Who knew leftover rice could make such an adorable holiday craft? This crafty elf, that’s who! So let’s make one, or two, or three…
Every time I order Chinese food, there’s always a small box of white rice tucked inside the delivery bag. I haven’t eaten white rice in about 20 years and throwing away good food makes me nuts – so I had to really think about this one.
So one night as I was just about to give in and pitch that week-old container of rice – it hit me! I use dried rice for craft projects every once in a while, why not use my left over Chinese food for something creative? An awesome holiday craft, perhaps? Oh yes!
Related: 5 Ways to Cook with Leftover Rice, Make a Christmas Star Ornament
From trash to holiday treasure…we’re making pink Christmas trees out of leftover Chinese food! Santa will be so impressed. (I know this crafty elf is!)
Holiday Craft: Leftover Rice Ornament
Materials
- Leftover white rice
- Cardboard (old shipping boxes work best)
- Glue
- Craft paint
- Paper clip
- String
- Red Hots or other small candies (optional)
Craft Stuff
- Plastic fork and knife
- 2 bowls
- Hot glue gun
- Cookie sheet pan
- Wax paper
- Cookie cutter
- Scissors
Prepare the rice
- Spread your rice out in a thin layer onto a cookie sheet pan.
- Place in 200 degree oven for 10-15 minutes to dehydrate the rice.
- If you don’t want to use electricity for this project, let the rice air dry for 1-2 days. It doesn’t take long.
- When the rice comes out of the oven, break apart any clumps with your fingers.
Note: You should only use plain, white steamed rice. Toss out any portions that might have sauce or food bits on it.
Make your background
- Using a tree cookie cutter, trace out the shape onto the cardboard.
- Cut out the shape with scissors.
Note: You can use any kind of cookie cutter you want. But trees are awesome.
Let’s paint!
- Place rice into a bowl.
- Add a few squirts of pink paint. Or green, if you’re feeling boring…I mean, traditional.
- Mix with a plastic fork until all the grains are coated.
- Spread the rice out onto wax paper so the paint can dry. This should take about ten minutes.
Time to get messy!
- Dump 1/4 cup of pink rice into a clean bowl.
- Add glue. I’d say about 2-3 tablespoons.
- Mix until everything is clumpy and gloppy.
- Place your cardboard tree onto wax paper.
- Add your gluey-pink rice to the cardboard cutout. (This is going to be messy.)
- Shape the rice into a tree. A plastic knife helps push the rice into place.
- Let the ornament dry for 3-4 hours. Overnight is best.
- You can glue on Red Hots or other small candies as ornaments. But this tree is toots-cutes even without them.
- Use a hot glue gun to add a paper clip to the back of the ornament.
- Thread some string through the paper clip and hang on your tree!
And there you have it. Leftover Chinese food – UPCYCLED!
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