Travel-Related New Uses for Old Things

John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran

When packing for your next trip, put these household items to use.

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Plastic Drinking Straw as Knot Preventer

John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran

For tangle-free jewelry during your travels, unclasp the chain, thread it through a plastic drinking straw, and reclasp. For a shorter chain, cut the drinking straw to the desired length.

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Button as Earring Holder

Levi Brown

Travel is best done in pairs (think of Lewis and Clark or Thelma and Louise). To keep a set of earrings together on your next overnight jaunt, fasten them to a button so they won’t get lost in your suitcase pocket.

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Newspaper as Packing Material

Photos: Erica McCartney; Styling: Linden Elstran

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

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Conditioner as Shaving Cream

Erica McCartney; Styling: Linden Elstran

Lighten your carry-on load and sub conditioner for shaving cream.

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Contact Lens Case as Travel Spice Holder

Photos: Erica McCartney; Styling: Linden Elstran

Pack small amounts of salt, pepper, and spices for a camping trip.

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Cereal Box as Sweets Carrier

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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Hanging Wash Bag as Cord Storage

John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran

Store chargers, power cords, and extra headphones in the clear pouches of a hanging jewelry organizer. You'll be able to find exactly what you're looking for and packing your tech is that much easier. Submitted by: jloper

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Luggage Tag as Decorating Aid

John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran

Avoid decorating mistakes. Tuck fabric, wallpaper, and paint swatches inside so you can ensure a perfect match.

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Scratched CD as Safety Reflector

Jens Mortensen

Want drivers to see—not sideswipe—yourmailbox at night? Glue headlight-catching CDs onto its side.

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Confetti as Packing Material

John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran

Don't ditch excess confetti or shredded paper. Use it to cushion breakable items so they arrive in one piece.

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Tissue Paper as Wrinkle Preventer

John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran

Avoid ironing while on the road. Pack clothes between layers of tissue paper and they’ll arrive wrinkle-free.

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Drink Holder as Fruit Protector

John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran

Rough commute? Slide a drink cooler over an apple to keep it from bruising in your lunch tote.

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Suitcase as Toiletry Container

John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran

Keep extra travel-sized toothpaste, shampoo, cotton balls and other personal items in an old suitcase. With a trunk full of toiletries, you'll never run out of necessities. Plus, you'll save valuable shelf space for the things you use every day.

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Luggage Tag as Gift Label

John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran

Slip a gift label inside a tag.

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Easter Grass as Packing Material

John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran

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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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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Cotton Swab as Travel Makeup Kit

James Wojick

Make an on-the-go cosmetics kit by applying a bit of your favorite eye shadow, concealer, and lip gloss to the ends of cotton swabs and stashing them in a plastic bag in your purse.

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Address Labels as Travel ID Tags

Kathryn Barnard

Tag your precious travel items, such as your iPod and digital camera with return address labels. If you accidentally leave a device on the airplane, a Good Samaritan will know where to mail it. Consider them homing devices for your airborne companions.

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Book Cover as a Tourist Disguise

Kathryn Barnard

A travel guide screams "I’m lost!" but cloaking it in pretty paper or the jacket of a book in the native language will let you blend in with the locals. You'll be more likely to be asked for directions than taken for a ride.

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Bubble Wrap as Jewelry Organizer

Ellen Silverman

For tangle-free jewlery on the go, place chains and earrings on a length of wrap, roll tightly, and tape closed. Your necklaces will emerge from your suitcase ready to wear, even if the same can't be said for your clothes.

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Business Card Holder as Sugar Packet Carrier

Antonis Achilleos

Use a business card case to make packets of your favorite sweetener portable. You'll always have coffee your way―without a purse full of powder from torn packets.

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Button Bag as Pill Carrier

David Prince

When you’re on the go, leave the bulky pill bottles in the medicine cabinet and place only what you need in a plastic bag. You can keep your daily dose all buttoned up.

Laura Graham
Stockton, California

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Checkbook Case as Travel Wallet

Thayer Allyson Gowdy

Separate foreign currency from American bills in your handbag or wallet so you don't mix up your paper trail.

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Coasters as Gift Tags

Thayer Allyson Gowdy

For clever gift tags that capture a travel memory, hang on to cardboard coasters from the bars and the restaurants you visit on your journey. When you return home with souvenirs for friends and family, punch a hole near the edge of the coaster, tie a ribbon through the hole, and write a quick note in an empty space (or on the blank side).

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Contact Lens Case as Pill Storage

Easily transport non-prescription pills without all the bottles. Pop it into your handbag and you'll have a headache remedy handy when the man in seat 7A drones on about his herniated disk. Plus you'll keep pills out of contact with everything else in your purse

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Digital Camera as New-City Navigator

James Wojcik

Don’t make yourself a target by looking like a tourist. Snap a photo of your map and it will look as if you’re scrolling through snapshots, not street names.

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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.

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Film Canister as Manicure Kit

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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Lip Balm as Cuticle Moisturizer

Beth Galton

Rub a bit of lip balm on dry cuticles for a quick and easy way to soften them when you're on-the-go.

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Lunch Box as Toiletries Bag

KIRSTEN STRECKER

Keep shampoo from crossing unauthorized borders by packing toiletries in a sturdy lunch box in your luggage.

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Plastic Wrap as Box Handle

Antonis Achilleos

Carry unwieldy packages by twisting several feet of wrap into a sturdy rope, tying it around a box, and knotting the rest into a handle.

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Travel-Related New Uses for Old Things

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Plastic Drinking Straw as Knot Preventer

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Button as Earring Holder

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Newspaper as Packing Material

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Conditioner as Shaving Cream

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Contact Lens Case as Travel Spice Holder

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Cereal Box as Sweets Carrier

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Hanging Wash Bag as Cord Storage

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Luggage Tag as Decorating Aid

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Scratched CD as Safety Reflector

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Confetti as Packing Material

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Tissue Paper as Wrinkle Preventer

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Drink Holder as Fruit Protector

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Suitcase as Toiletry Container

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Luggage Tag as Gift Label

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Easter Grass as Packing Material

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Cork as Sewing Kit

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Cotton Swab as Travel Makeup Kit

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Address Labels as Travel ID Tags

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Book Cover as a Tourist Disguise

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Bubble Wrap as Jewelry Organizer

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Business Card Holder as Sugar Packet Carrier

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Button Bag as Pill Carrier

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Checkbook Case as Travel Wallet

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Coasters as Gift Tags

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Contact Lens Case as Pill Storage

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Digital Camera as New-City Navigator