Comments on: Suggest an item

By: Jane

Jane — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:29:18 +0000

How can I recycle unused cigarette filters. I recently stopped smoking and have found a few boxes lying around. They come in boxes of 165, I am sure someone could come up with a crafty use for them. Unsure what they are actually made of but they melt in nail varnish remover.

By: Ariana

Ariana — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:23:24 +0000

How can i recycle laminated paper? I have lots of laminated paper which I would like to find a way recycle / upcycle, would love to hear if anyone out there has any ideas as to what to do with this? many thanks x

By: snigface

snigface — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:46:22 +0000

my little girl buys earrings in claires accessories that come as 20 pairs or so. Every earring has a little plastic holder to keep the butterfly back on – they’re like little clear beads. They look really useful so I always save them but I have no idea what I can use them for – I guess they could be used for jewellery making but I’m not that crafty – any ideas?

By: Raynor

Raynor — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:10:55 +0000

Wash them well and donate to a battered women’s shelter or homeless shelter.

By: Raynor

Raynor — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:08:55 +0000

You might give them to a gardener. They are very weather proof, and with cutting them in strips (so as to not have them lifted away by would be parkers) could be marked with permanent markers and used to identify rows of planted garden seeds or flowering plants.

By: Joel

Joel — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:23:57 +0000

My wife just bought a new toaster oven. The previous one had problems in her eyes, because the spring-loaded door didn’t work as smoothly as when new, and the unit, after three years, had a couple unsightliness issues.

The door is not much of a problem, as far as I’m concerned. It does stay shut reliably when you shut it. So, okay, now I’ve got this little heating unit that I can take to my shop. It seems the controls function as-new. Thermostat system works. Heats up to 450* F.

People are using old toaster ovens for flow soldering, for un-soldering components on circuit boards, and for powder-coating of small objects. Right now, I don’t do any of those things… but you never know

Got any other ideas as to how it can come in handy?

By: QAmanda Haskins

QAmanda Haskins — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:56:00 +0000

hi my name is amanda and i have just started up my own non profit charity for all the animals in need of our help. Our name is Animal Ark Ireland and we are in an enterprise centre at the moment, but we are working round the clock to try and get a proper shop, where we can operate properly from. The shop we want to open will not only be a charity shop but also an information centre for any questions or help people may want about animals eg… nearest vet, pet purchasing, how to look after your pet, lost and found animals,animals being ill treated etc.,Above all we want anyone whos pet has passed away to be able to talk to us and have our support. Now to the reason i am posting this comment , we have been givin a lot of different pieces of material from a very kind lady who runs her own fabric business and we will be getting it on a weekly basis. we are looking for volunteers or organisations who could make us up things we could sell in our shop, out of the material. Maybe book marks, quilts, rag dolls, xmas decorations or whatever you think we could sell. We would be very very grateful for any support anyone out there can give us. we are based in Dublin Ireland and are looking forward to hearing any suggestions you may have. yours gratefully Amanda.

By: Bee

Bee — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:35:39 +0000

Without really knowing what it looks like..
Perhaps put a faux book cover on it and make it a hideaway book for your bookshelf?
Or if it can rest on a flat surface, perhaps put in some dividers and make it into a travel kit for stuff like crafting supplies, med kit, sewing kit, ect.

By: Bee

Bee — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:29:50 +0000

What can I do with a lot of wood ash after it has been leached? I have a large firepit, and I plan on saving and leaching the ashes… but I’m very leery about tossing that much slag ash onto the compost heap. I’ve found lots of info about ashes before leaching, but practically nothing about after leaching.

By: M.Devine

M.Devine — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:21:12 +0000

I have quite a few old watches that don’t work. Any ideas??

By: Bettina

Bettina — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:54:20 +0000

How can I reuse cookie cutters? Other than as soap molds.

By: Tabitha

Tabitha — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 20:59:36 +0000

How can I recycle the plastic spoons you get in children’s medicine bottles? Thanks ;oD

By: Philip Mitchell Graham

Philip Mitchell Graham — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:05:07 +0000

Thin wood can be bent using heat and or steam. That is how they make the sides of guitars and violins. The simplest way to bend small pieces of wood is in a microwave. BTW This is a good reuse of a working microwave you no longer use in the kitchen. You cut the wood to fit in the microwave, soak it in water for 2 days. Set up a work area and bending form (any heavy duty cylinder will do). You will also need some towels and tongs for handling the hot wood. Together with some cheep clamps from a $2 shop. The great advantage of the microwave method is its speed. It only takes 1m 30s to make the wood pliable. Take it out, shake it off and clamp it down. Curved wood can be used for countless art and craft projects.

