For daily wit & wisdom, get the Almanac newsletter.

15 Clever Ways to Reuse Old Newspapers at Home and in the Garden

newspaper illustration, 15 eco-friendly newspaper uses from the Old Farmer's Almanac
Written By: Margaret Boyles Contributor

Stacks of newspapers piling up? Don’t just recycle—reuse! From starting fires in the woodstove to mulching the garden to cleaning your windows streak-free, newspapers are more versatile than you might think. Here are some smart, sustainable, and even fun ways to reuse newspapers around the house and yard.

How to Reuse Newspapers

Newspaper Uses in the Garden

With two woodstoves in continuous use from late November through April, we use most of our winter newspapers as fire starters. The ashes we don’t use to provide traction on icy walkways, we add as a pH-raising amendment to our garden soils.

The papers have other horticultural uses too: 

  • During the growing season, we use newspapers as a weed-suppressing mulch. We lay them down several pages thick and cover the paper with a thin layer of hay, pine needles, or wood chips to make aisles between our garden beds.
  • To create a new garden spot without mechanical tillage, I lay down a thick layer of newspapers (flattened cardboard boxes work well too); top it off with a thinner layer of hay, straw, or leaves and let the space sit for a year. By the following spring, the grass underneath will have died, and voilà!—a soil ready to fertilize, amend, and plant.
  • I also protect young vegetable seedlings from cutworms by wrapping the lower stem with a tight collar of wet newspaper that extends an inch into the soil and at least an inch above the soil line.
  • To ripen green tomatoes indoors, I harvest blemish-free fruits when frost threatens, wrap each in a piece of newspaper, and set them in a cool, dark cellar. Sometimes they last through Thanksgiving.

Creative Ways to Reuse Newspapers Indoors

During many years of freelance writing for newspapers (and always tending a big vegetable garden), I often joked about the fun of eating my words. But since this isn’t a gardening blog, allow me to share a few of the hundred and one other ways I use newspapers around the house:

  • Cleaning windows: Crumpled newspaper and white vinegar make an unbeatable combo for washing windows and other glass surfaces.
  • Wrapping paper: Very chic, especially if you select the right news for the occasion or decorate the newspaper with potato prints.
  • Cut-flower holder: Torn or shredded, moistened, and stuffed into a vase, old newspapers will hold cut flowers, greens, or branches in place. 
  • Shape-holders: Crumple newspapers and stuff them into shoes, handbags, and hats you don’t use often to help them hold their shapes.
  • Funny hats: I once worked with a colleague who’d previously spent many years as a daycare worker and was a master of newspaper-hat making. He had a hat for every occasion. Retirements, marriages, promotions, failed budget negotiations—Tom always came out with a new hat that spoke to the occasion.

FAQs

Are newspapers safe to use in the garden?

Yes! Most modern newspapers use soy-based inks, which are nontoxic and safe for composting and mulching. Just avoid glossy or colored inserts, as they may contain inks or coatings that aren’t biodegradable.

Can newspapers be composted?

Absolutely. Shredded newspaper makes an excellent “brown” (carbon-rich) material in compost piles. Just mix it with “greens” like kitchen scraps or grass clippings to balance the pile.

Is newspaper mulch better than landscape fabric?

Newspaper mulch is an inexpensive, eco-friendly alternative to landscape fabric. It smothers weeds, helps soil retain moisture, and naturally decomposes over time—improving the soil instead of creating plastic waste.

How many layers of newspaper should I use for mulch?

For best results, lay down 4–6 sheets of newspaper and cover them with straw, grass clippings, or wood chips to hold them in place. This thickness will suppress most weeds while still allowing water to seep through.

Can I reuse newspaper for crafts or wrapping gifts?

Yes! Old newspapers make unique, eco-friendly wrapping paper and can also be used for papier-mâché, origami, and simple crafts like folded hats and baskets.

What are some household cleaning uses for newspapers?

