Don’t buy it, make it: Cornstarch carpet deodorizer

When was the last time you used that box of cornstarch sitting way in the back of your pantry? If you’re like me, you can’t remember. Here’s a new way to put it to good use that will also save you money from having to buy a new product.

 

 

The next time you want to freshen your house, sprinkle cornstarch over your carpets, let it sit for half an hour and then vaccuum it up. Cornstarch acts as a natural deodorizer without the harsh chemicals and smelly fragrances. Especially helpful in pet-loving households.

Photo by Alex Kehr.

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And the winner of the To-Go Ware set is…

Thank you to everyone who participated in this giveaway and thanks so much to To-Go Ware for sponsoring such an awesome product set!

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Eggs-citing ways to reuse egg shells

(Sorry for the punny title, but it’s practically unavoidable.)

 

With Easter just two weeks away, there will be many a dozen eggs bought and used for coloring eggs, making devilled eggs and decorating blown out eggs. With all of those eggs come a lot of egg shells. Instead of discarding the egg shells resulting from this year’s festivities, consider reusing them in fun, decorative and practical ways around your house.

 

How to reuse egg shells

 

To decorate

Mini flower arrangement. Leave it to Martha to come up with such a cool idea like this. Makes a sweet and simple table centerpiece. 

 

Votive candles. This one take a little more effort and craftiness, but if you can pull it off, these eggshell votives would be a nice addition to your Easter decor. 

 

In the garden & around the house

Slug and snail deterrent. Crush up eggshells and sprinkle them around the base of plants in your yard and garden to help prevent snails and slugs. The idea is that these soft-bodied creatures will not slither over the sharp eggshells.

 

Plant food. Mix together dried coffee grounds and dried, crushed eggshells and add to potted and outdoor plants as a boost of nutrients.

 

Plant water. After making hard boiled eggs, use the cooled leftover water to water your plants. Plants will benefit from the extra eggshell nutrients leached into the water.

 

Seedling planters. Start new seeds in an eggshell. When the seedling is too big, you can replant the whole thing in your garden.

 

Compost. Add eggshells to your compost pile. Simple!

 

Bird feed. Sounds strange, but true. Bake at 250 degrees until dry (not brown), crumble and set out for the birds.

 

Calcium for dogs. Eggshells provide an excellent source of calcium. When prepared properly, eggshells are a great addition to your dog’s diet.

 

Clean vases. When broken into small pieces, eggshells can work wonders on cleaning items with caked on grime in hard to reach places, like vases. Also works well with a well-used travel coffee mug. Add crushed up shells, water and dish soap to your vase or coffee mug and shake well.

 

For fun

Eggshell egg heads. The kids will have fun with this idea. Gives you another opportunity to repurpose toilet paper tubes too!

 

Eggshell mosaic. Save the shells from colored Easter eggs for a rainy day project with your kids. They’ll love creating these colorful mosaics.

 

Know how to reuse eggshells in a way that I haven’t listed? Leave a comment and let us know!

Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography.

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Fave 5 links: 3.28.09

 

Learn the history of and how to participate in Earth Hour tonight.   {Lighter Footstep}

 

Learn how to make a simple journal using binder clips and cardboard or a fun “sprouting egg heads” project, just in time for Easter.   {The Crafty Crow}

 

Find out how you can get past “But I might need it someday” and declutter your house.   {On Simplicity}

 

Have you taken a close look at your spice cabinet lately? Check out these helpful guidelines for cleaning out your spices.   {Small Notebook}

 

Check out these patching tips for your child’s tired and too-short pants.   {Enviro Mom}

 

 

Photo by The Wolf.

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What to do with an empty toothpaste tube

Have you ever thought about repurposing an empty toothpaste tube? Me neither, until today. And if you’re thinking I’m going to provide you with a list chock full of brilliant ideas, well then you may be disappointed. After scouring the Net, I found only 3 truly useful (or at least creative) ideas for reusing a cleaned, empty toothpaste tube.