By: Gail Haass

Gail Haass — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:50:09 +0000

I am wondering if someone would have a craft idea where you could use faux wood blinds. I have so many left over because of having to take them out for the length of my windows. Please contact if any ideas. Thx

By: rachael

rachael — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 10:05:33 +0000

hi, how can recycle some slippers? do shoe banks take them? thanks

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:33:02 +0000

Our plastic patio table just broke. The leg snapped straight off. The legs are rounded on the bottom, so it would be hard to replace. I saw the post about discolored patio furniture, but is there any way to fix/reuse the table? I will have to throw it away if not!

By: Lizzy

Lizzy — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:43:32 +0000

Which is worse – matches or lighters ?

By: Karen

Karen — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 14:04:49 +0000

Hi,
I had bought a lavender plant but it died, because I guess I didn’t give enough water. I was going to throw it away but thought of this site and save the (dried) lavender branches. I put it in a plastic bag to use later. Was thinking to use as a scent bag in my closet. When I opened the plastic bag after a week, the smell was a lot less. Did I do something wrong? My question is: how can I use my own lavender to make a scent bag, that will smell/last longer?
Thanks! Karen

By: Julia

Julia — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:31:55 +0000

They could always be donated to a second hand shop were someone might use them

By: Julia

Julia — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:28:56 +0000

I make popcorn the same way but I usually seperate what i will eat and what I won’t. The unsalted popcorn is always good to throw out to the squirrels and I usually eat the salted stuff :]

By: Tina

Tina — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:36:08 +0000

what can I use sweetcorn plants for?
I like to eat or use as much of my plants as possible, before composting the rest. There must be a million uses for corn plants, but can I find any? help!

By: Janet

Janet — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:43:30 +0000

I have several combs that I don’t use.Can they be re-used or recycled?

By: Philip Mitchell Graham

Philip Mitchell Graham — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:47:35 +0000

In sort no. The inks are highly toxic, so the cartridges are toxic waste.

By: Philip Mitchell Graham

Philip Mitchell Graham — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:45:35 +0000

I’d find out what they are made of from the manufacturer first. This will give you some idea of how durable they are, and what kind of glue will work with them.

By: Philip Mitchell Graham

Philip Mitchell Graham — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:38:25 +0000

Everyone should keep a basic tool kit in the home. Older tools are more likely to be better made than cheep tools today, so keep some of them for yourself or friends.

It is very unlikely that the tools are ‘valuable’, though this term can mean different things to different people. To me a valuable tool is anything worth over $100. In general, condition is more important than age. Perhaps the most ‘collectable’ old tools are the planes, but most planes are not valuable because they are not rare.

There are many sites on the web that deal in old tools. Check for any brand names on the tools and google them. It should not be hard to get an approximate value for any branded tool, assuming it is in good condition.

Any tool marked ‘superior’ is unlikely to be valuable.

Any tool that is hand made or unusual in some way can be valuable, BUT production tools that have been modified or repaired are generally not valuable.

There could be many items among your father’s tools that you do not recognise as tools. They might just look like bits of junk. These mystery objects can be valuable antique tools. So take a long look at everything before you clean out the shed.

Someone in your family may be more interested in family history or DIY than you. I’d ask around first before disposing of them outside the family. The good will you could generate in your family is worth far more than the cash value of the tools. If the family isn’t interested, old tools also make great presents.

As for recycling tools: Old saws can be cut up into scrapers to finish wood. Old wrenches make great bending irons for blacksmith work. Almost any bit of old junk will be useful to an artist or sculptor, so ask around if you don’t know any personally.

By: Philip Mitchell Graham

Philip Mitchell Graham — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:56:51 +0000

There are an infinite number of uses for them. I’d put them with your tools and they will come in handy sooner or later.

By: Philip Mitchell Graham

Philip Mitchell Graham — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:52:31 +0000

They make great disposable toys for very young children.

For older kid’s they are useful for craft projects.

By: Philip Mitchell Graham

Philip Mitchell Graham — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:48:49 +0000

Id try to locate next of kin and ask specifically for anyone who is interested in family history.

Failing this, what to do depends on the age of the photos, and how much time you want to spend on the project. You can toss the recent domestic snapshots, (duplicates and duds) but any image that includes something or somewhere identifiable, is potentially of interest to historians, special interest groups or collectors. Almost any photo taken before 1980 is worth keeping. Also check the backs for notes or dates. You could hold the key to someone else’s mystery.

If your friend was organised enough to keep albums, she probably has boxes somewhere full of negatives and prints she wasn’t interested in. These could be far more interesting to other people.

If storage space is a problem, take the photos out of the albums.

By: Philip Mitchell Graham

Philip Mitchell Graham — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:29:02 +0000

I collect my wood fire ash in them, but they must be stored out of the weather. I plan to extract the charcoal and lye (potassium hydroxide) which is a powerful chemical with a wide range of uses.

By: Philip Mitchell Graham

Philip Mitchell Graham — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:16:16 +0000

You could consider smelting the aluminium and making casts. There is a lot of info on the web about this. AL melts at a low temp so its relatively easy to melt down. You can even concentrate sunlight to melt it down for free! Google ‘fresnel lens’ and be amazed.