12 Unique Repurposing Ideas for Things Lying Around Your Florida Home
“I can’t throw this out, what if I need it later!” If you just nodded your head in agreement without even knowing what I’m talking about, then this is the article for you.
You don’t need me to tell you how important it is to reduce waste (but if you do, just Google “Great Pacific garbage patch”), and one of the best ways we can do that in our everyday lives is to practice reusing, repurposing, and upcycling. You might be amazed to learn how useful that item you’re about to send off to a Florida landfill could be!
With that in mind, I’ve put together a list of easy and creative ways you can repurpose everyday items in your home to give them a whole new life – and make your own life easier in the process. This list is a great start, but by no means comprehensive. So, don’t forget to use your own creativity and ingenuity to come up with all new excuses – I mean, GOOD REASONS – not to throw that thing away.
1. Pool Noodle Baby-Proofing
When your old pool noodle has worn out its summer fun usefulness, give it a new life by baby-proofing your home!
You can cut your pool noodle down to any size and cut a horizontal slit so it will slide right onto any sharp-edged table, counter corner, cabinet handle, or anything else that could pose a danger to tiny hands, heads, and bodies.
2. Old Bucket Dog Feeder
With just a few strategic cuts, your old 5-gallon bucket can become an automatic feeder that makes sure Fido never goes hungry.
All you need are sharp tools to cut an appropriately-sized hole toward the bottom of the bucket and a feeding dish that fits snugly into the opening, so the food ends up in the bowl and not all over your floor.
3. Hair Tie Cord Control
It’s a sad reality that elastic hair ties can become too stretched out to be of much use after only a few outings (trust me, as the owner of an unruly mane of curls, I know), but that doesn’t mean they have to go right into the trash.
You can use those old hair ties to keep your cords and cables nicely coiled and organized, rather than becoming a tangled mess.
4. Cardboard Storage Tube for Extension Cords
Speaking of cable discipline, the cardboard tubes from paper towel and toilet paper rolls are actually a perfect way to store your extension cords.
Simply coil your cord and then slide it into the appropriately sized tube. This will keep them from becoming tangled, and also keep them organized in the box, drawer, or cabinet where you keep them (for extra points, use a pen to write the cord’s length on the tube so you never have to guess).
5. Tennis Ball Bottle/Jar Opener
I know we’re not supposed to admit these sorts of things publicly, but sometimes even big, strong men like me have a little bit of trouble opening bottles and jars. Luckily, I am brave enough to talk about it (please, hold your applause).
You can cut an old tennis ball (or a new tennis ball, if you never actually got around to hitting the court) in half, exposing the soft rubber insides. This rubber has incredible grip, and is perfect for screwing the tops off bottles and jars that just don’t seem to want to let go.
6. Fuzzy Sock Blind Cleaners
Cleaning your window blinds can be exceptionally annoying – they attract massive amounts of dust, and yet you have to be gentle with them or you’ll cause even worse problems.
Fortunately, fuzzy socks make the perfect tool for wiping dust and grime off your fragile blinds. So before you toss out that orphaned fuzzy sock, make sure your blinds don’t need a good wipe-down first.
7. Old Ladder Pot Rack
If you have an old wooden ladder lying around the house, the first thing I want you to do is stop using it. The day will likely come when it’s not going to hold you, and you could get hurt.
The second thing I want you to do is consider suspending it from your kitchen ceiling (in a place where people don’t walk under), because while it may not be able to hold you anymore, it might be great for holding your pots and pans. This makes an effective – and attractive – storage solution for your hard-to-store kitchenware, and keeps that old ladder where no one will try to climb it anymore.
8. Egg Carton Jewelry Organizer
There are literally dozens of things you can do with an old egg carton. What’s that you say? “Name one?” OK, here’s one: Organize your jewelry.
If you have a chaotic jewelry drawer, use the bottom half of an egg carton to keep it organized. You can even slap a coat of paint on that bad boy to make something as stylish as the accessories it will hold.
9. Old Mug Desktop Organizer
If you’re anything like me, you can never find a pen when you need one, and your cupboard is overflowing with old mugs you can’t bring yourself to throw away. Well, guess what? These two problems can solve each other.
Put those old mugs to work organizing your desk. A mug for pens, a pen for pencils, a mug for paperclips – a neat lineup of mugs is a far more effective, and aesthetically pleasing, way to organize your desk than your current “dig through the clutter” method (I might be projecting just a skosh here).
10. Can Tab Picture Hangers
If you’re looking to hang a picture but the frame you want to use doesn’t have any loops or sawtooth hangers on the back, the solution might be in your fridge.
Pop open the canned beverage of your choice (I prefer a refreshing seltzer, but soda or beer works just as well), and when you are finished drinking, snap off the tab. Use a small screw to affix it to the back of your frame, and you’ll be in business (the picture hanging business, specifically).
11. Take-Out Container Herb Planter
Those small, plastic clamshell containers you got from the restaurant, salad bar, or grocery store deli don’t have to end up in the landfill or recycling center quite yet – they have an important job to do.
You can use these containers as small planters for your indoor herb garden. Growing your own herbs won’t just improve the taste of your food, it will make your kitchen smell like absolute heaven even when nothing’s cooking.
12. Old Book Knife Block
If you have some old books lying around that you don’t intend to read (cookbooks are thematically perfect for this), you can finally get rid of your old, beat-up knife block.
Use some twine to bundle the books together (not too tightly), and place your book-bundle on the countertop. You can now slide your kitchen knives in between the pages for the perfect sharp-object storage solution.
17 Life Hacks That Are Harder Than the Non-Hack
Life hacks are supposed to make your life easier, and sometimes they really do. However, the internet is rife with hacks that aren’t actually effective.
17 Life Hacks That Are Harder Than the Non-Hack
24 “Compliments” That Are Actually Condescending
Some Americans have mastered the art of a double-edged nice comment. Others, more well-intentioned, don’t mean to say something judgmental but end up there just the same.
“Bless Her Heart.” 24 Compliments That Are Actually Condescending
