How to "Waste" Paper

Jeffery Rudell, contributor

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Keep your old magazines from ending up in a landfill by putting them to work as colorful trash receptacles. When you need a change of pace, just tear off a sheet to reveal a new page, a new color, or a new look.

Jeff Rudell

With use, the edges and surface of this trash can will wear to a suedelike texture and acquire the slouch of a canvas bag.

Jeff Rudell

An issue of your favorite periodical and a handful of grommets are all you need to create this one-of-a-kind container.

Jeff Rudell

Keep your old magazines from ending up in a landfill by putting them to work as colorful trash receptacles. When you need a change of pace, just tear off a sheet to reveal a new page, a new color, or a new look.

Photo: Jeff Rudell

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For years I had used an old wicker basket as a trash receptacle beneath my craft table. I believe the piece began life as a small porch stool or side table, but when I found it curbside in New York many years ago, it looked like a basket to me so I rescued it and christened it a trash can.

From the beginning it was an unhappy relationship. To start with, the piece had been painted many times so it was thick with globs of latex and not a very attractive thing to look at each day when I entered my studio. Furthermore, everything from dirt, eraser residue, and pencil shavings went right through the bottom and always left a pile of messy debris to be swept up off the floor. Flecks of paint would fall off it whenever I touched it, and I would end up tracking these all over the house. Worst of all, the wicker had started to come unwoven along its edge, which meant I risked getting stabbed each time I reached for it.

Over the holidays, a friend remarked that my basket would make a perfect complement to some patio furniture he'd picked up at a flea market. Happy to pass the piece along to a new home, I reached down to hand it to him only to have it thank me with one final, very painful sliver that I am still trying to work out of my thumb.

A few days later, still sporting a Band-Aid, I went off to the store to see if I might find a replacement trash can. All that was on offer were neon-colored plastic models or chintz-patterned fiber-board pieces. If the styles weren't deterant enough, the prices certainly were: The least expensive one among them was $26; the most expensive one was more than $60. For...a...trash...can! For a small trash can!

So home again home again, I came, brow knit with indignation and jaw set with determination. I rifled through my tool box and poked around my closets until I came up with an idea and ample materials to do the job myself. The result is a vast improvement over my old wicker basket and, as crafters everywhere know, there is little that comes close to the satisfaction of making something for yourself. That I was able to do so without spending a dime made me doubly happy.

All you will need to mimic my success is an old magazine (one with good-quality, high-gloss pages works best) and a grommet setter. If you don't have a grommet setter—and don't want to invest in buying one—nearly the same results can be achieved using a hole punch and some plastic zipper-ties similar to those used to bind together wires and cables.

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Comments (14)

cooproduct writes: Hi Jeff,

This is also such a good product with a great set of instructions. Can I ask if you would consider also listing this on our website:
www.co-oproduct.org

We are a new organisation in the UK who are focusing on packaging reuse and open design. We are currently looking for exemplar projects which really demonstrate how you can turn a material that is normally regarded as waste, into a valuable product. We think this idea is exactly that!

Thank you

Tracy
Posted: 4:55 am on May 18th

lkaren writes: Oh, how far into the page should the grommet holes be punched to ensure the basket is tight once assembled? Thanks!
Posted: 9:37 pm on March 18th

lkaren writes: I love this waste basket and attempted to make it. In fact, I've attempted to make a couple of your crafts. They are pretty easy, but I'm a person who follows step-by-step, specific instructions, yet I've found that your guidelines seem to leave out very necessary steps (which I haven't figured out). In this waste basket, it seems as if the bottom flaps have grommet holes punched in them, but your example doesn't show that. Please advise. Thanks1
Posted: 9:33 pm on March 18th

susan72 writes: Jeffry You are an amazing man. You out do some of us, Just saw a video on white flowers., Michelle was super! All your products Ive seen I wiull make. The Baskets!! Thank you. Susan J
Posted: 3:25 pm on January 29th

TerraEden writes: Rudell's posts are always my favorites! However, if you make his Waste Paper Basket, follow Jeffery's instructions! If he says stacks of 10 pages (or more), don't use 6. If he says use grommets or zip ties, don't use a stapler. I ended up with a very laughable piece of abstract art rather than a waste bin. So ugly that I will not be sharing a picture of it!
Posted: 4:33 pm on April 7th

wildenfunky writes: Jen W!! You took the words right out of my mouth!! Every last one of them. Jeffery, you never fail to amaze me! I've been down in South Africa for three weeks and have missed out.....so a lot of catching up to do with this divine website, very exciting! Cheers Adrien
Posted: 10:02 am on February 2nd

b_ziacoma writes: Interesting idea...
Posted: 8:03 pm on January 28th

2manyideas writes: Love this! Want this! Will have to make this out of all those magazines I have stacked up in the corner! I might even use mine as an unusual housewarming gift container.
Posted: 7:32 pm on January 21st

JenniferStern writes: This is the perfect "after life" for some of the pages and inspiring cover shots from my extra large size W Magazine ...Plus it will look great in my sewing room! Thanks Jeffrey

Posted: 12:16 pm on January 21st

FaveCrafts writes: I'm always looking for a way to recycle old magazines. What a great idea! Thanks.
Posted: 4:33 pm on January 20th

DudeCraft writes: Nicely done. I always love your stuff.

www.dudecraft.com
Posted: 10:24 am on January 20th

mimioka writes: Wow !!! this is a differnt way to recicle Magazines.

Posted: 8:41 am on January 20th

gardenpartynyc writes: do you think this could work as a lampshade?


Posted: 5:47 pm on January 19th

Jen_W writes: This is incredible. I have a craft crush on your brain! And I love your choice of magazine for your waste basket.
Posted: 12:31 am on January 19th

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