Home New Uses for Old Things at Home 50 All-Time Favorite New Uses for Old Things By Real Simple Editors Real Simple Editors Facebook Instagram Twitter An article attributed to "Real Simple Editors" indicates a collaborative effort from our in-house team. Sometimes, several writers and editors have contributed to an article over the years. These collaborations allow us to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available.The REAL SIMPLE team strives to make life easier for you. They are experts in their fields who research, test and clearly explain the best recipes, strategies, trends and products. They have worked for some of the most prestigious brands in lifestyle journalism, including Apartment Therapy, Better Homes & Gardens, Food & Wine, the Food Network, Good Housekeeping, InStyle, Martha Stewart Living, O: The Oprah Magazine, Parents, POPSUGAR, Rachel Ray Every Day, and Vogue. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on January 7, 2019 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Mark Lund New uses for old things give used-up items—think antiques, empty containers, office supplies, and more—a new purpose. These repurposed items get a second life, and clever upcyclers have new cool gadgets, gizmos, and decorations, plus new ways to solve daily problems. Old things can be found in home offices, kitchens, craft rooms, and more. Upcycling ideas for these things just take a little creativity, a little patience, and a fresh perspective. Fresh Ways to Reuse Things in Your Kitchen 01 of 50 Picture Frame as Vanity Tray Sang An Repurpose an old frame for a vanity tray that’s pretty as a picture. Place a piece of colored paper or fabric inside as a finishing touch. 02 of 50 Twister Mat as Tablecloth James Baigrie Protect the dinner table during a kid’s party, so right-hand-red Kool-Aid spills and left-hand-blueberry pie blobs don’t become permanent features. 03 of 50 Toothbrush as Corn Cleaner James Baigrie Use a clean toothbrush to remove stray threads of silk from freshly shucked ears of corn. The bristles will lift them away quickly and efficiently. 04 of 50 Colander as Ice Bucket Aya Brackett At a party, stash ice in a colander set on top of a bucket or a bowl. Water will drain out, and guests will get only the solid stuff. 05 of 50 Cardboard Roll as Hair Clip Holder Monica Buck Stop searching high and low for hair clips and elastics: Store them tidily on an empty TP tube. 06 of 50 Cardboard Coaster as Gift Tag Thayer Allyson Gowdy Pick up interesting cardboard coasters at restaurants and bars you visit along your travels. Punch a hole near the edge, thread some ribbon through, and voilà: homemade gift tag. 07 of 50 Chalk as Moisture Absorber Monica Buck Tie up a few pieces in cheesecloth and store them with your good silver to slow any tarnishing. 08 of 50 Vegetable Oil as Shoe Shiner Burcu Avsar Vegetable oil will put a shine on leather shoes. Use a damp cloth to remove any dirt, then run a soft cloth with a drop of oil over the surface to (literally) add polish. 09 of 50 Matchbox as Sewing Kit Mark Lund Tuck a few needles, pins, and thread into a matchbox for an instant sewing kit. 10 of 50 Drink Carrier as Condiment Kit Beatriz da Costa Cart condiments to a backyard barbecue. Slot flatware, ketchup and mustard in the compartments for easy transport. 11 of 50 Cassette Case as Cord Corraller Mark Lund Have an old cassette case hanging around? (Oh, you know you do.) Coil iPod earphones and tuck them in to keep wires uncrossed. 12 of 50 LifeSaver as Birthday-Candle Holder Beatriz da Costa One of readers’ all-time-favorite ideas: the LifeSaver as birthday-candle holder. (Candies in the original rolls provide the best fit―LifeSavers sold in big bags are larger and don’t work as well.) 13 of 50 Tissue Box as Plastic Bag Holder Beatriz da Costa Forget unruly plastic bags that seemingly regenerate under your sink. An empty tissue box keeps them neatly corralled and ready for use. 14 of 50 Shower Cap as Shoe Travel Bag Thayer Allyson Gowdy A giveaway shower cap becomes the perfect wrapper for shoes when traveling, preventing them from dirtying clothes packed in your suitcase. 15 of 50 Return-Address Sticker as Possession Labeler Mark Weiss Brand anything as yours―books, binders, Tupperware, a stapler―with a return-address sticker. 16 of 50 Window Decals as Drink Markers Anna Williams Decorate (and distinguish) wine or water glasses at your next get-together with removable window decals. Courtesy of reader Linda Winterhoff of Williamsburg, Virginia 17 of 50 Soap Case as Camera Protector David Prince A hard plastic soap case is the perfect size to protect a camera stashed in a carry-on bag. Courtesy of reader Amy Deml of Little Falls, Minnesota 18 of 50 Mitten as Sunglass Case Sang An Put off-duty winter mittens to work as protection for summer shades. 19 of 50 Plastic Bag as Paintbrush Saver Kana Okada A supermarket bag, tightly secured with a rubber band, will keep a brush (or roller) moist for a day or two in between painting sessions: the end of dried-out bristles. 20 of 50 Use Rubber Bands to Keep Clothes on the Hanger Quentin Bacon No more worries of camisoles, sundresses, and other slippery garments slipping off hangers when you wrap the ends with rubber bands. 