This is a bit of an anticipatory post since said cone is still currently covered in a few of hundred grammes of yarn but anyway…

Yarn/wool cones. I bought a giant cone of yarn on eBay the other day from someone clearing out their yarn stash. I thought I’d use it for for my next big crafting project, a crocheted blanket but as the yarn is, well, sunshine (read: oh-my-God-so-bright) yellow, I’ll have to get another one in a less retina-straining tone to calm it down a bit – and that means I’ll then have two of these hollow cones.

The one I’ve got at the moment is about 20cm (8″) tall and tapered to around 7cm (3″) in diameter at the base from around 2.5cm (1″) at the top. It’s made of heavy duty cardboard – so recyclable – but you know me*, I prefer to reuse instead of recycle. I’ve also seen a lot of similarly sized plastic cones about which aren’t so easily recyclable.

Since it’s a craft-related item, I’m sure there are loads of crafty reuses – but what about practical things too?

* if you don’t know me, hi, I’m Louisa. I like to reuse and repurpose random things. It’s nice to meet you.

I’m not brand loyal about many things but orange squash has to be Robinsons (full sugar, none of that sugar-free or high juice nonsense), baked beans have to be Heinz and brown sauce has to be HP, or at the very least Daddies.

Every now and then, I try other things because I hate habits, particularly habits that benefit huge corporations and sometimes this works out but other times it leaves me with an almost entire bottle of brown sauce on our condiments shelf and a nasty taste in my mouth. It is not going back in my mouth again – at least not as brown sauce.

I would be tempted to try it in cooking where I need something to add to the flavour but don’t need it to taste exactly like brown sauce but I’m wondering what else it could be used for too.

Now, I know that brown sauce, which Wikipedia informs me is similar to steak sauce in the US, has at least one other use: I used to use it to make coins shiny when I was a kid and evidently had too much time on my hands — so that makes me think it could be used for other cleaning purposes. I suspect it’s mostly the vinegar, combined with a slight abrasiveness from the solid particles in the sauce, that does the cleaning – but the brownness might get in the way of that.

So any suggestions?

We’ve had a message on our suggest-an-item page from Kaye:

what can i do to reuse/create something useful out of old sports trophies? i have only seen ideas for coat racks, but i already have one. these are the “plastic-people frozen in place and mounted on a block of stone” type ones.

i’ve also heard about giving them to a trophy shop to recycle. but what else??

Coat rack = awesome! As I mentioned on Things To Do Today last Friday, we need a new coat rack – if either John or I had ever achieved any sporting prowess, you can pretty much guarantee that’s what I’d be doing with our trophies around about now. Unfortunately we both preferred sitting to running about on fields and they don’t give out anywhere near as many trophies for that.

Anyway though, Kaye’s not up for a coatrack so any other ideas?

(Photo by coldphase)

We’ve had an email from Emily, asking about “wax paper/ parchment paper / aluminum foil boxes”:

It seems like they would be good for doing something more with, considering the long jagged edge / blade and all.

Funnily enough – and proof that everyone out there is READING MY MIND – I was thinking about this just the other week. My grease-proof paper box has plastic coating on the jagged edge, which makes it better for tearing but worse for recycling. Grr.

So any suggestions for reusing them – whether metal or plastic, or just a cardboard box?

And what about reducing them in the first place – anyone know of any particular companies that make refill rolls to save getting the whole new box each time? I seem to recall that some supermarket value brand in the UK is box-less but I can’t remember which one – and suspect that’s just wrapped in plastic instead anyway.

(Photo by Ilmari Karonen, c/o Wikipedia)

Statement necklaces are apparently where it’s at fashion wise at the moment and Nancy from 21centurydressmakers made herself a fab piece to wear on New Year’s Eve – made from old shampoo bottles.

I love the different colours (such pretty blue and a lovely vibrant orange!) and the oval shapes – and how the curved shapes of the original bottles add to the finished shape of the necklace.

Awesome work, Nancy! Check out the how-to on her site if you want to make your own.