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  4. New Uses for Easter Things

New Uses for Easter Things

By Melinda Page and Ashley Tate Updated August 29, 2014
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Egg shells and vase
Credit: Yunhee Kim
Don't let them be passé come Monday. Try these new uses for the seasonal trimmings.
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Eggshells as Bottle and Vase Cleaners

Egg shells and vase
Credit: Yunhee Kim

Here’s an idea for all those eggs you hard-boiled: Use their broken eggshells to clean the hard-to-reach places in bottles and vases. Drop some crushed shells in the bottle, add warm water and a drop of dishwashing liquid, and give it a good swirl. The shells will scrape off the gunk you can’t get to, so you can save your elbow grease for the dinner dishes.

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Easter Baskets as Gadget Storage

0606brown-basket
Credit: Brown W. Cannon III

Buy a few baskets at after-Easter sales and use them to organize your gardening gadgets, summer beach take-alongs, and stray boxes of nails and screws.

Courtesy of reader Anna Victoria Reich of Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Cellophane Shreds as Package Material

Cellophane shreds
Credit: iStock

Don't trash that plastic Easter grass (but do keep it away from your pets; it can be dangerous if consumed). Use it as packing materials for delicate items—so you won’t need to worry whether Uncle Bob's favorite Chianti will make it to his wine cellar unscathed.

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Plastic Eggs as Music Makers

Colorful plastic eggs
Credit: iStock

Fill emptied plastic eggs with puffed rice cereal and silver-ball cake decorations to make impromptu maracas for kids.

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Easter Baskets as May Day Gifts

Gift basket containing pears, pasta, sauce, bread, sparkling water, chocolates and olive oil
Credit: Ryan Cooley

Maximize your green quotient by recycling that Easter basket for a May Day treat. Simply fill the basket with treats—a batch of fresh-baked cookies, candies, flowers and candles, or something more elaborate—for a surprise on your best friend or relative's doorstep.

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    1 of 5 Eggshells as Bottle and Vase Cleaners
    2 of 5 Easter Baskets as Gadget Storage
    3 of 5 Cellophane Shreds as Package Material
    4 of 5 Plastic Eggs as Music Makers
    5 of 5 Easter Baskets as May Day Gifts

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