 

 

3 ways to reuse an empty toothpaste tube

 

Knife and scissors protector. This would be useful for the one-off knives lying in your kitchen drawer (as opposed to the ones in your knife block, if you have one). This is especially handy if your kitchen drawers are prone to rummaging by little hands. To make your knife or scissors protector, cut off the cap end of your toothpaste tube. Wash and dry the tube completely. Place the open end of the tube over your knife and voilà — instant protection!

 

Pen holder. Following the same instructions as above, you can turn a toothpaste tube into a pen holder that works well when tacked to a cork board in your office or a peg board in your garage.

 

Money hider. This one gets the prize for most creative. The next time you have a need to hide a wad of cash, clean out an empty toothpaste tube (do not cut the tube– it must stay in tact). Once dry, roll up your bills and insert them into the empty tube and replace the cap. To retrieve your money, you’ll need to cut off the end of the tube. I’m thinking this would be useful for travel, keeping a rainy day stash or hiding money from your spouse (kidding on that one folks).

 

Have you repurposed an empty toothpaste tube? Tell us about it!

 

Photo by jonathanvlarocca.

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Product Spotlight & GIVEAWAY: To-Go Ware

This contest is now closed.

I’m just giddy about this week’s spotlight and giveaway. A few weeks ago, I came across the Website for the company, To-Go Ware. To-Go Ware makes reusable utensils self-contained in a handy little pouch that you can take along anywhere. The goal behind their products is to reduce your ecological footprint by eliminating the use of plastic throwaway utensils used in fast-food restaurants and in to-go meals. They also have a new line of stainless steel food carriers.

 

 

 
But that’s not all… To-Go Ware’s line of utensil pouches are made from reclaimed plastic bags and the utensils are made from the very durable and sustainable resource, bamboo. The creation of their products help employ the women of WEAVE (Women’s Education for Advancement and Empowerment), an organization of women in a Burmese refugee camp that run a business to support their self-determination and pride, provide income for their families, and highlight their incredible talent for weaving and embroidery. To-Go Ware is also supported by the work of CONSERVE, a non-governmental organization located in India that employs traditionally marginalized folks at a fair living wage and removes millions of plastic bags from New Delhi’s landfills every year. CONSERVE uses it’s profits to build schools, provide meal programs for local worker and families in need, as well as paying three to four times the local wage to the employees, to provide a better living wage and opportunity.

 

And now for the best part: To-Go Ware has graciously offered to give away an entire set (a $50 value!) from their line of products! One lucky repurposeful reader will win the following:

 

To-Go Ware 3-Tier Stainless Steel Tiffin Food Carrier

Great for salads, soup, and desserts. Comes with a stainless steel Sidekick to keep extra dressing or a small snack. Self-latching top container gives you the flexibility to pack just one or take it in its 3-tiered glory.

 

 

 

 

To-Go Ware 3-Tier Tiffin Recycled Cotton Carrier Bag

Recycled cotton bag to carry your 3-Tier Stainless Steel Food Carrier. Adjustable strap and added insulation, plus a pocket to hold your utensil set!

 

 

 

 

 

 

To-Go Ware CONSERVE Utensil Set – Newsprint

The holder for this utensil set was produced by CONSERVE and is made entirely of recycled plastic. And the newsprint style contains recycled newspaper, so you may get a scandalous headline from the gossip pages embedded in your wrap. The utensil set includes a fork, knife, spoon and chopsticks, and is made of bamboo, a highly durable resource that can be grown and harvested sustainably. 

 

 

How to win: To enter to win, visit the To-Go Ware Website, come back to this post and leave a comment telling us about your favorite utensil set and holder (there are several styles).

To receive a second entry, subscribe to repurposeful‘s feed or emails, and leave a second comment to let me know that you are a new subscriber.

If you already subscribe, get a friend to enter this giveaway and leave a comment to tell me the name of your referred friend.

The deadline for this giveaway is Monday, March 30 at midnight, EST.

