How to Recycle Broken Christmas Ornaments
Christmas ornaments are a true seasonal staple. They're eye-catching, festive, and often very sentimental, so when one of them breaks or gets damaged, you're probably going to feel resistant to simply throwing it in the trash. We get it!
If you have clumsy kids, a mischievous cat, a nosy dog, or you're just accident prone, there's nearly a guarantee that you're going to end up with at least one broken ornament every time you unbox them for the season.
Some ornament damage can be fixed with a little glue and some persistence, while others might seem like a lost cause. But don't give up on it just yet, because we've put our heads together to come up with the best ways to recycle broken Christmas ornaments so you don't have to say goodbye to any of your favorite holiday souvenirs.
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What to Do with Chipped Ornaments
Not all ornament damages are considered equal. If yours are only a bit chipped here and there after years and years of use and storage, here are a few ideas of how to save old Christmas ornaments from being relegated to the back of the tree:
- Repaint it. Sounds easy enough, right? You can use crafting paint or even a similar shade of nail polish to buff up and scuffs or chips. If the damage is more of a gouge than a chip, fill the divot with hot glue (being sure to flatten the top before it dries) and then paint over it.
- Cover it in a new material. If you can't seem to find the right shade, or don't have a steady enough hand to paint over the chip in a precise way, you can cover the damage with yarn, sequins, glitter, ribbons, anything! This solution can turn your broken ornaments into a happy accident, because you'll end up with something beautiful.
What to Do with Cracked Ornaments
A crack in an ornament is a bit more substantial than a small chip, and you might not want it dangling from your Christmas tree's branches in case it breaks further. You can use broken ornaments to create other pieces of holiday decor. With these ideas, the more broken ornaments, the merrier!
- Make a centerpiece. Your Christmas dinner table will be totally Instagram-able when you recycle your broken Christmas as a unique centerpiece. By strategically placing the ornaments with the cracks hidden, no one would even know that your ornaments have been damaged!
- Place it in a shadow box frame. Your walls make a festive statement and your cracked ornaments can get a new life when you create a unique holiday shadow box. Like the centerpiece idea, simply arrange the ornaments to disguise the cracks.
- Create an ornament wreath. If you have dented, cracked glass ball ornaments, this is the perfect way to upcycle them. Using a styrofoam wreath form, glue ornaments dent/crack side down to create your wreath.
- Build a tabletop tree. Similar to the wreath project, a tabletop tree is a great way to mask dents and cracks in your old Christmas ornaments. All you'll need is some glue and a styrofoam crafting cone!
What to Do with Shattered Ornaments
If you have an ornament that has been completely obliterated, but you can't seem to be able to part with it, you don't have to sweep the pieces up in your dust pan. You can use these ideas to avoid saying goodbye to your fallen ornaments:
- Turn the pieces into a mosaic. This idea is perfect if you have a few ornaments that have run into some damage. You can create a unique piece of wall decor with a little bit of glue and the pieces from your broken Christmas ornaments.
- Stuff the broken bits into a clear glass ornament. As one ornament breaks, another one can come together. All you'll need is a clear glass ball ornament and a piece of paper to funnel the shattered pieces inside.
Were these tips helpful? Let us know in the comments!
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