I’m a bit of a recycling nerd. I like to feel like I’m doing my part, I haven’t quite figured out how to reduce the amount of trash we generate so I’m trying to recycle and reuse as much of it as possible. Sometimes this simply means looking at things in a different way. There are many things we toss every day that can help us keep our homes a little tidier.
The first one being paper towel and toilet paper tubes. How many of these does your family go through in a week? Start saving them, they have many uses:
*Christmas lights- you can cut a slit in each end to slide the plug ends in to keep them from unraveling. You can also write directly on the tube where those lights came from so next year you know exactly which lights went on the mantel to give you that look you loved.
*Extension cords- use one tube for each cord, always accessible and tangle free
*Jewelry holder- you can paint them or cover them with scrapbook paper and use them to hold necklaces and bracelets. If you hang them by the center both ends are accessible.
*Crafts- perfect, inexpensive things for your kids to cut up, paint or whatever strikes their fancy.
When I go to the grocery store I always try to remember my own bags, if I forget, I ask for paper. Once I get those beautiful brown bags home they become wrapping paper, artwork paper for the toddlers in my life, school book covers, and paper that I make patterns out of.
Cereal boxes- cut on an angle and covered with shelf paper these make wonderful storage for magazines or children’s artwork. I keep a few on my desk instead of the typical flat in and out holder, one for filing to be done and one for things I need to do something with immediately.
The next time you are ready to throw something away, think of how else it can be used. Some of the best ideas I’ve seen for creative storage come from recycled/reused materials. What can you reuse to keep your home neater?