A Pile of Newspaper?

A pile of newspaper on its way to the recycling bin? 

Well…Maybe.

This pile of newspaper was actually torn into strips, and the strips into squares for papier mâché. 

Does that bring back school day memories for you?  Me too but actually objects made from papier mâché can be beautiful and sculptural, or practical, and as durable as  plywood.   When I’m on a tight budget, papier mâché projects often come to mind because the materials are so affordable.  It’s fun to work with too, so I have several projects underway right now. 

One of the few drawbacks to papier mâché projects is that they take quite some time to complete.  I won’t have anything to show you for a good while yet.  In the meantime, though, all things “newspaper” seem to be catching my eye.

Newspaper is not only a craft material at our house.  I also use it, together with vinegar and water, for cleaning windows.  It lines the bottom of the vegetable crispers in my fridge.  I wrap fragile items in it for moving or for shipping.  In the fall, it makes cozy cocoons for my still-green tomatoes. 

None of these household uses for newspaper are new.  My grandmothers both used newspaper for all these chores and more.  

Knowing that, I was quite amused to find a piece from Real Simple entitled "10 New Uses For Newspaper."  I guess it’s true that “everything old is new again!”  Still, if you’re looking to save money on things like paper towel, and to reuse some of the mountain of newsprint that seems to find its way into our homes, there are lots of good suggestions in the Real Simple post.  If you have a moment, it's worth taking the time to check it out.