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Whether it’s just after the holidays or right before a birthday party, there are times throughout the year when we become painfully aware of how many gift bags we own. Gifts bags are necessary for certain occasions, but they tend to sit and collect dust the rest of the year. If you’ve decided that you simply have too many, consider some ways to repurpose your gift bags instead of throwing them out.

Shopping Bags

Gift bags don’t have to be just for gifts. Bring a bit of colorful flair to your grocery shopping the next time you need some household essentials. You’ll help the environment by cutting down on your usage of plastic bags—and you’ll save some money in the process. Because gift bags are sturdy, they’ll easily handle whatever you buy and last through a number of trips to the store.

Book Covers

Giving your textbooks a new look has never been easier. This method is good for cutting down on paper and plastic waste while avoiding the purchase of additional plastic products. Due to the protective coating often found on gift bags, your book cover will have an added layer of defense against spills. If you’re fond of a particular gift bag pattern, adding it to a book of your choice is a few simple cuts and folds away.

Greeting Cards

There are some truly creative cards on store shelves, but nothing has a personal touch quite like a handmade greeting card. Gift bags are the ideal material for this project because they’re extremely versatile and come in a multitude of designs.

Coasters

If you want to incorporate a pattern from a gift bag into your home décor, turning the bag into a set of coasters will add the perfect touch to any room. The beauty of this project is that you can make the coasters your own way. If you find that a coaster is too thin, you can always add an additional layer to it. However, using paper or cardboard gift bags to make your coasters isn’t ideal, as those materials are susceptible to water damage.

Wrapping Paper

Using the leftover scraps from your gift bags as wrapping paper is a great option, too. To convert the bag into malleable paper, just remove the handles and cut along the edges for uniform sheets.