Tips & Trends

Use It Again, Sam: Repurposing Everyday Things

May 11, 2011 by
Pant Hanger as Gift Wrap Organizer by Real Simple
Pant Hanger as Gift Wrap Organizer by Real Simple

Pant Hanger as Gift Wrap Organizer courtesy of Real Simple

I recently watched Bag It: The Movie & found myself horrified by the sheer amount of stuff we throw out every day.  I mean, I knew that there is a waste problem in this culture, but to see it quantified kind of made my stomach turn.  I took a lot of things away from that movie, but one thing in particular was the idea of repurposing things.  Sure, recycling is grand, but it still takes quite a bit of energy to run recycling centers.  Giving something new life as something else should be step number one.

I had  no idea that there are so many great ideas out there for putting old, tired, or used things to new uses.  Dummies.com has a short list on how to reuse or repurpose things around the house. Gomestic gets creative with upcycling household objects including corks, tea bags, pantyhose, & old headboards. Frugal Village also has some great ideas such as creating gift bows from magazine strips.  And of course I can’t pass up this fabulous post at DIY Life on what you can do with old bedsheets.  Furthermore, repurposing just might save your life!  This How Stuff Works article gives some handy survival tips just by using what you have on you or might find when stranded alone in the woods.

Repurposing isn’t just earth-friendly, but it can also help you live more thriftily to use what you already have to do OTHER things.  Real Simple probably takes the cake for new uses for old things.  I never would have thought that there were so many different uses for dryer sheets!

So tell us, what are some creative ways that you “use it again?”

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