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.