Common objects do double-duty around the house with these clever new uses.
Attach Gift Cards With Photo Corners
Original purpose: Creating scrapbooks.
Aha! use: Attaching a gift card. Neater and more attractive than Scotch tape (but just as easy to apply), they make even the simplest wrap job look impressive.
Reward: A prettier present.
Reader tip: Linda D'Onofrio
East Brunswick, New Jersey
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Hone Scissors With Sandpaper
Original purpose: Smoothing splinters.
Aha! use: Sharpening shears. To hone dull blades in a pinch, just snip a piece of sandpaper a few times.
Reward: Scissors cut paper.
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Baking Soda as Hair Cleanser
If daily use of mousse or gel is weighing down your locks, add a pinch or two of baking soda to your shampoo once a week to remove product buildup. Getting squeaky-clean strands is a piece of cake.
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Candle as Zipper Fixer
Release a stubborn zipper by lightly rubbing a candle along the teeth on both sides to smooth the way.
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Paper-Towel Tube as Plastic Bag Holder
Store and dispense plastic bags by stuffing them in a cardboard tube, then place it in a drawer for handy retrieval. A tidier kitchen is in the bag.
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Flat Iron as Touch-Up Iron
No time to drag out your iron and ironing board? A straightening iron works perfectly between buttons where a regular iron doesn't fit. And it smooths collar creases and minor wrinkles. So you can look perfectly pressed when you're pressed for time.
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Wine Corks as Cabinet Silencers
Silence cabinet doors that slam by slicing a cork into thin disks and sticking them onto the inside corners of cabinets to muzzle the closing noise.
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Tape as Scoop Scraper
Attach the sticky side of a shorter piece of masking tape to the sticky side of a larger piece. Then place the tape across the top of a container of, say, cocoa so that the ends adhere to the sides of the can. The next time you scoop, you can easily level off your helping and avoid cocoa-verload.
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Cast-Iron Pan as Recipe Board
Hang a skillet on a kitchen wall and you'll have a convenient magnetic spot to display recipes, important reminders, and anything else your brain is too, well, fried to remember.
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Key Protectors as Jingle Stoppers
You love your dog and can even tolerate the occasional barking. But you could do without the incessant jinglejangle of his tags. Well, here's a new trick for you: Cover them with rubber key protectors.
Courtesy of reader Jayne Burns of Sebastopol, California