Waste Not, Want Not: 35 New Uses for Old Stuff

by Jo Oliver, Aug 31, 2008

Ever wonder what you can do with all the leftovers from every day life? Create a new use for it and save it from the landfill. Here are some to get you started.

Rinse out those empty baby food jars and peel the label off! This is a great idea for pantries and garages. Take the baby food lid and nail it (use a small finishing nail- so it doesn't go all the way through the wood) under a shelf with the top of the lid against the bottom of the shelving. Fill the baby food jar with paper clips, tie wraps, or safety pins, screws, etc. Then screw the jar on the lid. Repeat with more jars and lids for other items that are constantly getting lost in the pantry and garage.
Empty wine bottles make great soap dispensers. Just wash and peel the label off. Fill with soap and screw on pump from your old dispenser. You can also fill them with olive oil, canola oil, etc. Line a shelf with the beautiful oil filled wine bottles, instead of the ugly plastic ones that the oil came in.
Peel the label off and rinse out empty spaghetti sauce jars to store beans, rice, and macaroni noodles.
Instead of buying those expensive trash bags for your tiny bathroom trash can, save the plastic bags from the grocery store. The handles can be tied together to fit the rim of the can.
Old shower curtains make great drop clothes for home improvement projects. Also, make great carpet savers for when kids are doing finger painting, play dough, etc…. projects.
Empty egg cartons make great seed starter kits. Just fill each hole half way up with dirt, place seed in, and fill to the top with more dirt.
Old film canisters make great quarter holders. Fill the canister with quarters next time you are traveling or just to keep in a purse for easy access.
Old pantyhose can be used to tie up tomato plants or overgrown rose bushes.
Save all your unwanted paper clips and use them at Christmas time as ornament hooks.
Don't throw away that flat Coke. It makes a great baste for hams. Instead of rubbing with brown sugar, just pour the coke over your ham, cook, and get the same sweet flavor.
After you use the coke for the ham, fill the plastic bottle ¾ with water and freeze. Makes a great ice pack for injuries, coolers, etc.
Instead of buying wax paper, just save the plastic bag that cereal comes in. Great to cool dipped candies on.
When cotton clothes get faded, worn, or stained, don't trash them. They make great dust rags. Just cut the fabric into 6x6 squares.
Save the comic section from the newspaper for when you are going to eat lobster or crab at home. Just spread the sheets out over your table and when you are done its an easy cleanup. Plus, the comics are a great conversation starter with guests.
Used dryer sheets can be used to line clothing drawer's.
Make a pet scoop out of a ½ gallon milk jug. Cut out the handle and three of four inches bellow the handle.
Don't throw away those lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, peelings. Take the shavings and make your own liquid potpourri using left over cooking oil. Place shavings in one table spoon of cooking oil. Place in liquid potpourri burner and the room will fill with scent.
Any citrus fruit peelings can also be used as a non harmful cat repellant for the garden. Cats hate the smell of citrus, so just sprinkle the peelings anywhere you don't want them to go.
Use empty baby wipe containers to store plastic bags. The pop up lid creates easy access.

If you want to buy the cheaper big cans of dog food , but your pooch can't eat it all at one time. Plastic lids from yogurt, heresy syrup (can,) etc make the perfect canned dog food lid.
Ice cream sticks make good labels for seeding plants.
An old toothbrush makes great tile cleaner. Also can be used to clean the slats in the air conditioner vent or jewelry.
Spread used coffee grounds around rosebushes instead of miracle grow. The coffee grounds will add acidity to the soil.
Save the butter wrappers and use them to grease pans and dishes.
Old bath tubs and chipped pots make great planters. Just fill with dirt and plant flowers. Let your flower have a unique home.
Replacing your old windows? Use the old windows as decoration. Stain with flower deco and hang in garden. Or use as a coffee table top. Try paring a window table top with wine bottles for legs.
Save the slivers of left over bath and hand soap. Poke a few small holes in a zip lock bag and hang in your closet or put in with stored clothes. Keeps your closet smelling fresh and the stale smell out of stored clothes.
Use old tires to plant potatoes. Start with one tire filled with dirt and plant two seeds two feet inches deep. As the potato grows, put another tire on top and fill with more dirt. Always leave 2 inches of the plant exposed. Continue until ready to pick.
Old shower curtain hoops can be used in the closet to organize purses and belts.
Use larger plastic bags from clothing shops to line cat litter box Put mouth of the bag over cat litter box, pulling snug to the base of the box. Stuff excess bag into the box and poor cat litter in. When time to change, just pull up the mouth of the bag and all the contents will be inside the bag and ready to be tied and discarded.
Stack milk crates or wooden crates on top of one another with the hollow center pointing outward. Use to store and showcase picture albums or books. If you stack more than two be sure to mount to the wall with hardware.
Old doors make great one of a kind bed headboards.
Store dog and cat food in old popcorn tins. It keeps the critters out and helps to preserve the freshness of the food.
Replacing old carpet. Reuse the old carpet. Cut a square out to wipe feet off on at your back door (keep that new carpet clean.) Line dog house with it.
“Hand me down” old brushes to animals. Use to keep mane clean, shed free, and shinny.