The Art of Reusing Items Around the House
I like to think that I do my fair share of recycling since my recyclable are picked up on Fridays, and I always double-check items and rinse out plastic bottles before I put them into my bin, but I’ve never really given reuse much thought. So, I decided to search online for some great ideas.
I found a useful item on Wise Bread that talked about reusing paper. For example, did you know that you can shred papers to use as bedding for cage critters, such as hamsters, guinea pigs, and more? I’ve used newspaper as a liner for a bird cage, back when I was little and had parakeets, but I never thought about using it for other animal uses. You can even use shredded or torn paper as mulch in your yard, too.
Another neat idea is to use wrapping paper as art work, framing them in old picture frames or use the paper to decoupage an item that needs a bit dressing up. Another idea is using the paper to make a wreath or any other kind of décor that’d be easy to make with paper, like a collage of interesting facts in to hang on a bathroom wall. Or why not use newspaper to wrap presents for a unique look.
Another idea to reuse household items is using squeeze bottles (dish soap, ketchup, mustard bottles, etc.) to water plants that are hard to reach or to squirt out pancake batter. And we’ve all got a mountain of plastic shopping bags at home, so why not use an empty paper towel roll to store the bags in. Speaking of empty paper towel rolls, I actually use those in my boots at home. The rolls help keep the boots from folding down and keep your closet looking a bit tidier.
So, how do you reuse stuff you have lying around at home? I’d love to hear some new ideas that I could try at my house, not only for Earth Day but to do each and every day.
Posted by Lindsay Page on Apr 22, 2013