Managing the Mess on Christmas Morning
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Imagine, if you will... it's Christmas morning and your kids are tearing through their presents, tossing bits of wrapping paper all over the place. Sure, you tried to reduce the waste with reusable gift bags, but there's always still some paper trash to be had. Then there's the packaging from the toys that you open, and the mess starts piling up.
The solution for most folks? A garbage bag. Raise your hand if you've ever had a giant plastic bag nearby to shove all the trash into as you go. That's just the way it goes, right?
The problem with a trash bag is that it invariably ends up being in the background of all the lovely family photos you take while everyone is opening gifts. Having that giant black plastic blob behind your kids' smiles can make that captured moment look less than ideal.
We've got just the solution for you. Get a big cardboard box, the biggest you can find, and cut the top flaps off. Then wrap the outside of the box with pretty Christmas wrapping paper.
On Christmas morning, set this box near the tree and use it to contain all your trash. It's incredibly functional AND it will look amazing in the background of your photos!
After Christmas, you can easily sort through the box to see if anything can be reused or needs to be recycled, then toss what's left.
As an extra bonus, I've found another use for the box before the presents are even opened. My husband and I always spend Christmas day with family at my sister's house, and that means packing up our gifts in whatever bag or box we can find. Now I just use the trash box to carry it all!
Once we arrive and unload the box, it becomes the pretty trash holder for everyone to use.
This trash box idea works for parties and other gift-giving events, too. Imagine how much more elegant a bridal shower would be with a lovely wrapped box for trash instead of a giant trash bag!
12 comments so far:
I've been making these for years because I didn't like seeing big black trash bags in our family Christmas photos.
Another good thing about the trash gift boxes is that someone ALWAYS throws out a gift or a part of a gift (ie: a small part to a toy) and it's MUCH easier, cleaner and more pleasant to search through the gift wrap box than it is to have to search through the regular trash where food and drinks might also have been thrown.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Wow!! What a great idea. It seems so easy I feel like I should have thought of that years ago. We will be definitely be using a trash box this year!
Thank YOU, Kathy, for sharing the tip with us. That's a great point about the inevitable lost part!
Susan, that's exactly what I thought :)
This is a great idea. I love it. Thank you!
This is a great idea. I will tell others.
Thanks!
Pattyjo
Kathy, Fabulous idea! The only downside was telling my son that the big present wasn't for him. I also tell a lot of people about your idea of putting extra bags at the bottom of the regular kitchen trash can under the main one so I don't have to go looking for the box. You are my very own Martha Stewart!!!
This is a terrific idea! My first thought was...I wonder if I could find 2 boxes that are close in size and would nest. I could tuck a garbage bag around the inner box and it would still be concealed by the big box. Then when it has to go outside, just pull the bag and dispose. Then the pretty box is still available to carry gifts back home.
Nice idea, Anita!
Again, a great idea. My siblings and I always used to dislike having to be on black (garbage) bag duty! And Anita's is a great idea
I will often wrap gifts in Rubbermaid totes (especially gifts that are hard to wrap), then the recipient has something to carry their gifts home in (and who can't use another Rubbermaid tote?). The only downside is that it takes more wrapping paper, so sometimes if the gift is much smaller than the tote, I will wrap the gift itself, place it inside the tote, and then tie the tote up with ribbon and a bow. Also, I love the extremely cheap, re-useable bags from IKEA, so I will buy a few extra and slip them in with gifts, which also makes a handy way to carry gifts home.
Those are very thoughtful and clever ideas, Twinkletoes! I especially like the idea of using the Rubbermaid tote as the packaging and not wrapping it, because it's such an environmentally-friendly solution.
Awesome idea - did it this year and worked wonders!!! couldn't believe how much more paper fits in the box than a garbage bag also!!