Alternate Uses - for Anything

Jules

Jules

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When I spotted a silver serving casserole in the corner of a photo, I realized I finally have two possible uses for my mine.

Since it has a divided glass bowl inside, I now have two types of snacks in it. It also looks nice sitting on my counter. Right now the snacks are nuts and dates.

The other possible use is for keys & coins.
 

I'm big on repurposing things. I moved into a rental home years ago that had some old steel and wire garden gates and a bunch of old windows leaned up against the backyard fence. I attached the gates to the inside of some of the windows in the house and my daughter hung potted plants on them...security and greenery, and it looked nice. I lightly sanded (but didn't repaint) the smaller old windows and used them as picture frames. I still have one of the multi-paned ones - 6 panes, 6 photos of me and the kids.
 
Had an old railroad lantern that had been in my parents house.
For a long time the lantern was shoved back out of the way in our garage.

Got it out stripped off the old dirty white paint.
Spray painted it bright red,,put battery candle in it to use.

Decided back porch would be where to put it.

Needed a stand for it.
Hunting in basement , found a tall bird cage ,, bit rough for wear.
Turned it upside down ,put the plastic seed tray upside down ,, new stand for the lantern.

Now if I could find a solar light for the lantern.
 

All this plastic we're quickly filling our world and especially our seas up with is some challenge to think up any way out, when microplastics are now said to be inside each and everyone of our bodies, and every time you wash your synthetic fleece untold numbers of these tiny fibres or whatever you call them get released, and have to go somewhere.

A mate of mine recycled plastic milk containers as plant pots, and there you have it, one man found a use for probably fifty containers, (I maybe use fifty a month one way or another, though they're supposed to be recycled, even the top now aren't they?). Its hard to say whether I've come up with my own ideas on reusing plastic, though I do occasionally reuse a yogurt pot as a container for eating cereal in, in order to save on washing up ceramic pots, but that just delays them being discarded.

The modern world maybe couldn't carry on as we know it if we halved the amount of plastic used, but one day we'll have to unless a suitable alternative, totally environmentally safe alternative emerges, "otherwise its back to the stone age for us all"! :cry:.

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Repurposing... one of my favourite things.

I remember a friends dad had a workshop in the basement, and fastened to a long board above his work station/bench was several dozen baby food jar lids, and in each glass baby food jar was all sorts of different sized screws and nails and bolts and things. Always though that was nifty. Kept everything organized and neatly stowed away.

I use one of the old plastic baby diaper pails as a garbage can in the kitchen.

Have a number of my kids old diaper pins stowed-away in my sewing room in a notions box that I use for emergency fixes, repairs, and to tack fabric together when stitching, etc.

For general purpose household dusting cloths, window washers, kitchen cleanup cloths for spills, wiping the counter, etc, I have a couple of dozen leftover cotton flannelette diapers in service from the baby days in our house. Lint-free, super absorbent, soft, and scratch-free. My joke with family and friends for years when I pulled one out to use was, "try that with a disposable diaper".

I have more but just can't think of them right now.
 
peramangkelder said:
I cut up old flannelette sheets and use them as rags
I cut up old flannelette pyjamas and use them as rags too
Often huz will ask for some to use for a job he is doing in the shed
Always handy because you never know when you will need a rag
When the rags get too far gone they can then be thrown away because they will break down
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Nothing beats good old flannelette, especially if it's good quality.
 
I have a large collection of hillbilly Tupperware!

I use an old wooden sugar bucket similar to this one for a small chairside table. It's just the right size to hold an ashtray and a drink but I'm sad to admit that it doesn't get much use these days.

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Murrmurr said:
Akin to flannelette, I cut several of Collins' old receiving blankets in half to make kitchen towels, and cut one up to make wash cloths for cleaning him up after he eats.
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From the time my kids were babies, everything around them (and on them) was flannelette.

Pyjamas, crib sheets, diapers... you just can't beat good old flannelette.
 
Lee said:
I buy good quality but outdated clothing at thrift stores to become something new in fashion. I did two jackets made from recycled jeans last week. Other scraps can be turned into tote bags.
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Yes! It's actually a lot of fun (for me) to turned used clothes into something cool for the grandkids. My granddaughter, Ariel, loves it, firstly because she thinks its awesome but also because she winds up with something to wear that none of her classmates have.
 
I have purse cookie jar that I put jewelry and other odds and ends in. Cookies go stale in cookie jars. I never quite understood having a cookie jar for cookies that got stale quicker. Did they eat them quicker in the old days??
 
MarciKS said:
I never quite understood having a cookie jar for cookies that got stale quicker.
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Those were for the days when people made their own cookies instead of getting them in boxes.

Once I forgot I made cookies. They were covered in a fluffy mould in less than two weeks.

I don’t think it’s the seal, it’s the lack of chemicals. Or maybe the quality of my baking. 😂
 
Jules said:
Those were for the days when people made their own cookies instead of getting them in boxes.

Once I forgot I made cookies. They were covered in a fluffy mould in less than two weeks.

I don’t think it’s the seal, it’s the lack of chemicals. Or maybe the quality of my baking. 😂
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Good point. Home made cookies - natural preservatives.
 
Jules said:
Those were for the days when people made their own cookies instead of getting them in boxes.

Once I forgot I made cookies. They were covered in a fluffy mould in less than two weeks.

I don’t think it’s the seal, it’s the lack of chemicals. Or maybe the quality of my baking. 😂
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I wouldn't have let you forget, Jules. (I'm a cookie hound)
I wouldn't have eaten the fluffy ones, tho
 
I repurposed canning jars for storage. Especially the older ones, like Atlas or Mason. I use glass jars, like the ones pickles and salsa come in for my gel pens that I use for coloring in my adult coloring books. All separated by color.

I use a plastic tote with a lid for my garbage can. It is small and I can put it on my walker to take to the dumpster. With a lid on, riding down in the elevator I don't worry about odors if others get on the elevator too. It sits on a stool in the kitchen and I use the stool fo getting stuff in and out of the cupboard. This way it serves a purpose without being in the way.
 

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