Easy Ways to Reuse Everyday Items

Cut Down on Waste by Recycling Common Household Products

Feb 17, 2009 Charlene Tebbutt

Recycling more around the house can be fun while also reducing clutter and saving money.

We all know recycling is important for the preservation of the planet.

Items such as newspapers, plastic bags, tin cans, milk cartons, glass jars and cardboard are easy to reuse or recycle and lead to less environmental waste. Selling old furniture, used books and DVDs, clothing or appliances can also save money.

Look for Other Ways to Recycle

But, take a look around the house to find other items that can be recycled instead of thrown in the garbage. Find new ways to reuse things around the house.

Old coffee mugs can be turned into small flower pots or pen holders. Place small bits of soap inside nylon netting and sew it up to use for stains or as a hand scrubber.

Ever lost one earring to a set? Use the spare one as a decorative pin on a sweater or blouse.

Reuse Greeting Cards

Save time, money and trees by reusing holiday cards. There are a number of ways cards can be reused throughout the year, according to eHow.com's health editor.

Some of the tips on the site include:

  1. Cut off the backs of old holiday cards that do not have writing behind the front and use them as postcards.
  2. Create your own card by cutting and pasting parts of old cards onto a new blank card. You can find packages of blank cards at most arts and crafts stores.
  3. Use old holiday cards as gift tags by cutting them into square or rectangular shapes and punching holes in the corners for string or ribbon.
  4. Make placemats out of holiday cards instead of buying new ones. Cut out pictures or shapes from the old cards, place them between two pieces of contact paper and press together.
  5. Make placemats out of holiday cards instead of buying new ones. Cut out pictures or shapes from the old cards, place them between two pieces of contact paper and press together.

Some organizations will even accept used cards for use in their own programs. Sending the same greeting card back and forth between two or more people is another fun way to stay in touch.

Turn Old Items Into Art

With so many possibilities for old stuff, it's almost impossible not to reuse it. Many everyday items can even be made into unique furniture and decorative pieces for the house.

Lily Morgan described ways to create art from used items on ezinearticles.com. Redecorating old furniture, using stone or marble to refinish an old table or sewing the picture from an old T-shirt onto a pillow are just some of the ways everyday items can be recycled.

There is no limit to the number of times old items can be reused. Challenge yourself to see how many different ways you can find to recycle, Morgan says, and you might be very surprised by the results.

The copyright of the article Easy Ways to Reuse Everyday Items in Green/Simple Living is owned by Charlene Tebbutt. Permission to republish Easy Ways to Reuse Everyday Items in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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Feb 17, 2009 12:40 PM
Guest :
Here is my recent blog posting on 7 ways to reuse toilet paper rolls:

http://suddenlyfrugal.wordpress.com/2009/02/09/7-ways-to-reuse-toilet-pap er-rolls/

Leah
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