* Organization
* Housework
* In the Kitchen
* Fertility, Birth, and Babies
* Homeschooling
* Health
* Christianity
* Frugality
* Other
Re-Uses
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. Hopefully the following ideas will get your creative juices flowing.
- 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.