Be a pack rat! Collect the neat gift wraps, bags, boxes and sacks you get over the next month or so and experiment with neat ways to use them in fun projects that make great gifts for friends and storage containers for your room. All you need is the collection of papers, white glue, a small bowl, a paint brush and the item to be decorated.

One easy project is to cover a shoe box or other small box. Begin by tearing a combination of different but coordinated papers into chunks of all different sizes. You will use these scraps to cover the entire outer surface of the box and its lid. Cut your white glue to a lighter consistency by adding 1 tablespoon of water to 2 tablespoons of glue. Stir well with a brush. Layer a coating of glue onto the outside of the box about the size of your first piece. Follow with successive pieces so that the entire box and lid exterior are covered. Wrap the tips of the strips over the top edges of the box to create a clean look.

Check to see that all ends and edges of the decorative papers are well attached and then allow to dry completely. For added interest, you might want to add paint pen embellishments or glitter, faux gemstones, metallic or colored tapes, etc., to the presentation. This box makes a superb teacher's gift because they need to organize all sorts of things and such a storage box would be a great keepsake.

Speaking of keepsakes, use trinkets and scraps of paper to cover all sorts of items: picture frames, pencil containers, small file cabinets, switch plates, wastepaper baskets, etc. Family members would love to receive a special office organizer that is handmade and embellished with unusual colors, textures and trinkets.

Glue wash is also a great sealer. When you make a collage type covering on an item, allow it to dry, and then put a top coat of diluted glue over the entire area to improve its durability.

One more fun project is to create a door screen by making tons of paper tubes. Create these tubes by cutting bright colored magazine sheets or other paper into long, thin triangles about 4 inches wide on the short side and 8 inches high along both long sides. Using a bamboo skewer or chopstick, roll the paper around the tool, starting at the short end. As you roll toward the point, add a few dabs of undiluted white glue to hold this long bead rigid when it dries. When you approach the point, apply a thin dab of glue to hold the point in place. Remove the skewer, let dry, and thread the beads on long strings or cord (knotted at the bottom) and hang from the top of your door surround.

These are easy to make and provide very original room décor. You may have thought that old magazines, newspapers, gift wrap and bags were trash, but they can be recycled into cool items!