40 Genius Ways to Give Your Belongings New Life
We've all been there: It's time to purge your home as part of your spring cleaning routine and you're fretting over which items to Marie-Kondo out of your home without mercy and which items to keep in the "Oh, well, I might use that, so... it can just live in my basement in perpetuity in case I do need it."
The list of the latter items is probably way longer than the former.
Well, instead of throwing out the below household items, why don't you try and reuse them? You'll save a trip to the dump and the planet in the process, all while saving these items for a slow and painful decaying death on top of a bottomless landfill pit. Let's examine 40 ways to repurpose household items that you were about to throw out.
Old Trash Cans As Amplifiers
If you like to listen to music outdoors, even in damp conditions, then it's time to turn that old plastic trash can into a speaker amplifier. It also doubles perfectly as a rain cover. Lay it on its side, put your speaker in and crank those tunes.
Vegetable Oil Prevents Rust of Garden Tools
If you're struggling to use all that vegetable oil that you bought because it was on sale, try using some as rust-prevention. Instead of letting your used garden tools rust in the garden (we've all left them outside overnight, don't lie), place them in a bucket of sand and about a quart of vegetable oil. The oil acts a lubricant, preventing water damage.
Containers As Bits & Bobs Storage
Instead of throwing away your old plastic food containers, wash them out, let them dry and then use them to store small things like screws, nails, or even liquids in your glass ones. Ensure they're all marked appropriately so you know what's what.
Bonita R. Cheshier, Shutterstock
DIY Saw Guards
You'll no longer need to worry about slicing yourself on a rusty or uncovered saw blade. Use the cardboard from your empty paper towel roll as a blade guard for your saws, in case you've lost the original one provided by the manufacturer.
String-Dispensers From Old CD Bins
Nobody uses CDs anymore (well, okay, very few people). You may still have the old circular storage bins that they used to come in that would fit nicely over the top of your spindle. Well, if you do, you can reuse that as a string holder and dispenser. Simply flip it upside down, drill a hole in the bottom to the width of your string and dispense with ease.
Hair Ties as Cord Organizers
Instead of throwing out your worn-out hair ties (or they were likely found months after buying brand new ones), use them to organize your cables and cords. Snugly loop them around one of end of the cable, then loop them around the cable's slack till they're nice and tight.
Old Carabiners as Wrench Organizers
Instead of leaving your wrenches a disorganized mess in your toolbox, consider using a carabiner placed through the closed-loop end to keep them all together and in the correct order.
Electric Toothbrushes As Cleaning Tools
You may be tempted out to toss out your old electric toothbrush when you buy new, but sometimes those old bristles are still good to clean with—just not for your teeth. Use them as a scrubbing pad against tough stains (complete with liquid cleaning solution).
Ensure you don't leave them in the same place as your clean toothbrush. *Shudders*
Winai Tepsuttinun, Shutterstock
Clamshell Container Gardens
For those who might be interested in growing some microgreens, there's no need to spend money on a large setup. Simply repurpose your old plastic salad containers by punching a few holes in them, spreading in some soil, Vermiculite and seeds, water generously, then placing them in a sunny spot.
Watch your microgreens come to life.
Baby-Proofing Using Pool Noodles
Create cushions for the wee ones by using pool noodles or pipe insulation on the sharp corners of furniture, you can use double-sided tape to stick them down.
ashleigh290, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Pie Pan Storage Solutions
Instead of throwing out an old pie pan that you've not used in a while, why not turn it into a wall-mounted storage solution? Simply cut the pan in half, presenting you with two half-moons. Screw the lip of these half-pans flat into the wall and you have a sturdy pocket for things like wire wheels, chop saw blades or anything else.
Plant Hanger Toy Storage
If you've got plant hangers that are gathering dust in the garage, slap a new coat of a paint on them and use them as toy storage for your kids' stuffed animals.
Ladder Pot/Towel Rack
If you have a ladder with a broken rung or two, don't throw it out. You can cut off the broken rungs and reuse the shortened ladder as a hanging storage solution for pot racks, or as a bathroom towel rack.
Tea Pot/Flower Pot
If you have an old cast-iron or metal tea pot that you're considering tossing—don't. Turn it into a vintage flower pot.
Mlhynes, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Wooden Spool Outdoor Tables
Maybe you'll see these on the roadside after a power installation, or maybe you've had power installed at your place. Instead of just tossing them (or leaving them by the roadside), bring them home and use them as an outdoor table. You can even hinge the cylinder in the middle to create small compartments for storage.
Old Wooden Shutters = New Room Dividers?
If you're redoing the shutters on your home, don't throw out your old shutters too quickly. Freshen them up with a coat of paint, fasten them together with some hinges and use them as room dividers.
Make Unconventional Doors
For the longest time, doors have been push-pull to open with a handle. But what if you took that old barn door and put it on sliders? Don't let that high-quality wood go to waste, and use it to give your house a rustic flair.
Tiffany Christie Freeman, Pexels
Wooden Pallet Vine Hangers
If you have an old wooden pallet laying around, reuse it to hang vine plants from. Place the plastic pot in the space between the front and back of the pallet wood and let the vines grow down the front. You could even paint the slates different colors, to give it a bit of character.
Wine Bottle Planters
If you have the steady hand to cut glass, try reusing old wine bottles as planters. Depending on the color, they can provide a fantastic aesthetic for your flowers. Depending on the planting arrangement you're going for, you'll need to either cut the top off, or cut a section out of the side. Wear appropriate safety equipment.
