New Uses for Recyclable Items

Photos: Erica McCartney; Styling: Linden Elstran

Before hitting the recycling bin, give these items a second chance.

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Paper Tubes as Lincoln Logs

Aimee Herring

Cut squares out of the sides that are roughly the same diameter as the tube (see bottom left of photo) for a DIY version of Lincoln Logs perfect for little hands. Stack the “logs” perpendicularly to one another. It's a no-cost way to let the good times roll.

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Cereal Box as Sweets Carrier

Photo: Philip Friedman; Styling: Linden Elstran

Attention, PTA members: Here’s a practical Transport Alternative for the bake sale. Tape a cereal box closed, then cut away the front or back panel to create a tray for those top-selling brownies. Best of all, you can just "donate" the box.

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Bleach Bottle as Cat Litter Scoop

Photos: Erica McCartney; Styling: Linden Elstran

Cut diagonally across the middle of an empty, clean bottle, toss the base, and use the half with the handle to scoop up soil or cat litter.

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Cereal Bag as Crumb Maker

Photo: Philip Friedman; Styling: Linden Elstran

These durable bags can take a beating. Fill one up and give it a whack with a rolling pin to make crumbs out of crackers, cornflakes, or candy. Remember to twist the top closed to prevent flyaways.

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Soda Bottle as Pasta Measurer

Clear plastic soda bottle holding dry pasta

James Wojcik

Said good-bye to soda? Fill the mouth of a dry 20-ounce bottle with uncooked spaghetti; the opening holds enough for a hearty single serving.

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Beer Can as Noise Maker

James Wojcik

Cut down on drinking? You can still start 2012 off with a bang—or at least a rattle. Drop a dozen coins into a clean, empty beer can and seal the opening with tape. When the clock strikes 12, shake some noise.

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Candy Wrapper as DIY Gift Wrap

James Wojcik

Sworn off candy? Use the leftover wrappers to sugarcoat small-scale presents: Cut a wrapper into a flat sheet, then fold and tape as usual.

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Cereal Box as Photo Saver

Photo: Philip Friedman; Styling: Linden Elstran. Photo in box: Renee Keith/Getty Images

Sending Grandpa a shot of the all-star soccer team but don't want the postal journey to bend it (like Beckham)? Sandwich the picture between the large panels of a flattened box.

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Cereal Box as Drawer Organizer

Levi Brown

If you're the flaky type, cereal boxes (including the single-serving minis) can corral desk-drawer chaos. Slice off the tops and the bottoms and fill them with loose odds and ends.

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Shower Curtain Liner as Child’s Smock

Photo: Philip Friedman; Styling: Linden Elstran

Finger-painting on the day’s agenda? Cut a new shower curtain liner in half or in fourths, and then cut a hole in the center for your little one’s head to pop through.

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Scratched CD as Paint Palette

Photo: Philip Friedman; Styling: Linden Elstran

When you're working on an art project, dab the colors you need onto a CD. (Place one finger in the hole to keep the CD stable.)

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Bleach Bottle as Dumbbell

James Wojcik

Outfit a home gym by filling two empty bottles with sand and using them as dumbbells.

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Coffee Can Lid as Twine Dispenser

James Wojcik

Save your coffee can's lid from the recycling bin and use it to dispense twine. Simply poke a hole in the lid and run the twine through.

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Sticky Note as Keyboard Cleaner

James Wojcik

To make your QWERTY cleaner, slide the adhesive strip of a sticky note through the crevices to collect and lift out dust and debris.

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Baby Food Jar as Paint Bucket

James Wojick

Simplify paint touch-ups by pouring a few ounces of each new wall paint into a jar for when those times it’s needed to cover the inevitable nail holes and scuffs.

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Cork as Sewing Kit

James Wojick

Make a compact sewing kit by sticking needles and pins in a cork. For a little zip, wrap it with a few lengths of thread.

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Film Canister as Manicure Kit

Film canister used to hold manicure supplies

Anson Smart

Assemble a mobile manicure kit by cutting a sponge into small pieces, saturating them with nail polish remover, and storing them in the canister.

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Film Canister as Stamp Dispenser

Mark Lund

Unspool stamps by cutting a slit in the side of a film canister and threading the end of the roll throught it.

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Milk Carton as Packing Material

Sang An

Safely deliver fragile trinkets by wrapping them in bubble wrap, tucking them into a clean carton, and pinching the top closed.

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Newspaper as Packing Material

James Baigrie

Wrap frames and figurines with several pieces of newspaper, then crumple the remaining sections to fill extra space in the box.

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Newspaper as Window Washer

Antonis Achilleos

Newspapers deposit less lint than paper towels do and don't leave any streaks. Just spray on a glass cleaner and wipe.

