Neat Tips Archives REINVENTIONS Old lampshades for hurricane lamps
Egg carton to work of art
Cleaned-up egg cartons come in handy for arts and crafts - donate them to your child's school, or break them up and put it in your compost bin.
Shredded paper for packaging
Here's one I should have figured out long ago - that shredded paper makes great packing material for shipping my products (or for when you are moving home).
Use luggage to store clothes
Winter is on its way out and soon we'll all be whipping out bikinis and beach towels. But that winter clothing is taking up so much space in your cupboard that you can't fit anything new in.
So, why not use suitcases that you don't often need, to store your winter clothes and shoes. That way you don't have to spend money on storage, and you have space for all those new goodies.
Promote the toast rack
Remember those days when toast was made and placed in-between racks to cool down? If you aren't using them anymore, they are just the right size for envelopes so why promote them to desk organiser - keeping bills and letters sorted.
Take care of them snazzy boots
You want your snazzy boots to last a few winters and not loose their shape so keep them upright by placing a rolled up magazine or two into them. They'll keep their shape and be good to go for their next fashion stint.
p.s. you can also use old cardboard poster rolls.
Need a coaster anyone? We
all have them in our homes, be it for entertainment or for work, but
when they get damaged, we generally just throw DVDs/CDs away. Yet, they
could easily be used as coasters when you're entertaining. Don't
stop there though, if you're the arty type, embellish it with fabric or
beads. Go crazy to personalise your CD/DVD, making it the toast of the
day! From pillow to glam cushion.. If you have a flat pillow that you want to toss aside for a new model, why not recycle it into a cushion instead? Simply
fold the pillow over, stitch it and use it to fill a smashing cushion
cover (that you are going to make because you're so creative). Use newspaper for giftwrap Newspapers
are everywhere and many people don't bother to recycle them. But years
ago, my creative brother decided to use them to wrap Christmas presents
and I think it was a brilliant idea. (If you think it is a little boring, make it look colourful with bows and ribbons and homemade cards.) Car mat for protection So the car mat has seen better days but don't toss it to the curb just yet. Why not use this to kneel on when gardening? New life for jeans (for them shoes) Old jeans that you can't squeeze into anymore but really don't want to part with? Well, how about making a groovy shoe bag. Cut 30cm off the bottom of one leg, sew up one
end of this piece and hem the other so it can take a drawstring, thread a piece of cord around the
top with a safety pin and pull tight. Voila, your shoes can now travel in your trendy jeans. Do you have an old carpet at home that you don't know what to do with? Well, I read recently that an OLD CARPET makes a PERFECT "weed mat" for use on garden beds! Ideally you
should recycle old ink & toner cartridges. According to research
done in the USA, each re-manufactured cartridge keeps approximately 1,3
kilograms of metal and plastic out of landfills and saves about 1,8
litres of oil. Buy rechargeable batteries. It takes 1000 regular batteries to equal the lifespan of one rechargeable battery. On that note
make recycling bins readily available in your home and teach your
family the value of recycling. Have a large bin for glass, plastic and
cans and a nice big basket for paper. Go to the nearest recycling depot once a week (depending on how much waste you produce). IN FACT, I challenge you to do this for a week and you will be amazed by how much waste an average home produces! A few quick ideas.. Old tyres painted bright colors make perfect planters for strawberries or flowers. Old brass headboards make unique garden trellises. The old aquarium that the kids lost interest in but is still sitting in
the garage. Haul it back into the house and use it to plant an indoor
herb garden. Aquariums are also just the thing to use to force bulbs so
that your winter days can be bright with color. Attach an old cork to your keys before you go fishing or sailing: if they fall into the water they will float. Use old Popsicle sticks as garden markers. Write the type of seeds you have planted on the stick with permanent marker and push into soil. When the kids are feeling artistic and want to paint pictures, cut a
tennis ball in half and make a hole in the middle and slip their
paintbrush through the hole. The tennis ball will catch the drips that
would otherwise run down their arms. If you have decided to tidy up your space, resign yourself to the fact that you will have to turf many things out. You
may feel as if you're wasting so much money but if you focus on what
you're trying to achieve AND organise a garage sale, you'll be able to
recoup some money. So decide on a date, set the target, advertise in
the local press and get it done. You'll feel enormously relieved you
did. Mulch with newspapers Not
only do worms and your garden composter love old newspaper, why not
also use it as 'weed suppressor' under mulch. AND remember you can use
it to clean windows.. Think
about how you can use old furniture before you just throw it away. You
may have a spot for seating in your garden, or perhaps that old table,
with a coat of paint could be lovely on the veranda. 'Dress up' clothes for your kids If
you have decided to spring clean your cupboard and there are some
'smallish' clothes, belts or shoes that you are considering getting rid
of, then why not see if your kids would like to use SOME OF IT as dress
up clothes? Obviously
this only applies to the younger child, but there are many children who
dress up as jedi knights, princesses and other fantastic characters and
you may make their day by giving them some 'props'. We
all have to start taking responsibility for our environment and one way
to do this is to re-use paper. Here are a few suggestions: These are great for under the shelf storage of
nails and other hardware items, beads, buttons and more. Attach the top
to the bottom of the undershelf and screw the clear jars on and off as
you need them. Great for garages, craft and sewing
rooms, or anywhere you need see-through storage. I
also remember these small jars being used once by my child's Montessori
school to make lanterns. They attached a wire around the top, made a
handle with wire as well and twisted it to secure it. They then placed
a small tea-light in it. We still use it on the veranda. If, like me, you enjoy dressing up your table or having a small flower next to your desk, you can achieve this without spending money. I first saw this at my sister's house so all credit to her. She took an old, clear beer bottle, and after rinsing it, she used it to put a few flowers from the garden in. When I decided to do the same for my kitchen window sill, I spruced them up a little by tying some lovely coloured ribbon around them. So now I have I nice vase made from a beer bottle! |
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