Downspout Organizers
If you have leftover downspouts from your gutter removal, don't throw them out. Instead, cut them into six-inch lengths and use them to hold pliers, drills, or other hand tools in your tool bag or toolbox.
In-Book Jewellery Box
A bit of a crafty solution to an old book: Rather than tossing it out or donating it, use it as a subtle method of storing jewellery. Not only is it a neat way to store your jewels, it may also prevent them from being stolen, as no one looks inside a book when rummaging through a home.
In-Book Tablet Storage
Another great option to reuse an old book is as tablet storage. Simply tear out the pages you don't want and latch your tablet in behind the last page (between that and the rear cover) and store your tablet inconspicuously when on-the-go.
Book-Bound Stationary Storage
If you're looking for another interesting way to reuse an old book, remove both covers, cut a circle through the remaining pages (glue them back together if they've become detached), then use the holes you've created to store pens and pencils.
Buy a couple of those circular storage bins and insert them for a bookworm's desktop storage dream.
Old Dining Room Chairs As Hexagonal Chair Benches
While it's possible to reuse your old dining room chairs in other ways, this one doesn't involve you breaking own each piece. Arrange your old dining room chairs so they create a hexagonal shape by placing each of the four chairs in a square (leaving a hole in the middle), then attach five or six 1x1/2-inch treated wooden pieces to each leg to form a hexagon.
Old Books As Nightstands
If you have a collection of books that won't fit on your bookshelves, but are tall enough and wide enough when stacked, give yourself a cool nightstand or couch side-table. Perfect for the writer-midnight-oil burners among us.
A Piano Breakfast Bar
If you've got an old upright piano whose keys haven't seen fingers since the 1980s, maybe it's time to repurpose the old thing. Remove the keys and the inner workings and put in a marble or granite countertop-style piece where the keys used to be. Treat the inside wood of the piano with some waterproofing spray or sealing oils and use it as a kitchen island/breakfast bar.
Pandora Pictures, Shutterstock
Rolling Shop Vac Trash Can
We all shed a tear when our trusty shop vac dies. Next time that happens to you—after throw out the canister and motor, but keep the base of the shop vac as a roll-around trash can. Perfect for basement or garage use.
Bottle Cap Tea Lights
Save your old bottle caps and reuse them as tea lights. Fill these with melted wax and wicks, trim the wicks, and light 'em up!
Ohene okai, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Wall-Mounted Rake Utensil Holder
Even if you don't want to bring the garden indoors, you can reuse that old garden rake (the one with the broken handle that's been sitting in the garden collecting moss) as a wall-mounted utensil holder. If rustic is the vibe you're going for, of course.
Egg Carton Paint Holders
Rather than tossing out old egg cartons, keep a couple on hand for the kids' painting escapades. They're great for holding small amounts of paint, though they'll eventually become soaked through, so try not to overload them.
Egg cartons can also be reused as a planters for microgreens, or if you're just starting out, some seeds before transferring them to a larger pot.
Cereal Bag Liners
You might be surprised to learn that cereal bag liners aren't one-and-done! They can be cut up and reused as: patty-separation sheets for burger patties (if you make your own and stack them for freezing), or as an easy mess-free way to crush up crackers or other food. Don't toss them out with the cardboard box next time.
Steven Depolo, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Empty Glass Jars
Glass jars have many uses around the home! They can be used as screw storage in the garage, or as bacon/cooking grease collection in the kitchen. You can even wash and use your mason jars as drinking glasses.
Disposable Razors as Pill Removal Tools
Pilling occurs when fabrics such as wool, cotton, cashmere and polyester breakdown and form small balls on your clothing. These pills can be removed using disposable razors that are too dull to shave with.
Tissue Box Trash Receptacle
Until you pick up one of those collapsible trash cans (thanks to the absolute genius who created those!), you can use an empty tissue box as a trash receptacle in your car for smaller items like chocolate bar wrappers.
Hafizussalam bin Sulaiman, Shutterstock
Paper Bags As Ripening Tools
It's not just an old wives' tale, putting your almost-but-not-quite ripening tomatoes or other fruit into a brown paper bag, in a dark place will help them to ripen a little faster. You could always let nature take its course, but brown paper bags shouldn't end up in your trash so often with this little trick.
Pictures_for_You, Shutterstock
Oil Barrels as Burn Barrels
If you love nothing more than a good bonfire, reuse the old oil barrel or oil vessel from your old heating system as an exterior burn barrel to dispose of old wood from a renovation or just have a good old-fashioned bonfire!
A Wheelbarrow Garden
If your wheelbarrow is falling apart and needs to be replaced, but hasn't quite rusted through, or maybe the axle's gone on the wheel and it is now simply more "barrow" than "wheel," then it might be time to transform into a small garden! Simply add soil, compost and plant away!
Add Some Legs To Your Vintage Suitcase
Maybe you've got a beautiful old suitcase that isn't going anywhere (because it's too expensive to travel at the moment—tears), well, give that suitcase four legs and you have a small coffee table that gives off "different" vibes. You can either screw the legs in, or superglue them on.
Benches From Headboards & Footboards
Repurpose that old bed's head and footboards by screwing them together to create a cool bench! They're the perfect size to match each other already, add some seating and a pair of cushions and away you go!
Jimmypader, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Teacup Curtain Ties
If you've got some broken china teacups that you're not sure what to do with, but don't want to throw them out, make a big enough hole in the bottom for a curtain to be pulled through and hang the handle onto the hook in your wall: voila—a curtain tie!
It might be easy to throw things away if they're not being used, but it's even easier to reuse them and save them from the dump. Reduce, reuse and recycle, whenever possible.
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