10 Creative Ways to Reuse Old Newspapers In Your Home

_{These Creative Ways to Reuse Old Newspapers will help you make the most of your subscription instead of just sending them straight to the trash or recycling bin.}

Ways to Reuse Old Newspapers - woman sitting on bed with breakfast, reading newspaper

10 Creative Ways to Reuse Old Newspapers In Your Home

Reading the morning newspaper is a relaxing ritual for many people, but unfortunately, this habit results in the waste of a lot of paper. Rather than simply tossing your old newspapers in the garbage pail, we have created this list of other useful ways to use newspapers.

So, instead of throwing away old newspapers, reuse, upcycle, and recycle them instead. Let’s turn yesterday’s news into a creative craft, gardening project, or helpful home cleaning accessory.

Did you know there are many other useful ways to use your newspaper? Before you send the funny pages — and every other section — to that big paper pile in the sky, consider using it for something else. Upcycling is the way to do things nowadays.

Plus, the benefits of not throwing that newspaper into the recycling bin far outweigh the benefits of using it around the house for other things. No need to worry, most of these ideas are not craft-related at all. Let’s go over some other ways to use old newspapers instead of recycling them.

While we live in a digital age, somehow nothing beats getting to open a crisp new newspaper and delving into the world over a morning cup of coffee. Newspapers still rock and still serve as a multi-purpose beyond reading the print.

Man holding a stack of old newspapers and woman holding jars for recycling

1. Clean Your Windows & Mirrors – Polishing Glass surfaces

My Grandmother taught me this trick. It is pretty amazing. First, spray the window with a glass cleaner or a 50:50 mixture of white vinegar and water, then crunch up your newspaper into a loose ball, and quickly wipe clean with the newspaper in a horizontal motion across the glass.

Be prepared for streak-free windows and mirrors. What I love, is that there are no little fibers left behind, which is what you get when you use paper towels.

2. Wrap Presents

Have a birthday coming up? Use the comic section of the newspaper for a really fun and different way to wrap your presents or use the black and white sections for a different look. Make sure to add some fun twine as a ribbon. Wrap gifts in 2-3 layers of newspaper to make them more durable.

3. Newspaper Kindling for Bonfires

Old newspaper makes a great fire starter. Use it to start your campfire or your cozy fireplace fire. To make your own, bunch sheets of newspaper into loose balls and place them in the fire pit, then put a few pieces of wood or charcoal on top and light the flame.

Just don’t use too much or you will have flying paper. If you have used this method before, I know you can relate. Make sure you have added your dry wood to the fire first, then use your newspapers, stuff around the wood, and light the fire. VIOLA!

4. Packaging

Storing away fragile items. I moved quite a bit, growing up. (Military Brat). We got great at moving. I also store and pack away my seasonal items in newspapers. Newspaper is a lot lighter than bubble wrap, which helps with shipping costs as well.

Just make sure when packaging that all items are wrapped tightly so there’s no opportunity for movement during transit.

5. Ripen Tomatoes

With a few copies of the Sunday paper, you can ripen and preserve fruits and vegetables. Wrap green tomatoes in sheets of newspaper, layer them in a box, and put a lid on top to slowly ripen them.

With a few copies of the Sunday paper, you can ripen and preserve fruits and vegetables. Another FUN use in the kitchen: Place several sheets of newspaper in the crisper drawer of your fridge to absorb any mess from rotting produce and keep the drawer free of odors.

6. Catch Leaks From Your Car

Place layers of newspaper on your garage floor to protect against oil stains. We are currently using this method right now. My hubby’s car is leaking power steering fluid. No Worries his car is scheduled to meet the car doctor soon. Ha ha 🙂

7. In The Garden

Before placing down fresh mulch, line your garden with old newspapers to remove unwanted weeds. Cover your flower or vegetable garden beds with several layers of old newspapers, layering the paper right up to the base of the plants you want to protect.

Thoroughly soak the newspaper with water and cover it with a thin layer of compost or mulch. The paper will smother the weeds, and it can be tilled into the soil when the season is over. Side Note: If you have a compost pile, the newspaper makes a wonderful “brown material” to add-in.

The dry material will help balance the ratio of “green” (carbon-rich) and “brown” (nitrogen-rich) materials in your pile. If you are finding your compost bin a little stinky, cut up strips of newspaper, toss them, and give it a few days for it to balance out.

8. Make Crafts

We love crafts at our house. The kids also love to make bowls from balloons and paper mache. We also make HUGE newspaper hats. They don’t last very long, but the kids love them. Plus, I have seen very crafty people turn newspapers into flowers, baskets, and more.

9. Liner

Use newspaper to line the bottom of your trash can or kitty litter box. Newspapers help control odor. You can do the same thing at the bottom of your veggie drawer in the fridge. If you spill something, just remove the paper and toss it out or recycle it. Simple!

10. Decorative Stuffing

Shred newspaper to make an eco-friendly filler for DIY gift baskets and Easter baskets. Place your newspaper or even old wrapping paper in your paper shredded for a really fun way to dress up your presents.

It is a lot of fun to repurpose old newspapers as eco-friendly DIY gift wraps. Think about using more colorful sections of the paper, such as the Sunday comics, to make the packaging pop.

These Creative Ways to Reuse Newspaper will help you make the most of your subscription instead of just sending them straight to the trash or recycling bin.

More Creative Ways to Reuse Old Newspapers

Dry out waterlogged shoes. This will come in handy during the rainy season.
Garage shelf liners. Protect your shelves and cabinets in the garage from paint spills and rusty spray cans.
Hamster/Gerbil Cage Liners. Will protect the cage from urine and prolong little changes for a small amount of time.