 

 

~ Good luck! ~

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And now you’ve seen it all… How to reuse dryer lint

Yes, you read it right: DRYER LINT. Believe it or not, there are some practical uses for the grey-ish white-ish puffy fluff that you clean from your lint trap.

 

Kindling. Dryer lint has long been known in the Boy Scouts culture as an excellent fire starter.* Check out these simple instructions and take some lint along on your next camping trip.

 

Nesting material. Pet stores sell this stuff, but you can find it for free in your dryer! Works well for hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, rats and other similar creatures.

 

Compost material. Lint from organic material (cotton, wool) can be added to your compost pile.

 

Crafts. Really, truly — you can make clay, papier mache and paper from lint. Here are instructions for all three.

 

*Because dryer lint is highly flammable, you should clean your lint trap as often as possible (after every load is best). This will prevent build up that can start a fire and allow your dryer work more efficiently. And since dryer lint is so flammable, it should not be used as stuffing for toys or pillows.

Photo by ewige.

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8 handy ways to reuse twist ties

Since my family is not yet efficient at making homemade bread, we end up with quite a few twist/bread ties. And by the time we’re done using them, they’re mangled and ugly. However, they’re still functioning — but for what?

 

1. Wrangle up the cords behind your computer desk with a few strategically placed twist ties.

 

2. Going for the Shirley Temple look? Before going to bed, section wet hair into small segments, twist and turn them into coils, and secure them with a twist tie. You’ll wake up with a head full of ringlets!

 

3. Use twist ties in your garden to band stalks together or to secure them to a trellis.

 

4. Fashion a make-shift hanger for light pictures or artwork from a repurposed bread tie.

 

5. Strip the paper from a twist tie for a nice piece of wire that has multiple around-the-house uses, like a temporary replacement for a missing eyeglass screw.

 

6. Has one of your coats lost its zipper pull? Use a twist tie as a makeshift zipper pull.

 

7. Turn a twist tie into a locking device for suitcase zippers or hamster cage doors.

 

8. Do you own a pair of pants with a zipper that always falls down and leaves you blushing in public? Loop a twist tie through the zipper pull and attach it to the inside of the button at the top of your zipper. It will mean a few minutes of extra work during bathroom trips, but it will keep your modesty in tact!

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Fave 5 links: 3.21.09

Celebrate World Water Day this Sunday with these water-saving ideas.   {Lighter Footstep}

 

Before you get rid of this year’s ratty old sweaters, consider remaking them into a beautiful new piece for next year’s wardrobe.   {Cheap Like Me}

 

Here are 7 cheap and green fun family activities — get busy!   {Smart Family Tips}

 

Learn how frugality and simplicity go hand-in-hand.   {Simple Mom}

 

Have fun with shadows — another cheap and simple activity for the kids.   {Mark it with a B}

 

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One Small Step: Using ALL of your products

What do you do when your favorite bottle of lotion [appears] to run out? Do you toss out the bottle (or recycle it, if possible) and add it to your shopping list? 

 

 

 

Did you know that there can be up to four more weeks of product left in the bottle when your pump or spout no longer puts out? Ah, the wonder of package marketing. With a few extra steps, you can be sure that you’re getting your money’s worth on every last drop of your favorite lotion, moisturizer, concealer, etc. 

 

If it’s a pump bottle, unscrew the pump and use it as a dip stick to dig out more of the product. When this no longer works, hit the bottle upside down on your palm until more of the product comes loose. When this no longer works, it’s time to break out all of the stops: cut the bottle. By cutting a larger opening into the bottle, you can use your fingers to scrape along the sides and bottom of the bottle, extracting every last drop of product.

 

If your product is in a tube or screw top bottle, skip directly to cutting the container.

 

When working with a soap product (liquid hand soap, face wash, shampoo, dish soap), you can extend the last bit of it by adding a little water.

 

Over time, you’ll save yourself money on the amount of products you buy and you’ll save landfills from additional waste.

 

 

Photo by tanakawho.

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