10 Ways To Reuse It: Old Puzzle Pieces

I miss doing the Reuse It posts so I thought I'd put my old creative skills to the test and try it again. This thought coincides with the fact that I just shoveled out my youngest sons bedroom. Have you ever seen the TV show Hoarders? It looked just like that. We could barely walk in it to get to the bed. He hated going in there. It was overwhelming because my natural frugal self wanted to sort all the pieces into sets and then sell them. I finally got desperate enough that I sorted a few favorite toys and toy sets out of the mess and then did the unthinkable. I got a shovel and a box and scooped it all up for Goodwill. When he came back home he was thrilled to see a clean bedroom and didn't even realize anything was missing. But all those puzzle pieces I found on the floor gave me some ideas. So here are 10 ways to reuse old puzzle pieces.

1. Glue around the edge of a picture frame and put the kids school pictures in them or glue around a mirror frame for fun decor.,
   
2. Christmas is around the corner. Paste several of them together on heavy duty card stock and then spray with polyurethane (waterproofing) to make original coasters as gifts.
3. Use them as embellishments in scrapbooks.
4. Make Christmas ornaments. Paint some pieces red and some white. Alternate colors while gluing onto a piece of card stock in the shape of a candy cane or a wreath. Paint green and make in the shape of a Christmas Tree. Cut out and tie a string around the top for hanging.
5. Do the same thing as above but glue magnets on the back and put on the refrigerator.
6. Compost them!
7. Make a puzzle piece friendship necklace. These are so cute!
8. Paint them and string together for a garland. I think metallic silver or gold would like great on a tree or hearth.
   
9. Make THESE cute glass bead earrings.
10. Save the brightly colored pieces and display them in a clear glass jar. A great conversation piece.
    

For more Works For Me Wednesday go HERE.

10 Ways To Reuse It: Old Toothbrushes

Most dentist recommend replacing your toothbrushes every three months. Well, multiply that by the six people in my family and you've got 24 toothbrushes going into the garbage each year. Is there another use? You betcha. Here are some ideas.

• Dust your computer keyboard. Toothbrushes fit amazingly between the keys!
• Touch up dye jobs. Your grays are showing? No worries. A toothbrush is just the right size to get your roots and along your hairline.
• Clean mud out of the grooves in the bottom of your shoes. Both ends work good for this. The handle is a good digger and the brush gets the rest.
• Clean around the sink drain. I do this all the time. The toothbrush is the perfect size to scrub the drain and the stopper and also the around the seal of the faucet and even around the toilet seat attachments.
• A nail brush. Sometimes I like to work in the garden in my bare hands only to find I've got caked dirt under my nails. Toothbrush to the rescue. Works great on mechanics fingers too!
• Clean your rings. Toothbrushes are a great way to get all those tiny spots around your settings.
  
• Make a toothbrush bracelet. No kidding! Go here.
• Clean your remote control. Honestly I rarely clean that thing but it gets touched constantly. Gross! Use a toothbrush to get around all those buttons.
• Eyebrow brush! Sterilize first but this is the perfect size for eyebrows.
• Scrub out a laundry stain. I use my homemade stain remover and a toothbrush to prep stained laundry for the wash.

For more WFMW ideas go HERE!

10 Ways To Reuse It: Old Cd's and DVD's

Do you have old DVD's that have seen better days or old CD's that you never want to listen to again? We have old kids movies that are unplayable and music that I'm embarrassed to admit that I ever bought. We even get them as advertising in the mail some times. So when you can't sell them on e-bay because they are essentially worth nothing now, what do you do with them? These ideas are so fun that now when we hit the Goodwill Outlet we intentionally look for old CD's and DVD's so we have enough to get creative with. Hope you see something that inspires you too.

