For several years, Santa has left each of us a page-a-day calendar in our stockings. Every family member gets one that fits their interests. The first calendar I ever got was a Mary Engelbreit one, and I just adored the full-color illustrations.
It seemed a shame to either recycle them, or use the backsides for taking phone messages (which we do with our black-and-white calendar pages), so I found something new to do with them: decoupage!
Using just some Mod-Podge, a foam brush, and a pair of scissors, I used the pages to make all sorts of useful, attractive containers. Just cut, glue, overlap as you'd like until the entire surface is covered. Then paint over the entire surface with decoupage glue, wait 24 hours, add a second coat of decoupage glue, and there you go!
I wrapped the decoupaging over onto the bottom of the boxes to give it a clean look, then covered the bottom with a piece of felt. These are some inexpensive papier-mache boxes that I bought on sale at Michaels. I've also used the photo-file boxes that you can get for a buck or two at Michaels.
I have also used this technique on boxes that I have gotten other things in (large boxes of business-sized envelopes are great). I keep most of my scrapbooking supplies in these boxes, which look cute on my computer desk shelf.
I even covered a cardboard magazine holder to use on my kitchen counter as a paper recycling bin. It's much easier to put paper to be recycled here, then empty it in the big garage bin when it gets full.
This past winter, I found some really awesome papier-mache letters at JoAnn. I did up my initials in Mary Engelbreit pages and took them to my office. My boys liked the idea so much that they had me do letters for their room. My youngest chose his Frogs calendar pages (sorry, the picture is a little hard to see because of the flash).
My oldest chose The Simpsons, which I think turned out really great. Both boys have these sitting on the top of their bookshelves in their rooms. These letters are about 12 inches tall, and they come in larger and smaller sizes as well.
I have at least 8 of these decoupage boxes at home, and have given many as gifts as well. They are fun to make, very inexpensive, and definitely frugal!
