There seems to be so much junk mail coming through our doors these days you have to wonder where all the paper comes from to make it and why companies still bother with this kind of material when most of us just toss it away. For a household of 2 adults and 2 children, they receive an average of over 80lbs of junk mail each year!
Rather than looking at this as a burden and inconvenience why not look at it as a source of free materials that you can profit from?
There are many ways we can turn our hands towards crafting endeavors and this is a great chance to upcycle your junk mail into something useful. Feel better about getting junk mail. It’s your chance to make a few dollars for almost zero cost.
Paper Mache
Paper mache is a great way to use up your junk mail, especially if you have little ones in the house. You can make toys for them to play with, you can make crafts to sell or you could even make other household items such as storage boxes and containers for kitchen utensils, stationery, or other items.
Just because we think of paper mache as a kid’s school art project, it doesn’t mean you can’t make money from it. Have a look at this paper mache sculpture is being sold on Etsy for over $500
The price is quite high for this piece but then so is the level of skill needed to make it so factor that into the overall cost. For the basic materials, I estimate no more than $10 was spent on materials.
Wall Art
Taking your creativity one step further you could begin to make art for yourself as a serious creator. How about this nice wall art here? A cool skyline made from tubes of paper with a piece of glass for the sun, sealed and strengthened with easy to obtain materials like diluted glue.
This particular piece is being sold on Etsy for over $30
If you have some creativity and can roll paper into tubes and visualize what you could make from them then this art style may be a winner for you and won’t break the bank. I estimate no more than $5 was spent on materials for this.
Framed Art
In a similar vein to the wall art, you can also elect to frame your work, again rolling your junk mail into tubes and gluing them into a frame can give you some pretty great results like this item here. This piece is currently on Etsy for just over $35
This kind of art can be wall hung like the above example but as it comes with a sturdy frame you can also integrate a stand to make this piece free standing to fit on any table, desk, or side unit, making it more versatile with regards to placement. I estimate no more than $10 was spent on materials.
Recycled Bowls
Like the above pieces all you really need here is the skill to find nice colorful magazines, and the ability to roll neat, tight tubes into bowl shapes, Take a look at these bowls currently on Etsy for just over $35
These bowls look great, not only are they really funky and cool looking but they are quite sturdy and functional too. They would make a nice fruit bowl or a bowl for dried flowers or something for your home office.
The great thing about these types of bowls is that the materials to make them are very cheap. I estimate no more than $3 was spent on materials for these bowls.
Shredding
If you really come stuck with your crafting ideas then you can always shred your junk mail, if you are crafting then you can also look at your junk mail as a source of free packing materials too. There’s nothing so satisfying than finding an extra use for free stuff that people are paid to give you for free!
If you have pets then junk mail shredding can also be used as bedding materials or even as a temporary litter replacement, although this may not have the same odor prevention as regular litter so use accordingly.
Wrapping Paper
Again, as with shredding, you can use your junk mail to wrap delicate or fragile items if you are storing them or even mailing them. Using a mixture of wrapping and shredding can ensure you reduce the risks of damage without costing you an arm and a leg in packaging materials
Free Cleaning Materials
If you are a bit clumsy like me then you may find yourself with the occasional spill or a dropped food item. Use your junk mail as a makeshift cloth to scoop up the mess or soak it up before using other more costly materials like paper towels.
You can also use your junk mail as a barrier for other items such as lining a box for your muddy or wet boots in the case of bad weather.
I hope this article has inspired you to keep and use your junk mail and also inspired you to be creative and make a few bucks into the bargain.
Looking to make money from crafts?
Click here to learn how with our step-by-step guide showing you everything you need to know.