Please play the repurposing game!

[ml2620]

Playing off my post of "pre-cycling" last week, I thought we could try and come up with ways to repurpose items before recycling here. First poster suggests two items to recycle in one way, and then the next person reuses one of the items in his/her own way, and then suggests another item.

So the first poster might say:

I'll turn eggcartons into seed starting cups.
I'll turn a gallon milk jug into my compost tea jug.

So the next person might come along and say:

I'll turn my gallon milk jug into a bird house.
I'll turn my jelly jar into a vase
(and if they were really good, they might take on both previous items and say "I'll turn eggcartons into my bead sorting tray").

I thought this would give us at least two ideas on how to reuse an item before they land in the recycling bin. I thought it was worth a try!

[Judi Dial]

OK. I"ll play!

I'll turn old thin silk shirts into sachets.
I'll turn old teacups into herb pots.

Judi

[frugalwarrior]

-I have an old good sesons jar that is a vase
-I used a napkin holder for holding bills for 3 years before I went to a notebook system
-Old shoes tote for sewwing notions (see thru is better)
-kid old school binder is being used for my budget file book
-the clear pages in budget book came from when I used to make books of adoptable dogs for rescue groups
-shoe boxes-endless
- dog food and cat food bags for garbage
mostlyrecycle bin otherwise. Bigger on buying used and recycling that way. Cuts down on packaging by about 75%.

[Momto2Boyz]

I recycle so much that I'm never even aware that I am doing it...since it's my business!

But I wanted to post to say that I love the repurposing of the egg cartons for seed plantings! Great idea! I only buy the cardboard kind and I pulp them down to make homemade paper for gift cards!

[Shelli_wnj]

Fun game!!!

I use egg cartons for kid's crafts
I use old bread bags as sandwich bags.

[mauimagic]

I use oatmeal cylinder containers for my preschoolers to decorate and use as drums.

I use egg cartons to make the very hungry caterpillar!!

[jollyquilter]

I use the cereal bags that are inside the box to "bread fish or chicken" in

I barter eggs cartons for fresh eggs.

I bury the bottom half of a milk jug or a 2 liter bottle beside my tomato and cucumbers in the garden. Put water in the jug and it self waters.

I use the 50 lb dogfood bags for lawn debris.

[missyali]

I use egg cartons to make miniature advent calendars (obviously requires 2 cartons).

I use Folger's coffee containers to wrap Christmas presents in (cover the containers with decorative paper or Folger's panels found on their website.) and fill with little gifts.

[frugalwarrior]

I forgot we make pop bottles into bee catchers. those are great.

[mamamia]

I use empty grated cheese containers for sprinkling my brown sugar. Also use shaker top empty spice jars for sprinkling my powdered sugar.

My newest find for re-using, is the large square shaped, transparent, hard plastic lidded containers. My knishes came in them, and I now have 4 to turn into mini green houses for starting seeds. Also have a round one from take-out.

Use old longer style socks to fill with rice and nice smelling herbs, for a microwave heated heating pad. Works great for cramps and sore necks, etc.

Old nylon knee highs, and panty hose legs make great potpourri holders for easy hanging in closets or putting in drawers.

Theresa

[britbunny]

I would use an old stocking for storing onions

I would use an old t-shirt as stuffing for a draught excluder

[ladytoysdream]

Egg cartons , I save them and been passing them along to people who have chickens. But now that we have some birds of our own here and looking to be some hens, I think we better save the cartons for us. And not sure how much they are in your farm stores, but the one closest to us charges .39 each plus tax. I think that's pricey.

Okay, small bars of soap. I seem to get quite a few of them. I been melting them down to make bigger bars of soap. And put some into a bottle with some water to make liquid soap.
What do you do with yours ?

[miss_thrifty]

I use the plastic cereal liners as wax paper for uncooked cookies etc.
I use card booard to stable the backs of printed pics or to make book marks.
I receltly made rag balls with denimn pants
hubby got a cheap celing wide trim to make coat rack along kitchen wall.
I take old magents and cut up and glue to make new magnets on that cardboard / printed paper garphic off net or magaizne.

[MaryCarney]

In the past, I've turned pots and pans into percussion instruments for toddlers, silverware into math lessons, and the 'how long can you be quiet' game into a nap!!

[ml2620]

Oh, I received a funny/horrible e-mail today about "repurposing"

Do a google images search under "red neck tube top"
(not a term I would use, but a very funny repurpose!)