Tyler and I decided to make each other Easter baskets this Easter since we aren't spending the day with any other family. We went thrifting and found some baskets for $1 (seriously, thrift stores have SO many baskets). I decided I wanted to make sure his had some of the green grass that is usually found in Easter baskets, but instead of running to the grocery store and grabbing some plastic strips that will just get thrown out after Sunday, I decided to use stuff I already have and make my own! All you need is any kind of scrap paper, green markers if the paper isn't already green, and scissors!
Roll Up Your Sleeves & Lets Go!
My school semester is wrapping up, and I have a huge stack of papers from my English class we're not using anymore. I've been holding onto the paper to use as scrap paper since Cedar City doesn't have any recycling. I decided to be creative and use my green Crayola markers and color them green (of course, if you have green paper -- you can just use that! But if you're wanting to extend the life of some of your paper before you recycle or need a craft to distract your kids, this would be great!) This can get a little messy, but is it a true DIY if it doesn't? The next step is to cut your paper into thin strips. Its okay if they're not quite the same, but about 3 inches long is probably the sweet spot. After you've cut up all your paper, its time to crinkle it! I folded a handful like an accordion. And then you have your new, sustainable grass for your basket!
Why Does It Matter?
You might be thinking to yourself, 'Kirsten, this is a fun DIY, but if we can just recycle paper why does it matter if we use paper scraps?' Recycling is awesome, but a lot of resources and energy goes into recycling and so it's best to use things up as much as we can before we recycle! Like I've said before, the most sustainable products and things you can have is to use up what you already have! You'll still (hopefully) recycle the paper after you've made it into Easter grass, but instead of buying something new for this project, you can give second life to things you already have and that's what I think is what makes this DIY sustainable.
This article was originally published 4/11/2022.
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