Reduce, reuse, recycle – it’s the “environmental stewardship” trio. Reuse of various items is not only environmentally-friendly; it’s pocketbook friendly. Unfortunately, most of us have a hard time knowing WHAT can be reused, and for what. The following ideas work for me, and hopefully will get your creative juices flowing. Feel free to leave your own ideas in the comments!
- Tissue boxes: hold plastic grocery bags
- Parmesan cheese containers: make terrific shakers for baking soda, borax, etc.
- Syrup bottles: make dispensers for squirt-type cleaners, paint, etc.
- Plastic 3-lb. shortening cans: are the perfect size for holding hamburger patties in the freezer.
- Cotton fabric scraps: can be used for stuffing.
- Empty juice bottles: will hold water to keep around the house for watering plants, or to stock in a less-than-full freezer to help it work efficiently.
- Boxes of various sizes: can, of course, be used for storage. (Don’t overlook very small boxes. I have an offering-envelope box that serves me well by holding postage stamps.)
- Egg cartons: are useful as sorting trays, either for little children’s play, or as a means of organizing jewelry and other small items.
- Pringles cans: hold juice-can lids (the metal kind off of frozen juice concentrate) very neatly. The lids can be decorated to make matching games and stored inside the potato-chip cans.
- Bouillon jars: are a great size for storing homemade seasoning mixes (like taco seasoning).
- Film canisters: hold small craft supplies (beads, sequins, etc.) or coins.
- Spice jars: are good for beads, as well. If the beads are small enough and the holes (in the jar) are large enough, the beads can even be shaken out a few at a time.
- 5-quart ice cream buckets: are good for storing small amounts of whole grains. I store homemade powdered laundry detergent in one, as well.
5 qt buckets also make great compost buckets under the sink that get transfered outside to the big one when full.
Parm cheese containers are great for holding pecans.
Great ideas! I like to use syrup bottles as bath toys for the kids, too.
This is my style of post! I have learned so many things from this post that I’m going to have to bookmark it so I don’t forget some.
Hey Rachel….good ideas! I never thought of the one for the parmesan container. I’ll have to try that.
Christi 🙂
Great ideas…i never though of storing bags in a Kleenex box, brilliant!
Just a reminder that we are getting near the end of the kinderGARDENS series and I’m urging everyone to link up as often as possible with their best posts. Soon the judges will be looking them over!
Have a happy Thursday! Kim
These are great tips. Thanks!
Great ideas! I like the juice can lids in the Pringles can idea. I used to make a bank out of an empty oatmeal container by cutting a slot in the plastic lid. The kids used the juice can lids as “coins.” They loved that toy! I should reprise that for the “new” set of littles!
Here’s something I frequently re-use: Peanut butter jars. They are wide-mouth and great for holding hair thingys, small toys (like army guys or plastic lizards), home-dried fruit, dried beans, rocks, lightning bugs, you name it. (I’m not a-scared of plastics for foods, so YMMV.) If you always buy the same brand, they are even kinda match-y looking. 🙂