Chocolate Wrappers

You wouldn't think that throwing away candy wrappers required much thought. Or recycling the new plastic version of the coffee can. Or trashing worn out clothing. But such is the dilema we crafters face.
Crafting is an insideous disease. It begins as quietly as crocheting a hat on a winter day or finding florist wire in a sale rack. Before you know it, you have bins of yarn, shelves of artificial flower arrangements, doodads and geehaws, all 'too good' to throw away.
I had a feeling there was a problem the first time I stocked up on plastic storage bins, but I had all these craft tools and supplies that I might want to use again some day. Stored properly, the stuff would last for years in a corner of the garage. Storage bins are so useful that the stacks of them grew with each passing holiday.
Next came useful things. So many products come in packaging that lure me into buying the product. When the product is gone, the attractive packaging is still there, as good as ever. Why not recycle plastic deli cartons into molds for concrete stepping stones? Can't plastic coffee tubs somehow be used to put plants in ? Worst of all, is the products like liquid fabric softner and dishwashing liquid that is out of heavy duty plastic in mouth watering colors. Good for nothing once the chemicals are used up, they are still so cheerful that I sometimes reclaim them from the recycle bin. Isn't there something they can be used for?
Yes, but I digress.
Last Christmas, while savoring my favorite chocolaty, nutty Christmas candy, I noticed that they were wrapped in very high quality foil. Strong enough to withstand folding and shaping, they made veryy attractive cut out snowflakes. I made dozens of them and hung them as a mobile. Nice. What could I use the red and silver foil from Valentine candy for?
But in the spring, the weather moves me outside. I don't have time for indoor hobbies. Should I put those pretty foils in a storage bin on the off chance that I might have the same interest next fall? I finally threw them away. I just hope that chocolate continues to be wrapped as nicely.

Nancy Sherer