1. Coasters: The shiny side makes modern looking coasters to keep your wood tables from getting rings.
2. Paint Palettes: Let your kids get their Davinci on at craft time. Use these as artists palettes and let them paint to their hearts content.
3. Bird and Deer Deterrent: We hand CD's from our cherry tree sometimes to keep the birds from eating all the fruit. I've also heard that people hang them around the perimeter of the garden to scare away the deer.
4. Candle Base: Set your candle in the center of the CD as a light reflector and to catch any wax. Turn the lights off and see the shimmering glow that it makes.
5. Wall Decor: My teenage son collects them and is working on covering one whole wall with them. It's almost like hanging tiny little mirrors all over the wall and it makes his room look even bigger.
6. Make A Lamp: You won't want to pass up this creative idea. This lamp is really cool.
7. Photo Magnets: I know this site says to make these for a locker but wouldn't they be creative Christmas presents or even ornaments? Go check it out HERE.
8. Name That Veggie: Write the name of your garden veggie on the CD in permanent marker and then glue it to a stick to mark the rows in your garden.
9. In Case Of Emergency: These are a great lightweight emergency mirror to use to signal for help when your out hiking. Much lighter in your pack than an actual mirror.
10. Make a hovercraft: My friend did this for a class she taught. Glue a lid of an old sports bottle (the one you open by pulling the valve) or a dish-washing detergent lid to the hole of a CD. Next, you blow a balloon with air then, trying not to lose any air, stretch the balloon onto the lid. Place the hovercraft on a smooth surface and let it go.

For more great ideas go visit WFMW!

10 Ways To Reuse It: Broken Crayons

What Mother doesn't have a box full of broken crayons? When my kids were little they broke them for fun and when they got older they colored so enthusiastically that they broke under pressure. And the frugalista in me just couldn't throw them away so I threw the broken ones into a shoe box, hoping they would still use them. But it seems that a crayon, once broken, loses it's appeal to the younger crowd and there you are, stuck with a box full of sad looking colors. Here are some fun ideas to give them one last use.

1. Seal A Letter: melt the wax down over the envelope and press your metal seal over the top. It's a lost art, but a fun one.
2. Make Crayon Cookies: Melt broken crayon bits in various colors in a muffin tin, just until they've run together. After it cools pop it out and you have a multi colored Crayon cookie that kids will love to draw with.
3. Fix Furniture: Use them to color in scratches in same-colored furniture.
4. Make Ornaments: Place metal cookie cutters on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with foil. Place broken, unwrapped pieces of crayon in each cutter. Bake at 150 for about 20 minutes or until all crayons are melted. Remove from oven a let cool. Remove from cutter and attach to packages as decoration or tie a ribbon around it and use as a tree ornament.
   
5. Make Stained Glass: I remember doing this with the kids when they were littler. We shaved crayons over wax paper, put another layer of wax paper on top and then ironed them on low. They melted and looked just like stained glass. We hung them in their bedroom windows for fun.
6. Make Fire starters: Put bits of crayon in cardboard egg containers and let set in the sun for the day until they melt. Then when you need to start a fire, tear off one section of carton and light it to start your fire quickly.
7. Officially Recycle: There is actually a website that recycles your crayons for you. Go check it out!
8. Decorate Candles: Slightly warm up a long candle in the microwave just to soften it a bit. Then roll them in multi colored crayon shavings for a colorful table top decoration.
9. Paperweight Gifts: Take some smooth rocks and warm them in the oven on 225 for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven with mitts and then touch broken crayons to them in a decorative design. Watch as they melt onto the rock. Let cool (you can pop them in the fridge to speed this up) and you've got some neat looking paper weights.
10. Make Safe Crayons for Toddlers: Throw all the broken pieces in the toe of an old pair of nylons. Tie it tight and let your little ones color on a piece of paper with them. This keeps them from swallowing crayon bits and gives them a fun, safe way to color.

For more WFMW ideas go here!

10 Ways To Reuse It: Phone Books

Do phone books stack up at your house? My old one hasn't even been used much before I get another one left on my doorstep. Pretty soon my desk drawer is full of old phone books that we've just shoved in there. Here are some amazing and crafty ideas to turn these giant wastes-of-paper into some pretty useful stuff.

