Ideas For Reusing Common Household Items

As you all know by now, I have never considered myself “environmentally” correct, but I have always believed in using what you have. I hate throwing things away, not because I’m afraid I’m going to destroy the environment, but because, to me, it is to me foolish to waste things. This is how our grandmothers felt, too.

Then again, I really should say I’m saving the environment because I would probably make more money that way, rather than just saying, “You shouldn’t waste things.” : ) Once again, I will stop before I get into trouble.

I love to find uses for all kinds of things. As a result, I have very little trash. Here are a couple of ideas about how to use things you might normally throw away.

Plastic spice or seasonings bottles

Wash a plastic bottle and fill it with flour. Use it to sprinkle flour on meat when the recipe calls for coating the meat. I like to use mine to sprinkle my counter with flour when rolling out cookies, pie crusts etc. I did get an extra Parmesan cheese jar that I use for this too.
You could also fill these plastic bottles with powdered cleaners. I have no space in my bathroom, so it would be much easier for me to store a small spice bottle of cleanser then storing a larger can there. Keep a plastic bottle in the garage with the tools or gardening supplies for times when you need to scrub something outside or near an outside faucet for your hubby to clean his greasy hands.
Fill spice bottles with meat rubs or other homemade seasonings that you make.

Plastic lids from cottage cheese, sour cream or similar containers

Wash the lids. Then place about 1/2 cup of hamburger on one (lip side up) and press down with your hand or with another lid. Stack and place in a plastic bag or freezer container. When you need only one or two patties, the easily pop apart because they were frozen separately.
Place plastic lids under things like honey or syrup bottles to keep your shelves clean.
Plastic lids are great to use in the craft room to place beads, buttons, glitter and other accessories in while you’re crafting.
If you need a circle template for a cake or a craft, plastic lids work great.
Use a plastic lid as a scraper.
Use a lid from a can of Pringles (lip side up) and glue something magnetic to the bottom of it to use for a magnetized pin cushion. (Things like those magnetized business cards you get to hang on the fridge are ideal.) These work great at the end of an ironing board for those of you who sew and are a nice size to tuck in a sewing kit to travel with.

Pastry brush

This tip is not so much using something up as using what you have on hand. I don’t own a pastry brush because I so rarely use one. The one time I had a pastry brush, I hated cleaning it, so here is an idea what to use when you need a disposable brush.

Clip a small piece of paper towel to a clothespin. When you’re done, just dump the little piece of paper towel.

Rubber gloves

Did your rubber gloves spring a leak? Cut the fingers off and slip them on when you are sewing if you have a hard time gripping the needle to pull it through.
When you can’t open your polish bottles or other jars that are hard to open, slip on your rubber glove to help you open them.
Cut the bottom part of of rubber gloves into strips to use as heavy duty rubber bands.

-Jill