Happy Healthy Families

Before you toss out old stuff, get creative with ideas to reuse old items cluttering up your shelves and closets. Real Simple.com has some great tips for reusing old items--here are a few of my favorites:

Votive candle holders: Use for toothpick holders, paperclip holders, ponytail holders, marble collections.


Wooden Crates: Make Excellent bathroom storage centers for toilet paper and towels!


Old Books: Can make a free table stand instantly!


Empty Kleenex Boxes: Makes a handy place to store plastic grocery bags.



Extra Stamps: Interesting stamps can make for a fast and cheap nail manicure! Just trim the stamps to fit your finger nail, dampen and apply!


Other ideas: Shared on the Mail Tribune.com:

Trimming tree branches: Save long fallen twigs or branches that are in good condition. Tie in a bunch and let dry completely in the garage. Spray paint them in white, silver or gold and display in a vase or large urn as indoor decorations.

Dry leftover slivers from bath soap bars and place them in a large zip top plastic bag. Use a hammer to smash the bars into small pieces, and then close the bag. Poke several small holes in the bag with a pin, and then toss the bag into storage bins with clothes. The soap will repel moths and other insects, and keep clothes smelling fresh.

Save old socks or partner-less socks to store delicate Christmas ornaments.

Have any re-using tricks to share? We'd love to hear them!