1. Make a Book Safe. Cut out a square of pages in the middle of the book under the cover and you now have a secret hidey hole.
2. Shipping. I regularly sell stuff on e-bay. Phone book pages are great packing material because they are thin and the pages crinkle up really well.
3. Booster Seat. Duct tape a few phone books together and you've got a FREE booster seat for that kiddo that doesn't quite reach the table. If you want to, you could sew a cover and wrap the books in quilt batting first for a little extra padding and decoration.
4. Make Seed Pots. I've done this with newspaper but phone book pages work just as well. Go HERE for directions.
5. Unique Gift Bows. Use THESE instructions and make yellow (or white) gift bows for your packages.
6. Coffee Table. Wow, wouldn't THIS be a conversation piece. This is a really neat looking table.
7. Occupy Bored Kids. Just how many paper airplanes or origami animals can your kids make with the hundreds of pages in a phone book? We're talking hours of quiet, I MEAN summer fun for your kids.
8. Desk Caddy. Use these directions to make a really cool desk caddy to organize your pencils, pens and other odds and ends.
9. Paper Flowers. These directions used newspaper to make adorable paper flowers. I'm sure you could use phone book pages as well and adorn all kinds of things with your creativity.
10. Get Some Exercise. Remember step aerobics? Build your own step with phone books and duct tape, rent a free aerobics video from the library and you've just created your own gym.

For more great ideas go see WFMW!

5 Ways To Reuse It: Lipstick Tubes

So you get to the end of your lipstick (or concealer) tube. There's a little left in the bottom that doesn't quite twist out. After you've scooped it out and mixed it in a small jar with some Vaseline to make tinted lip gloss, what's left? These great little tubes. Here are some really creative ideas to get some more use out of those great little containers.

1. Pill Containers. After you've washed it, these are a great size to store pills in. I use one during the summer to keep my allergy pills from spilling out all over in my purse.
2. Make a Mini Sewing Kit. These are a great size to store a needle and thread, a few safety pins and a spare button or two.
3. Bandaid Holder. A mom is always prepared, right? You can roll up and store several bandaids in one of these efficient little containers. Store it in your glove box or carry it with you in your purse.
4. Stash your Cash. Roll a few emergency bills in there and store them in your glove box or some other place. No one will ever guess what's hidden in there.
5. Travel Container. Keep your q-tips from losing their cotton ends and getting germy by storing them in your clean tube.
   

My brain could only come up with five this week. Can you think of five more ways to reuse it?

10 Ways To Reuse It: Old T-Shirts

I don't know how it happens but the kids are constantly getting tiny little holes in their t-shirts, right in the belly button area. As they come through the wash I snag them and they get thrown in a goodwill pile. But no more! Here are some ideas to reuse those old t-shirts that you won't let anyone wear anymore.

1. Cleaning Rags. The cotton in a T is so soft that you can use it to clean anything without worrying that you'll scratch it.
   
2. Grocery Bags. Here's some directions to make your own unique grocery sacks. I love this idea and they are really sturdy and simple to make.
   
3. Swiffer Refills. Cut into the rectangle the same size as the store bought refill. Woohoo! FREE!
4. Baby Wipes. Nothings softer than old worn t-shirt cotton. If you make homemade babywipe solution than these gentle wipes would be the icing on the cake.
   
5. Art Smocks. We save Daddy's big old shirts for paint smocks. It keeps the kids clothes clean while they are doing messy art projects.
   
6. The Softest Quilt Ever! Cut squares from your old t-shirts and make a cozy soft quilt full of memories. It would be fun to do one each year with the shirts your child has grown out of or maybe even some family t-shirts. Then back with flannel and you have a family movie night quilt to cuddle under together.
   
7. Pillowcases. Here's a simple tutorial on making a pillowcase out of a soft old T.
8. Make Underwear. Seriously I laughed when I first heard this idea but now that I've seen them and read the directions I really REALLY like these. Of course if my butt looked as little as this ladies, they'd probably look just as good on me too.
9. Make Diapers. This is another creative idea. Don't let your baby's bottom feel left out. Make homemade baby diapers with your old t-shirts. Directions HERE.
   
10. Make Art. Have a T that has your favorite band or a design that you love? Frame it and hang it on your wall. Here's how.
    

For more WFMW ideas go here.

10 Ways To Reuse It: Old Bed Sheets

Am I the only one who has a cupboard full of lone flat sheets or sheets so worn out that they are only for the nights when some kid pukes and I need to change the bed 1o times? They are almost like socks, their mates are no where to be found. I'm sure they've just been ripped and I've thrown half of the set away hoping I'll come up for some good use for it's mate. Well if you find yourself in the same situation, here are some ideas to help you get some use out of those old sheets. And if you're cupboard isn't stocked, check out the thrift stores. With all these ideas, you're going to want to find some quick.

1. Cut them up for a wealth of cleaning rags.
2. Use as a drop cloth when working on painting or art projects.
3. Cover the couch. Do you have a dog that you like to cuddle with at night but you don't like the hair? Throw a sheet over the couch and cuddle up.
4. Make a cushy bed inside your dogs house.
5. Make curtains. Slide a rod inside the pocket at the top of the sheet. You've just made no-sew curtains for a window or for a kids stage. You can even do this to make a decorative shower curtain.
   
6. Make a beautiful old fashioned rag rug. Go here to find a no-sew tutorial and to see just how pretty these are.
7. Keep on in your car for spontaneous picnics. They fold up small for easy storage too.
8. Make this cute halter dress. Seriously! Take a look. I'd wear it.
9. Ok, technically this is a dress made out of an old pillowcase but I couldn't resist showing you. I like the second picture with the flowers. Oh to have a littler girl to dress up again.
10. Make several new pillowcases from one old set of sheets.
11. Couldn't pass up showing you this. I'm drooling over this beautiful quilt made from vintage sheets. Yeah I know that's eleven but consider it a bonus.
    

For more great WFMW ideas go HERE.

10 Ways To Reuse It: Tires

I have to admit that I don't have a giant heap of tires in my backyard. My neighbors might freak out a bit. But over the years, numerous old car and bike tires have found their way into my garage and they've always given me trouble when it comes to getting rid of them. But now, I wish I had every single one of them because the list you're about to read really gets me excited. Take a look at these great ways to put old tires to a good use.

1. Grow Potatoes. I'm so crazy-excited about this one. You can have a whole potato garden in a tiny space with a stack of tires. Check out the directions HERE on how to do it. Everything I've read says not to worry about any chemicals in the tire. Use old worn out tires that have had years of wearing down and exposure to the elements and there's not much left that can harm you.
   
2. Make a Tire Swing. We've had one of these in our back yard for at least 14 years and the rope holding it wears out faster than the swing. The kids have had so much fun with it.
3. Make Raised Garden Beds. Stack tires two or three high and fill with compost and soil. This is great for people with back problems who can't bend over a regular bed. AND you get all the growing benefits of the raised bed method (less weeds, warmer soil).
4. Make some sandals! Oh yes you can. Go here for complete directions on how to make sandals from tires. Bet those will last forever and they even look good too.
5. Protect you garage from a new driver. Hang a tire on the garage wall at bumper level. When your new driver is learning to park in the garage this might save you from an unwanted and surprising new window in your garage wall.
6. Clothesline. Use an old tire for the base of your clothesline poles. Fill with cement and put your pole in the middle then string between the two poles.
7. Make a Sandbox. A large tractor tire can be filled with sand and become a fun place for the kids to dig and play.
8. Protect young trees. Cut upon one side of a tire and place it around the base of a tree. Next time you mow you'll be sure not to get too close to the fragile sapling.
   
9. Make a belt. Use a bike tire to make an indestructible and really cool looking belt.
10. Make a Designer Headband. Some people are just so creative. Go check out what this woman did with an old bike tire. Seriously Cute!

For more WFMW ideas go here.

10 Ways To Reuse It: Empty Spray Bottles

I love spray bottles and I use them for all kinds of things. But I refuse to pay for them. I buy enough of them already, they just have a cleaner, hairspray, salad dressing or something like that in them. So when their contents get used up I clean them out and give them a new life. Here are some ideas to get a second (or third) life out of those useful spray bottles. Don't forget to label your bottles clearly.

1. Use them for your homemade cleaners. Here's a link to some recipes for homemade 409 and homemade windex. I also use them for homemade spray -n -wash.
   
2. Refresh your hair-do. The boys and I don't wash our hair everyday but often wake up with funky cowlicks. I spray my curls down in the morning to make them nice and tight and the boys spray theirs down to even out the occasional little-rascal-alfalfa style.
3. Plant Mister. I keep a bottle of water nearby to mist my house plants.
4. Pest Remover. My roses get aphids every year. I fill a spray bottle with a homemade mix of 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 1/2 cup water and 2 teaspoons of dish soap. Then I spray it on the leaves in the evening (not while the sun is beating down) every few days. It suffocates them and leaves my roses looking beautiful.
5. Get the wrinkles out of your clothes. Keep a spray bottle of water next to your iron. Mist your clothes to get nice crisp results.
6. First Aid. Keep a spray bottle full of apple cider vinegar handy. Spray on abrasions, mosquito or insect bites, or sunburn. Apple cider vinegar is an antiseptic and takes the sting out of sunburns.
7. Easy Clean Up For Dirty Pans. Sometimes I can't fit all my dirty dishes into my dishwasher and I have a few things leftover in the sink that I hand wash. Fill a spray bottle with half water and half liquid dish soap and you'll be ready for the stray wash job without having to fill a whole sink with water and suds.
   
8. Better Grilling. Fill a food grade bottle with liquid smoke to get an even layer on your grilled meat.
9. Train Your Pet. Use a spray bottle full of water to correct unwanted behaviors in your cat or dog such as barking, begging, or leaping onto a kitchen counter. They learn fast this way.
10. Keep the Tangles Away. Mix together 1 part conditioner and 4 parts water to make a home version of those expensive hair detanglers. Spray and leave in hair to remove tangles and calm frizz.

For more great WFMW ideas go here.

10 Ways To Reuse It: Fabric Softener Sheets

You open the dryer, take our your warm fresh clothes and out falls your used up fabric softener sheet. Do you throw it away? Most people do. I have to admit that I don't even use them anymore but I remember throwing away lots of those sheets without a second glance. And I'm willing to bet that there are a lot of you out there using fabric softener sheets and chucking them after one use. So here are some ideas to get the most out of those fragrant sheets.

1. Use it again! Guess what, they last more than once in your dryer and do just as good of a job as the first time. So save them and pop them in for the next load too!
2. Deodorize Stinky Shoes. Do you have a loved one with notoriously stinky feet? Shove your dryer sheet all the way to the toes of the shoes when you're not wearing them to fight odors.
3. Stinky Garbage Cans. If you were to take my garbage out and look in the bottom of my kitchen can you'd find a wad of dryer sheets soaking up the old garbage smell.
   
4. Nice Smelling Drawers. Freshen up your sock drawer (or any other drawer) by tucking a few sheets in the back corner of each drawer.
5. Lint Remover. Rub your clothes to remove pet hair or lint. No more purchasing fancy lint rollers.
6. Remove Static Cling. Sometimes during the dry cold months I get static in my hair. I've been known to grab a used up dryer sheet and run it over my hair to remove static. Works good on clothing too.
7. Deodorize Your Pet. Oh yeah. You can rub your dog or cat and remove extra hair and freshen them up a bit. Don't let them chew on them though.
8. Dust Your Furniture or your Blinds. These are great dusters, especially for kid hands. They pick it up fast and fun and you don't even need to spray furniture polish.
9. Clean Burnt Pans. Place a sheet in a baking pan that has burnt on gunk, fill with water and leave overnight. In the morning the gunk glides right off.
10. Scrub The Tub. The chemicals in the sheet remove soap scum and ring around the tub.

