Recycling Remnants Of Holidays

We put out a staggering amount of extra trash during the holidays, and not just wrapping paper and packaging.

But we can cut down on all that waste.

On The Early Show Tuesday, environmental lifestyle expert Danny Seo, a columnist for Country Home magazine, offered ideas for recycling some of your holiday leftovers into new and beautiful items you can use year-round.

RECYCLE CANDY CANES AND HOLIDAY CANDY: Grind mint candy canes in a clean coffee grinder to make instant peppermint powdered sugar. Store in a small jar and add to coffee, hot chocolate or cappuccino, or sprinkle over vanilla ice cream.

HOLIDAY WREATHS: Remove all the holiday ornamentation from the wreath (save for next year if silk), and use the bare wreaths to make a giant bird's nest centerpiece, perfect for a year-round display.

HOLIDAY CANDLES: Recycle old holiday candles into new candles. Melt and pour wax into wine glasses that have been chipped from all the festive cheer for brand new, very elegant candles. Make a large candle in a trifle dish, too.

STORE LIGHTS AND ORNAMENTS: Keep ornaments organized and protected with two easy ideas: One, store delicate ornaments in egg cartons to keep them separated and stored neatly. For lights, use squares of cardboard and cut notches along the edge. Then, wrap the square in the lights.

NEW YEAR'S EVE BALL: Bundle two to three strings of white Christmas lights into a large ball; just wrap them on themselves over and over to make a large ball and hang in your home for New Year's, just like the famed Times Square ball!

RECYCLE COOKIE BOXES: Transform those holiday theme candy and cookie tins into useful storage bins for around the house. Just lightly sand the surface of the tin with a medium-grit sandpaper. Wipe away the dust with a damp towel. Paint the lid and container parts separately, using an enamel paint (available at the hardware store in small containers). The darker the color, the more coats you'll need for a professional look. Once dry, use the containers to store office supplies, spices in the pantry, or in the medicine cabinet holding bathroom essentials.

RECYCLE HOLIDAY CARDS: Make tabletop luminaries out of holiday cards. Start with two cards identical in size. Stack them on top of each other, both with the folded side to the left. With a hole puncher, cut holes along the open-side edge, approximately every 1/4 inch. Thread a needle with twine, and sew the two cards together to create a box shape. Use a well-protected candle in a glass container or rechargeable light to illuminate the luminaire on the table.

HOLIDAY WASTE FACTS: