We’ve had an email from Uta Bauer asking about recycling old photographs and negatives.

We covered pictures that back on the site earlier in the year but didn’t really include negatives in that.

So how about those negatives? I’m sure they could be used in some really fun craft projects using light but don’t have any specific suggestions – anyone else made anything cool with them?

Heh, a bit of a weird/fun one for a change.

Apparently, the actress Scarlett Johansson had some of her wisdom teeth taken out recently and decided to get one gold-plated and put on a necklace as a birthday present for her boyfriend of six months, Ryan Reynolds.

I would totally salute this concept – if I ever have kidney stones removed and can keep them, well, fun earrings a go go! – but if Scarlett hadn’t wanted to make jewellery out of her chompers, what else could she have done with them?

The tooth fairy must have a huge stack dying for a re-use too. So any ideas?

(Photo by MadMaven/T.S.Heisele)

We’ve had an email from Janet:

I’ve been clearing out my dad’s old shed and it is FULL of rusty old tools. Help! What should I do with them!

I guess it depends how “rusty” you mean by “rusty” – if it’s not very, a local community group (say an allotment group if they’re gardening tools) might be willing to refurbish them and put them back into use but if you mean utterly seized and beyond redemption, they might not be so keen.

It also depends on how “old” you mean by “old” – some people collect antique/old tools and equipment, particularly if it is for a specialist purpose so it might be worth investigating that option.

Any other ideas?

(Photo by anbra33)

We had an email to Compost This from Tracy, asking:

Just wondered if old wallpaper is compostable. Just stripped it all off my daughter’s bedroom walls and I am just starting on the rest of the house. I don’t know and wondered if you did. I would assume that it’s not due to the adhesive but thought I would ask you.

I’d agree with the “no, it’s not” verdict because of the synthetic contents of most pastes, dyes used for patterns and/or paints applied to the surface. But what else can be done with it?

When we stripped our living room a few years ago, we had some really big pieces – almost full strips – as well as those annoying scraps that JUST WON’T COME OFF THE WALL but we ended up just bundling it all up and throwing it anyway because we couldn’t think what else could be done with it.

Any suggestions?

(Photo by the wonderfully named Woopidoo2)

We’ve had a clever idea email from Victoria about making an oven/slow cooker out of polystyrene. We’ve covered moulded polystyrene in the past but I liked this idea so much that I thought I’d feature it again:

i have made an oven from recycled polystyrene when my next door neighbour got her new washing machine she had just the thing i needed to make my energy free oven. keep with me!

on www.selfsufficientish.com, they explain how to make an oven and it works.

i had an old storage unit one that goes out side that you can store all your veg in. i moved and had lots of storage in my new kitchen so no longer needed it. i put the polystyrene in and insulated my storage box. i also added balls in pillow cases around.

i put my stew on the hob for 5 mins popped it in my “oven” and 10 hours later hot stew cooked!

i was so amazed i want to make another for my friend but can not get my hands on the polystyrene.

i know that this is not everyone’s cup of tea but for me, its a great way to recycle.

It is indeed. Anyone else done this as well? Or made other cool things out of polystyrene?