t drip over. It continues to burn until there is nothing left.

Beeswax candles are not scented artificially. They do give off a smell of sweet honey. The color of the candle is the natural color of the wax.

Beeswax candles burn longer than paraffin wax candles. For your twenty bucks you will get over 100 hours of candle burning pleasure. So, use candles for aromatherapy and setting the mood, but clean the air and freshen your home in the process with beeswax candles.