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Newspaper as Shoe Deodorizer

John Dolan

Help shoes keep their shape and smell fresh by stuffing them with newspaper after wearing them.

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Paper Plates as China Protectors

James Wojick

Prevent good china from chipping by layering paper plates between each piece of your formal dinnerware.

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Soda Bottle as Water Saver

Aya Brackett

Waste less water. Fill a plastic bottle with liquid and place it in the tank of an old toilet (not a high-efficiency one). That way, it will require less resources to refill.

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Soda Bottle as Boot Supporter

Antonis Achilleos

Insert an empty one-liter plastic bottle into a tall boot to keep it from sagging, creasing, or toppling over. Bonus: Upright boots create space on your closet floor to fill as you please (hmm…more boots?).

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Paper Towel Tube as Plastic Bag Storage

Paper towel tube used to store plastic bags

David Prince

Contain plastic bags in a drawer or under the cabinet by stuffing them into an empty tube and pulling out as needed.

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Wine Bottle as Boot Supporter

James Wojick

Preserve the shape of tall leather boots by placing a bottle into each one's shaft for reinforcement.

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Wine Rack as Magazine File

James Wojick

Roll up the most recent issues and slide into the spots usually reserved for your favorite reserves.

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Wire Hanger as Ribbon Dispenser

James Wojick

Dispense ribbon for wrapping gifts. Untwist the hanger—or pop out the cardboard-tube bottom of a hybrid hanger from the dry cleaner—and slide on spools for easy storage.

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Yogurt Container as Seedling Cup

Yogurt container used to nurture seedling

James Baigrie

Poke a few drainage holes in the bottom of a yogurt cup and start growing seeds there before transplanting them to larger pots or garden beds.

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Paper Towel Tube as Wrinkle Preventer

Aya Brackett

Ward off wrinkles in silk scarves by wrapping them around the tube between wearings.

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Toilet Paper Roll as Cord Holder

Extension cord stored in toilet paper roll

Monica Buck

Contain extra extension cords by wrapping the length of one around your hand then sliding the whole thing inside the tube.

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Toilet Paper Tube as Hair Accessory Holder

Monica Buck

Store hair accessories on an empty TP tube by stretching elastics around the roll and sliding clips and bobby pins on one end.

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Aluminum Foil as Wrinkle Remover

Quentin Bacon

To get wrinkles out of silk, wool, and rayon clothes that can't take direct heat, place a piece of foil on your ironing board, then lay the garment flat over it. With the steam button down, pass the iron three to four inches over the fabric several times. Wet heat radiating from the foil helps smooth out wrinkles.

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Aluminum Foil as Fixture Protector

Foil-covered doorknob protected against paint

Quentin Bacon

Protect doorknobs and hardware in the kitchen and bathroom when you're painting by wrapping foil around them to catch dribbles. The foil molds to the shape of whatever it's covering and stays firmly in place until the job is complete.

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Aluminum Foil as an Antenna

Aluminum foil placed between TV and DVD player

Quentin Bacon

If your DVD player is stacked on top of the TV (or vice versa) and the picture is fuzzy, the two electromagnetic fields may be commingling, confusing the signals. (This usually happens with plastic casings; with metal it's less likely.) Slip a sheet of foil between the machines to separate the fields.

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Aluminum Foil as Glassware Scrubber

Ball of aluminum foil used to scrub glass pan

Quentin Bacon

To get baked-on food off a glass pan or an oven rack, use dishwashing liquid and a ball of foil in place of a steel-wool soap pad, says Mary Findley, president of the cleaning-products developer Mary Moppins. It's one way to recycle those used but perfectly good pieces of foil you hate to throw out.

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New Uses for Recyclable Items

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Paper Tubes as Lincoln Logs

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Cereal Box as Sweets Carrier

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Bleach Bottle as Cat Litter Scoop

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Cereal Bag as Crumb Maker

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Soda Bottle as Pasta Measurer

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Beer Can as Noise Maker

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Candy Wrapper as DIY Gift Wrap

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Cereal Box as Photo Saver

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Cereal Box as Drawer Organizer

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Shower Curtain Liner as Child’s Smock

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Scratched CD as Paint Palette

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Bleach Bottle as Dumbbell

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Coffee Can Lid as Twine Dispenser

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Sticky Note as Keyboard Cleaner

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Baby Food Jar as Paint Bucket

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Cork as Sewing Kit

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Film Canister as Manicure Kit

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Film Canister as Stamp Dispenser

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Milk Carton as Packing Material

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Newspaper as Packing Material

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Newspaper as Window Washer

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Newspaper as Shoe Deodorizer

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Paper Plates as China Protectors

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Soda Bottle as Water Saver

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Soda Bottle as Boot Supporter

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Paper Towel Tube as Plastic Bag Storage