Reusing empty product containers? Your ideas here!

[SavingEye]

POST here your ideas and useful/clever ways to recycle product packages and cans.

[littlereddeer1]

use the boxes from the laundry detergent cut off the top at an angle and use to store your magizines

I get the large dressing containers from a restaraunt and clean it out and i put my sugar in it.

[queenofthehivemomof5]

Yogurt cups - (Not yoplait)

• I poke holes in the bottom and use to start seedlings in in the spring.

Cool whip or margarine tubs -

• Fill with water and freeze, dump large ice block into dogs water dish to keep cool, or put in ice chests.
• Keep a few on hand to send leftovers with guests or to take to church members when sick, had baby etc.

Tin Cans -

• punch decorative holes with ice pick and hammer and triangular shapes with a church key, put voltive candles inside for pretty candle holders.
• Metal coffee cans with plastic lids, paint using metal paint and decoupage with Christmas card cutouts and use for holiday cookie/fudge gift giving.
• Coffee cans without lids, bake banana, zuchini, and other quick breads inside can for round loaves with easily identifiable cutting marks due to the grooves in the cans.
• Spam or general foods international coffee cans can be used for drawer organizers (I use them at my desk for paper clips, staples, post it flags etc.)

Paper towel rolls -

• Stuff with plastic grocery sacks and produce sacks and store easily inside a drawer
• Put the kids ponytail holders (rubber bands) around and store in bathroom drawer

Cereal boxes -

• cut at an angle and cover with contact paper for magazine or paper holders
• Can be uses with any size pasteboard box (mac n cheese, rice a roni, etc) cut off tops to make various size rectangles the height of a drawer. Reinforce with tape if needed for free drawer organizers (perfect for desk, junk drawer, and bathrooms)

Pringle cans -

• Rinse out (fast) and dry out (fast) with hair dryer so as not to get cardboard soggy. Paint or cover with contact or gift wrap paper, put chocolate dipped pretzle sticks inside as gift.
• Small pringles cans, rinse and dry as above, stack into a pryamid shape sticking cans together with duct tape or hot glue in this sort of shape:

O
OO
OOO
OOOO

Larger or smaller and make cubbie holes for hotwheel cars or beanie
Babies

[mama22qts]

OOhhh I love the ideas for the paper towel holder and for the yogurt cups! I start lots of stuff from seeds, so that's a great idea. :)

[berlinsmommy]

Yogurt cups - (Not yoplait)
[LIST][*]I poke holes in the bottom and use to start seedlings in in the spring.

I thought I was the only person who did that!

I also love the Gerber Baby Food Stage 2 (I think) fruit containers, those plastic, rectangular ones that the lids snap on and off. I had TONS when Berlin was a baby and washed and kept them. They are perfect to refill with Cheerios, crackers, cookies, goldfish, or any other toddler-type snacks and take with you. They are a perfect one serving size, and since we have TONS, I'm okay with losing them or throwing them away. I even keep a few in the car that just stay there and I can give her to them whenever.

[queenofthehivemomof5]

I thought I was the only person who did that!

I also love the Gerber Baby Food Stage 2 (I think) fruit containers, those plastic, rectangular ones that the lids snap on and off. I had TONS when Berlin was a baby and washed and kept them. They are perfect to refill with Cheerios, crackers, cookies, goldfish, or any other toddler-type snacks and take with you. They are a perfect one serving size, and since we have TONS, I'm okay with losing them or throwing them away. I even keep a few in the car that just stay there and I can give her to them whenever.

we do that too... I also use those containers to store beads, buttons, and small sewing notions. The lids are nice.

[queenofthehivemomof5]

Styrofoam egg cartons
- use as palet for finger paints or shaving cream paints in the bathtub (shaving cream paint is a dollop of shaving cream with a drop of food color mixed in, kids can paint the bathtub walls with it.)

[shrup]

Airborne container - the size is just about right to fit a roll of quarters. Good to bring with you when you need to feed parking meters.

[hrivas]

You all have given me some great ideas, I'm always moping around about how much neater my house would be if I only had the money to buy all the organizers and storage containers that I need, but I guess I just have to be a little creative! Thanks!

[marmis]

Dressing continers from restaurant - we use these for sidewalk salt as it is much cheaper to buy a large bag of it than it is to buy the shaker container

Tin cans (veggies, CBRD, etc) wash out good and paint - use one in kitchen for saving UPCs. Can also use for pen holders, etc

M&M plastic tubes work great for keeping a roll of quarters

Small containers (baby food jars) with lids I save for DH. He always needs something to put nuts/bolts in.

Ice cream buckets and bigger containers I use for putting flour, sugar and things in on the lazy suzan.

Plastic deli containers (clear ones) with attatched tops I wash and save for planting seeds.

I know I will think of more as I look around my house - I always think of Jeff Foxworthy when he does the "You might be a redneck if..."! lmao