Paper Scraps and Crafts {Party Ideas and Decoration Inspiration}

We always have tons of paper and ribbon scraps leftover from all out jobs, so I have often tried to think of project for getting rid of them in an effort to stay green and recycle or upcycle... here are a few ideas I thought I could share with you!

These potted paper flowers we found at Hostess with the Mostess would make the perfect centerpiece for your next birthday party. I'm actually considering using a similar design for my daughter's baptism reception. They're so eye catching and beautiful. And you can really make the design match any theme or color combination you choose.

I love the idea of homemade wrapping paper. It's just so much more personalized than the stuff you buy at the store. So when I saw these adorable map bows on How About Orange I knew I could try my hand at them with the paper scraps we have laying around as well. Wouldn't this look amazing on top of that perfect gift?

And how gorgeous are these flowers we found at lushlee? They'd be great just laid out on a tablescape like confetti. Or used to accent a napkin ring at a table setting.

These cute hearts also found at lushlee could serve as Valentine's Day decorations or you could use them at another event celebrating love.

Paper garland is so simple and easy to make. And there are so many different variations (as shown on Oh Baby!'s blog). These would be great for a bridal or baby shower. You could even use them for a children or adult's birthday party. They'd work well for themed parties such as Cinco De Mayo festivities and St. Patrick's Day celebrations. You just match the colors to the theme and start stapling, taping or gluing away!

DIY ribbon pomanders are a fabulous idea we found at Project Wedding for the DIY bride. They're a great alternative to flower pomanders for your flower girls to carry down the aisle. They'd also make great aisle or pew decorations as well and you would be able to make them ahead of time.

We found inspiration in paper flowers from Pepper Design Blog. Paper flowers are always a great alternative to real flowers and bridal and baby showers. And they're great for more than one reason. You don't have to buy them within a certain time frame since they keep forever and you don't have to water them! You can find DIY instructions on how to make your own flowers here on the Martha Stewart website.

If you're interested in more paper flower ideas check out these whimsical paper flowers by Emmaline Bride. They are all so very cute and really inspire us to think outside the box the next time we see those bits of scraps left over from our next project. What are your favorite ways to reuse scraps?