• Make your own onaments from recycled materials.Christmas tree branch with blue Christmas ball image by emka from Fotolia.com
  
  During the holiday season, it’s possible to celebrate while recycling. One way to accomplish this is by creating Christmas tree ornaments from items that you would normally throw in the trash. It’s an inexpensive way to get ready for the holidays without going over your budget, while engaging youngsters in the fun.
  
  

Egg Cartons

• Instead of throwing the empty egg cartons in the trash, or sending them to the recycling center, use the cartons to create Christmas tree ornaments. Begin by cutting out the individual eggcups to make bell shapes. Embellish using paint, glitter, sequins and glue, transforming the bell shapes into Christmas bells to hang on the tree. Instead of bells, fashion diamond shaped ornaments by gluing two bell shapes together. For the inspired crafter, strategically arrange the eggcups into geometric shapes. After creating the desired shape, spray paint and embellish the ornament after the paint dries, using bright, glittery decorations.
  
  

Cornhusks

• During the summer, when enjoying fresh corn on the cob, don’t throw away the cornhusks. Instead of tossing the husk, allow it to dry thoroughly, so that it will be ready for a winter craft project. From the dried husk fashion cornhusk ornaments, which can last for generations if originally dried completely. A popular cornhusk ornament is a doll-like ornament resembling a boy or girl. Another option is to fashion the cornhusk into a bow, and embellish with ribbon, lace and other festive decorations. Easily hang from the Christmas tree after attaching a small wire ornament hook.
  
  

Christmas Cards and Coffee Can Lids

• Turn those stacks of old Christmas cards into ornaments, which make suitable holiday gifts. Begin by obtaining an old, plastic coffee lid, to use as the base of the ornament. Take a digital photograph of the youngster, and print out a copy, making the picture the appropriate size to fit on one side of the round plastic lid. After gluing the photograph on one side of the lid, cover the other side with a picture cut from an old Christmas card. Complete the project by decorating the circumference of the lid and adding an ornament hook to the top of the picture ornament.