Crumpled newspaper is excellent for streak-free cleaning of windows, mirrors, and other glass surfaces. Paired with vinegar or a natural cleaner, it’s a cheap and effective alternative to paper towels.

What do you do with old newspapers? Recycle or reuse? Let us know in the comments!

Money-Saving Tips

About The Author

Margaret Boyles

Margaret Boyles

Contributor

Margaret Boyles is a longtime contributor to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. She wrote for UNH Cooperative Extension, managed NH Outside, and contributes to various media covering environmental and human health issues.

Read more from Margaret Boyles

More Like This

Comments

<span>Crafty-Grandma</span> Mon, 10/19/2026 - 08:36
Our city banned all plastic bags and newspaper (what is that) some 15 years ago! Since Covid all bills are paid on-line so there are no bills in the mailbox. When shopping we bring our own bags and the only paper we see, in limited areas, are used to line the compost bin which helps to keep unwanted bugs away!! I add coffee grains to the bottom of the bin as bugs hate and critters hate the smell of coffee! Sometimes I miss having newspaper to wrap things before storing, but it is short lived as I end up using old towels instead. At the liquor store they do provide you with a box for your booze only if you buy in quantity otherwise, you look like a wino with a bottle stuck under your arm! if you forgot your bag!!!
<span>Suraksha</span> Sun, 10/19/2025 - 15:29
I use the newspaper for 1. Wrap cilantro in it and then put in a plastic bag with holes so they keep fresh. 2. After cleaning the various parts of fridge and then letting them dry complete, I lay down newspapers in 2-3 layers at each level including the door compartments. That prevents direct staining of glass beneath. Each time ,after cleaning I put in a fresh batch. This saves a lot of cleaning time. 3. Make paper mache crafts - have made cups and bowls . Paint them and make beautiful designs
<span>Jb</span> Sun, 10/19/2025 - 07:28
WHO reads the newspaper!!!!!!??
<span>Jh</span> Wed, 01/08/2020 - 18:59
(1) When my family used to save coffee cans all year to redistribute with tamales during the holidays, we'd stuff the cans with crumpled newspaper to get rid of the coffee smell. They sat in the laundry room all year, with an occasional change-out of paper until needed. (2) Years ago my mother gave me a little gadget that presses four layers of newspaper into a seedling cup. You start a seed in it (with a little soil) and when it's ready to plant it can go right into the ground where the cup disintegrates as the plant grows. I want to say she got it at Lillian Vernon but I may not remember that correctly and I can't find one there now. Maybe Vermont Country Store? No matter. There are many tutorials of how to fold them by hand anyway. jh
<span>M Holderman</span> Sun, 05/19/2019 - 12:40
Does the paper attract earwigs? They can hide in paper can be a problem?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 05/20/2019 - 16:03

Using newspaper or any other layered material in the garden can be a refuge for creatures like earwigs and isopods ("roly-polys"), but these aren't worth worrying about unless they appear in a significant numbers. If that's the case, then you may want to remove the paper for a time.

 <span>Frances</span> Tue, 01/08/2019 - 12:14
Surprised no one uses newspaper for food odors left in plastic containers or jars after they have been washed. Crumple a few pages, stuff them in the containers, cap them, and the food odors will disappear in a few days. Also for the window cleaning w/vinegar - best to use black and white printed sheets and not the colored sheets. This goes for the food odors, too.
<span>Valerie</span> Tue, 05/22/2018 - 11:29
I use newspaper to make starter pots for seedlings. They can just go into the ground.
<span>Bobbie Arnold</span> Sun, 05/20/2018 - 13:53
The Humane Society where I live in Georgia uses newspapers for cleanup and bedding.
<span>Ann Cyran</span> Sat, 03/24/2018 - 01:29
I put crumpled up news paper between chicken wire and black plastic containers, to help the containers not get too hot and help retain some moisture. It does reduce the size of the container but only a little bit. This is the first time I tried this so I don't know if it will help yet..