21 of 50 Binder Clip as Key Chain Charles Maraia A binder clip serves as a key chain/money holder you can clamp to your waistband for a purse-free morning walk. 22 of 50 Ribbon as Old Lamp Shade Reviver Antonis Achilleos Pretty ribbon revives an old lamp shade. Apply a thin layer of glue and press on each piece of ribbon, matching the ends neatly. 23 of 50 Mouse Pad as Trivet Sang An Save a countertop with an old mouse pad turned trivet. (Make sure it has a nonplastic coating.) 24 of 50 Aluminum Foil as Paint Tool Quentin Bacon No more oops! moments when painting, if you cover doorknobs and hardware with aluminum foil. 25 of 50 Hair Straightener as Clothing Iron Kana Okada That straightening iron works on more than rambunctious hair: Use it to press between buttons, where a regular iron won’t fit. 26 of 50 Plastic Bags as Knee Pads Kana Okada Gardeners can go easy on their jeans with homemade knee pads. A couple of plastic bags tied on keep them grime-free. 27 of 50 Contact Lens Case as Medicine Holder Frances Janisch When traveling, eliminate clunky bottles for nonprescription meds from your purse by popping the pills into a contact-lens case. Note: This is not a childproof method for storing your pills. Don't try this if you have small children who rummage through your purse. 28 of 50 Towel Rod as Cleaning Supply Holder Aya Brackett Assemble a spray-cleaner arsenal by installing a rod in the closet or underneath the sink and then hooking the bottles onto it by their triggers. 29 of 50 Hair Elastic as Flower Arranger Gemma Comas and James Merrell A clear hair elastic binds blooms together for a better arrangement in a wide-mouth vase. Stretch the elastic around the stems, then let the flowers fall naturally. 30 of 50 Ketchup Bottle as Pancake Batter Dispenser Mark Lund Make no-mess pancakes with the help of a ketchup bottle: Pour in batter, then squeeze out precise portions. 31 of 50 Rubber Bands as Glass Holder Kathryn Barnard Rubber bands give little fingers a better grip on a chilly or slippery glass. 32 of 50 Popcorn as Eco-Friendly Packing Formula Z/S Why pack with Styrofoam peanuts when you can pack with popcorn (plain and air-popped). No air popper? Be sure to cover the item with a plastic bag. 33 of 50 Eyeglasses Case as Manicure Kit Kirsten Strecker An unused glasses case makes a convenient storage spot for nail files, clippers and other manicure essentials while on the go. 34 of 50 Cardboard Tube as Extension Cord Wrangler Monica Buck The cardboard tube from a spent roll of toilet tissue is a wonderfully simple tool for keeping extension cords tangle-free. 35 of 50 Wine Box as Shoe Storage Antonis Achilleos Warehouse your shoes in an empty wine-bottle carton wrapped in pretty paper. 36 of 50 Lemon as Stain Remover Rick Lew A lemon works to remove tough food stains from a plastic or light-colored wood cutting board. Squeeze on the juice of one half, rub it in, and let sit for 20 minutes before rinsing. 37 of 50 Plastic Bag as Cookbook Saver Kana Okada Avoid batter splatters and flour dustings on a cookbook by wrapping a plastic bag around everything but the page you’re using. 38 of 50 Bobby Pins as Ironing Helpers Lucas Allen Slide bobby pins onto a hem to hold pleats in place as you iron them. 39 of 50 Play-Doh as Sparkler Holder Aya Brackett Stick a sparkler in Play-Doh, then light it up. The container protects hands from flying sparks, preventing burns. Courtesy of reader Peggy Gilchrist of Zanesville, Ohio 40 of 50 Turkey Baster as Water-Changer Amy Wilson Change dirty water in a flower vase by using a turkey baster to suction up the liquid without disturbing your arrangement. Add fresh water directly from the tap. 41 of 50 Cork as Door Quieter Gemma Comas and James Merrell Silence cabinet doors that slam with cork sliced into thin disks and glued onto the inside corners. 42 of 50 Plastic Easter Eggs as Snack Containers James Baigrie Give Easter eggs a year-round use (and save on resealable bags) by filling them with snacks like crackers or Cheerios. 43 of 50 Plastic Bags as Plant Pot Filler Kana Okada Cut down on the amount of potting soil needed by crumpling plastic bags to fill the bottom of a deep pot (just be sure that you don’t cover the drainage hole, if there is one). 44 of 50 Napkin Holder as Bill Arranger Mark Lund Organize bills―arranged in the order in which they need to be paid off―in an unused napkin holder. 45 of 50 Paint Chips as Place Cards Aya Brackett Fold the strips in half and prop them up as place cards, writing each person's name on a shade that suggests her best qualities (like "Inner Glow" or "Delicate Peach"). 46 of 50 Plastic Straw as Stem Extender Mark Lund Boost a meager bouquet to new heights by inserting short flower stems into plastic straws to give them greater stature. 47 of 50 Shower Hooks as Storage Burcu Avsar Shower-curtain hooks provide sturdy storage for heavier items, like purses. 48 of 50 Cooking Spray as Snow-Shovel Assistant Liberally apply cooking spray to both sides of a plastic or metal shovel before clearing away snow, and ice will slide right off instead of building up. 49 of 50 Magnet as Tweezer Holder Sang An Stop tweezers from going astray by installing a magnet on the inside of the medicine cabinet and they will always be at your fingertips. 50 of 50 Lollipops as Cocktail Stirrers. Monica Buck Give cocktails extra pop with lollies in complementary colors subbed in for stirrers. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit