Thursday, January 18, 2018

Unconventional Uses

We all love to use things up!  We recycle and re-use things all the times.
We know to save our leftovers and make new meals and dishes.
We all know to save bottles, jars, baskets, boxes, tins, etc. to use in our pantry storage.
We all know the saying "waste not, want not".

Today I want to show you some of my unconventional uses for things.  I like thinking outside the box a bit (if you haven't noticed!).  I don't generally see anything that just has one intended use.
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I keep 2 coffee grinders on hand, and they aren't for coffee!  One I use for nuts and/or herbs.  One I use for hot peppers.  I got both of them for $1 each at different garage sales.

I received a Ped Egg FREE at one point with something that I ordered.  We had one that is used for its intended purpose - removing calluses from feet.  The second one is kept in the kitchen!!  I use it as a handy dandy zester. It works wonderfully.


A few years ago we received a lovely gift of Biscotti for a gift.  It came in a beautiful container.  Today that ceramic container is my teabag jar.  One side says Biscotti and has a pretty pattern - the other side is just the lovely fruit pattern.

                                                           It easily holds a 100 tea bags.
I keep the jars that larger candles come in - 18 oz. and up.  I remove the labels - and soak and clean and soak some more - then I use them for gifting wrapped candies.  They are pretty and most have lids. 

I love that shelf liner that comes in many colors.  I cut it and use under table runners and mats on tables to keep them from sliding around (kitties can make about anything move!).
We have a couch table in our little hallway that is a picture gallery.  It is right outside the bathroom, and G was continually bumping it and knocking pics over when rolling into the bathroom.   I came up with a solution.  I used shelf liner in a tan color that looks pretty good and works wonderfully.  No more slipping pictures.

As you can see the liner is tan.  Shelf liner can be purchased at a lot of the dollar stores and it comes in a variety of colors.

Most people keep their citrus peels to use in homemade cleaners (I do that too), or apple peels/cores for jelly making (have done) - but I also like to keep them in a freezer bag and from time to time I put some of them in a pan of water on the stove and make my own air freshener.  Simmer the peels/cores in water (maybe add a little cinnamon) and your house smells lovely.  All natural and FREE.

I have a wooden mission style chair that has leather cushions in the living room.  I have a kitty who loves to lay up on the back of the chair.  I started noticing a few picks to the leather from her claws.  My remedy was to cover the upper portion of the cushion with a second hand quilted pillow sham I had on hand.  Problem solved.


I keep all those squirt tops that come on many items we purchase.  They are on shampoo, liquid soaps of all types, and even on Hershey's chocolate syrup.  Often times the bottles are just to large for everyday use (those get recycled) - so I also keep individual pop or water bottles that people leave at my house.  The squirt tops fit perfectly on those bottles.  I them put my blends of shampoo or dish soaps in them.  They also work well (thoroughly cleaned)  on water bottles when working the yard (no bugs in your drink and no spilling).  There is no limit to the uses for smaller bottles with added squirt tops.

This is my dish soap.  I mix it up and squirt away.  I buy soaps in large containers and simply re-fill these easily handheld sizes.

Don't forget to keep those lids from Parmesan cheese containers.  The green lids fit perfectly on small mouth Mason jars!  Keep the spout tops from table salt and cut to place under rings on Mason jars to make pourable containers.  Both give us new uses for our Mason jars used for storage.



When my jar candles get down to the end, they don't burn nearly as well.  I remove the candle wax from the bottom of the jar and keep to use in my melt devices.  It smells great and doesn't just get tossed out.


There is always more than one use for things.  Take time and think outside the box a bit. 
What kinds of items do you use in unintended ways?

Have a great day.




22 comments:

  1. I save my squirt tops for the same reason. Also, a parmesan cheese lid fits perfectly on a mason jar.

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    1. Got to love those bits and pieces that we can find new uses for!
      Makes life a little easier.

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  2. You are so clever. Just don't mix up your two ped eggs:)

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    1. Hahaha! Oh no............
      I will be extra careful!

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  3. squirt tops, great idea! thanks, Cheryl!

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  4. Never thought of keeping the salt pour thingy but now for sure will do that. Thanks for all the good ideas.

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    1. It sure makes for a great pouring jar.
      You are very welcome.

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  5. Love your ideas! I never would have thought of some of them. Thanks!

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  6. Great ideas Cheryl. The squirt tops I will remember!

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    1. Thanks Vickie. Squirt tops come in handy for so many things.

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  7. Hi Cheryl, I had never heard of the Ped Egg but it sounds like a great idea. I have ground herbs in my coffee grinder also. Nancy

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    1. Nancy they are advertised on TV and are sold in most stores. Their main purpose was to remove dry skin on feet. I found a new use for our new one!
      Coffee grinders work so well for all kinds of things.

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  8. I too would have never thought of using some of these items for the uses you have come up with! Genius again my friend!

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    1. Well Debbie, I guess my mind works in strange and mysterious ways!! LOL
      When I have a need - I just look around and figure something out.

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  9. I was thinking the same thing about the ped eggs... don't mix them up. lol I do the same thing with candles, using the bottom of the wax in my warmers. A story about the ped egg... this is gross: My daughter sold a pair of shoes on ebay. The person sent her a message and asked if she had any ped egg shavings she could send along with the shoes. YUK! Needless to say, she did not.

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    1. Oh my goodness. Just gross - can't imagine any scenario that makes that ok!!!
      Don't you worry they will never even come in close proximity to one another at my house!!!

      It does seem a waste not to use up all those candle crumbs - huh? Love finding new uses to use things up!

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  10. I always save and clean out candle jars. We use about a candle a week. I have a flea market booth, so they usually sell! For my private use, I use them to store my dehydrated herbs and homemade seasonings e.g., taco seasoning mix, chicken rub, etc. We use A LOT of parsley, basil, oregano, etc. which I grow in our garden. The rubber seals on those jars keep the herbs nice and dry.

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    1. Wow I don't go through that many candles, but I do love the jars.
      Great idea for your herbs and seasonings.
      Thanks for that tip

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  11. I have a lot of fruit trees in pots. The pots need to be extra large to allow the tree to be able to grow enough to fruit. To purchase a pot it would be between $60-$100. Bluey goes to the recycle shop at the refuse centre(referrred to in Australia as 'The Tip') At the tip shop he picks up old swimming pool sand filters. He cuts the tops off and I have a large fruit tree pot and with the top flipped over I have a shallow bowl pot. He also purchases 44 gallon drums and cuts them in half for my pot garden.

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    1. That is a really good idea. What a savings.
      Never thought about cutting drums for the garden. That is a good idea too.
      Great tips.

      Jane I had to chuckle when I read 'pot' garden. I know exactly what you meant - but my mind went to marijuana!!!! (pot is what they call it here) LOL

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