Welcome to the 12th day of Eva Advent! 

December is a month of gift-giving for many of us. Here at Eva, we love the excitement of receiving a brand new present, but we’re also aware that household waste spikes in December (source) due to our habit of buying brand new and throwing away the old. 

So today, we’re taking a moment to share some sustainable tips on how to upcycle your old household items, instead of throwing them away this season. 

Use old pillows as packing material

Difficulty rating 1/5

Next time you're moving house and packing something fragile, you can cut up that old pillow of yours and use it as a soft layer of protection. 

Turn broken picture frames into earring holders

Difficulty rating 3/5

If you've smashed the glass in an old picture frame, you can use it as an earring holder. Simply secure pieces of thin wire to each side of the frame, ensuring the wire is taut, and voila! 

Make tea lights out of bottle caps

Difficulty rating 3/5

For a fun DIY perfect for a summer garden party, add melted wax to any spare bottle caps you have lying around and add a wick to make tea lights. Make sure you only do this with metal bottle caps, though! Plastic ones won't be safe. 

Use glass jars as vases 

Difficulty rating 1/5

This one's an easy one! Next time you receive a bunch of flowers, pop them in a washed glass jar for a rustic look - no need for a vase. 

Let us know if you use any of these tips over on our Instagram! We love hearing from you. Have a safe, sustainable, happy holidays!