For more WFMW tips go HERE.

10 Ways To Reuse It: Paper Rolls

My garbage cans are full of paper rolls. They come from the center of wrapping paper, toilet paper, plastic wrap, tin foil....they're everywhere. What can you do to reuse them? Here are ten ideas to get a second life from these handy tubes.

1. Protect your tapers. My long skinny candles get broken when I store them alone in the drawer. Store two to three tapers in a paper towel tube to keep them from getting banged around.
2. Organize Hair Accessories. Use a toilet paper tube to keep ponytail holders in place. We wrap the ponytails along the outside in the middle and put clippies and bobby bins along the edges.
   
3. Plastic Bag Storage. Shove plastic grocery bags in the ends of a wrapping paper or paper towel roll. They take up much less space and you can easily pull one out of the end when you need it.
   
4. Get Organized. Set small rolls straight up in a small box. Use it to organize pencils, paint brushes, scissors, or pens on your table top.
   
5. Keep cords from getting tangled. Cut a slit down the side of the tube. Roll up tv cords, extension cords or appliance cords and insert them into the tube to keep them from getting tangled.
   
6. Playground Equipment for Pets. You know those expensive habitrails you can buy at the pet store for your gerbil or hamster? Build your own with toilet paper rolls and tape. The kids will have fun and so will your pet.
7. Seed Pots. Here's a great tutorial on how to make free seed pots with your rolls.
8. Make Homemade Party Poppers. We shoot these off on new years. You can make your own by following THESE instructions.
9. Wrap small gifts. I like to use TP rolls to wrap and decorate small gifts. Put the gift inside, wrap pretty tissue around, leaving the paper hanging off the ends. Then tie a ribbon around each end to make it look like a large wrapped piece of candy.
   
10. Compost it. If all else fails shred it and throw it in the compost. Cardboard breaks down easily and can feed your soil.

For more great WFMW ideas. Go here.

10 Way To Reuse It: Wax Milk Cartons

Periodically I buy whipping cream or milk in those plastic coated paper cartons. Juices and half and half come in them too. So what can you do with them when they're empty? Here are 10 ideas.

1. Seed Starters. Rinse out and cut off the bottom to use as seed starters or containers for your window herb garden.
2. Indoor Bowling. Clean them good and then stack them like bowling pins for the kids. Give them a rubber bowl and teach them to bowl. It's a great rainy day game.
   
3. Ice Blocks. Having a party with a punch bowl? Freeze ice blocks in the containers to make a long lasting rectangle ice cube.
   
4. Guard your garden plants. We live in the land of slugs so every year when my tomatoes are still young and tender I cut off a ring of the milk carton and place it in the dirt around my tomatoes. This keeps the slugs and bugs from getting to my plants.
5. Paint Holder. I just finished painting my front door and the trim around it. While hubby used the bucket for window trim, we poured a small amount of paint in a waxy milk carton for the trim around my front door. When I was done I just tossed it...no clean up.
6. Collect cooking grease. I use the waxy containers to drain the grease off my hamburger. The wax keeps it from leaking out and when it cools, the whole things goes in the garbage.
7. Organize your junk drawer. Doesn't everyone have a junk drawer? Cut off the tops and store loose paper clips, nails, staples or whatever you find in there.
8. Protect your floor. Cut off the bottoms and place under the corners of heavy furniture. This not only helps furniture slide across the floor from moving but can save your carpet or floor from getting permanent dents from the weight of the furniture.
   
9. Make a one of a kind coin purse. Some people are so creative. Check out this tutorial to make a really sturdy coin purse. I love this idea.
   
10. Bird Feeder. Give the kids a summer project and use these directions to make a bird feeder.

For more great ideas go visit WFMW.

