Having got a stack of newspapers, no matter new or old, don’t rush to bring this gift to the nearest garbage can, because plain-looking paper pages are suitable not only for reading. What can be done from the newspaper? In fact, a lot of interesting, beautiful and, most importantly, useful things in the house. Even if needlework is not your thing, you should not rush and get rid of waste paper. You will see, it will come in handy for you!
Disposal or monetization?
Until that moment in the history of the development of mankind, as the Internet became a public and mass phenomenon, newspapers and magazines served as the main sources of information. On black and white spreads published news, crosswords and horoscopes, announcements, housekeeping tips and recipes. Almost every family wrote out a print publication, choosing their favorite among many others.
After the arrival of the postman, household members sorted the pages depending on their own interests and, enjoying the unique typographic aroma, excitedly read articles and looked through columns. When the newspaper was studied from cover to cover, the owner was in no hurry to throw it away. The press was folded into a neat stack, to be reused later. Someone handed over the paper to the recycling center and received real money for it. Now this can also be done: in Moscow points for the reception of waste paper newspapers are bought at a price of 7-10 rubles per 1 kg.
But for the most part, readers of the press did not get rid of paper pages in such a simple and barbaric way. Rational housewives and owners were not too lazy to bother with the question of what can be done from the newspaper, and found many worthy options for the further use of paper that became useless.
Newspaper weaving
The old newspaper is a great fly swatter and a wonderful bag for seeds, but the owners of a remarkable imagination came up with another, unusual and incredibly useful application. From large and thick paper sheets, needlewomen cut wide pieces and rolled them into narrow tubes, and they, in turn, did not immediately and not by magic, but as a result of painstaking work turned into magnificent products.
A person who does not know the art of paper weaving will never guess what can be made from newspapers (do it yourself, mind you!) Dressers, baskets, boxes, chests, photo frames, figurines and caskets.
When long paper "vines" are folded from old waste paper, they are intertwined and form voluminous products. Paper tubes are fastened together with one another, not only with weaving, but also with glue. The finished product is usually decorated with paint, fabric, ribbons, beads or buttons.
Newspaper and decoupage are two ideal components
Newspapers have another use: not only freshly published, but also pages yellowed from time to time have become a real find for creative individuals who prefer decoupage to other types of needlework.
Decoupage technique is used to create albums, cards, various souvenirs. The craftswomen do not use a lot of newsprint in the work, small clippings are used. There is a practice of artificial aging, when pieces of paper are specially given a frayed and shabby appearance. Of course, a lot of waste paper in this case will not go away, and therefore we will share with readers a couple more ideas about what can be done from the newspaper.
A read press is an excellent packaging material, gifts can be wrapped in paper sheets or bulk flowers can be made from it. Another great option is to diversify children's creativity and replace colored newsprint paper. Applications from such material will be very unusual and original.
Papier-mâché - an unfairly forgotten art
Previously, in schools at the lessons of labor training, each student at least once tried to make a papier-mâché figure. Then the schoolchildren carried old newspapers from the house, which were then torn into small pieces, moistened in water, and then simple and uncomplicated figures were created from pieces of paper and PVA glue. But those who went further in their delights know what can be made from a newspaper using papier-mâché technique, firsthand.
Newsprint in this art is a very fertile material, it gets wet well, malleable for sculpting and bending, and after drying it returns its rigidity and strength. Figures are molded like sculptures. From the paper pulp it is possible to form both the basis for future crafts, and to craft the work itself, which, after drying, is painted, decorated and varnished.
A little rational grain
If newspaper crafts with your own hands are not for you, but quite a lot of this raw material has accumulated in the apartment, you should know that it is no good to lose good, you can always find practical application for it. The newspaper absorbs moisture perfectly, the proof of this is the fact that the old press is still rubbed to the shine of glass. But its absorbent properties come in handy in another case - when you need to quickly dry your shoes. It is enough to push into wet shoes or boots of crumpled sheets and wait for them to absorb moisture. Repeating the procedure several times can significantly speed up the drying process of the desired pair of shoes.
There is another option for what can be done from old newspapers. This advice is useful to summer residents: in the absence or lack of pots for seedlings, they can put seedlings in paper bags. The newspaper will not allow the earth to crumble from the roots, in addition, it will absorb excess moisture from the soil.
In the refrigerator, laid out at the bottom of the container for storing fruits and vegetables, the newspaper will prevent the spoilage of food quickly, and by placing crumpled paper sheets in the food tray, you can get rid of the corrosive smells of food.