10 Ways To Reuse It: Junk Mail

Every day I get a mail box full of junk mail. Sometimes I don't even open it and just shove it in the trash, offended that I didn't have something good in my box like a paycheck or card from a friend. Other times I open it up, shove it all back into the postage paid envelope and mail it back to them. Ha! Take that! But have you every stopped to realize how much FREE paper you're getting. Maybe there is some way to use all those resources just showing up with no effort at your door. Here are some ideas.

1. Compost It! Seriously, I know this is always included in here but homegrown food is important and frugal and healthy soil is a bonus. Remove any plastic pieces and run it through your paper shredder. Then add it to the compost pile so it can break down and fertilize your juicy veggies.
2. Make a book mark. We read lots at our house. It's almost an addiction. And I have a really bad habit of dog earing the pages to hold my place. So lately I've been using junk mail as book marks.
3. Free Envelopes. Many times they want a reply and enclose an envelope in there. I just stash them away and slap my homemade address stickers over their pre-printed words and use it when I need to mail something.
4. Make a Funnel. Cut a corner off one end of the envelope and snip off the tip. Open up and use as a funnel for spices or dry ingredients. HERE's a link to an example.
5. Rabbit Cuddles. Shred it and use in the bottom of a rabbit or rodent cage as bedding.
6. Note Paper. I'm a list maker. I constantly have lists going to organize my day and remember stuff. Save the one sided advertisements and cut into your favorite list shape. Keep a stack by the phone for messages or in your desk drawer.
7. Fire Starter. I save junk mail and other paper to get my fire going. Whether it's the fireplace in the winter or a campfire in the summer.
8. Printer Paper. If the paper ad comes with only one side printed on it I save it to print off recipes or coloring pages for the kids. FREE....love it.
9. Make a Necklace. My friend went to Africa and brought back the coolest necklace made form paper beads. It was beautiful. Here's a tutorial on how to make your own paper beads.
10. Wall Art. Here's a tutorial on how to put it to artistic use. She made some creative art for her wall and I loved the idea.

For more WFMW ideas go visit HERE.

10 Way To Reuse It: Dryer Lint

Ok. This week was kind of fun. I seriously never thought dryer lint had even one use, I mean come on, it's LINT for crying out loud. But I was standing in the shower wracking my brain this week for something that most people don't even think twice about, something I have an abundance of, something I could save from it's garbage can grave. And now I give you 10 ideas that, even if you don't use them, may open your eyes to the possibilities in our trash cans.

1. Make Clay! Put 1 1/2 C of dryer lint in a sauce pan. Add 1 C water. Add 1/2 C of flour and stir until smooth. Add 2 drops of vegetable oil. Cook over low heat stirring constantly until it forms peaks and has a solid consistency. Place on newspaper to cool. You may use it for molding as you would any clay then allow to dry for 3 days.
2. Compost It! Yes, even dryer lint can break down into nutrients for your garden.
3. Nesting. You know that expensive nesting material you can get at pet stores for you rodents? Try your lint instead. It's warm, clean and cozy and looks just like the real thing.
   
4. Mulch It. Use dryer lint in your houseplants. Put a layer on top of the soil. The water will soak through and the lint will keep the top layer of soil from drying out which means you don't have to water as much.
5. Make A Fire starter. Lint catches on fire quickly. If you're camping in the wind or rain take a homemade fire starter to get yourself warm and toasty. Stuff lint into an old egg carton, pour wax over the lint and then pop out your twelve homemade fire starters. You can use these at home too.
6. Give It To The Birds. Sprinkle it in your yard and watch the birds haul it away for their nests.
7. Make Papier Mache. Kids need to make a project for school? Make the most frugal papier mache ever! Go HERE for directions.
8. Homemade Paper. Not only is it a great experiment for the kids but think of how much money they charge for that fancy shmancy rugged homemade paper?
9. Spin It. Ok, so it's not wool but did you know that lint can be made into yarn? Yep. If you're a fiber artist, give it a try.
10. Get Artistic. Here's a link to some amazing art that was created from dryer lint. Like, on-display, art-show kind of art. Seriously!

For more great WFMW ideas, go here.