I read an article recently on Huffington Post Parents that aimed at helping bring order to their readers' homes by providing a list of things to throw out. Throw out? No! To be fair to the author, she did put in parentheses that the items could be donated or recycled, but for the most part, it was an article about trashing what you don't need. The lesson of a cluttered home should be to only take only what you need -- be it pens from the bank, bags from the supermarket or duck sauce packets from the Chinese takeout place. And for those items you do take or purchase and end up not needing, try to reuse them before trashing them. It's a little hobby I like to call Upcycling.
- The near-empty ice cream carton in the freezer
- The extra packet of buttons that came with a cardigan that you've since donated
- Stained t-shirts you've had since college
- The ratty towel you've been using in lieu of a bath mat
- Holiday cards
- The treasure trove of plastic grocery bags under your sink
Extra Buttons
That's an easy one. Glue them on stuff! You can make jewelry and wall art, such as a gift for a new couple. All it takes is a little scrapbook paper (I'm sure you have a stash that you've been saving for the right project), some glue, and your buttons:
Stained T-Shirts
- Lay the t-shirt out flat.
- Cut off the arms and the neck. Use a plate or bowl to trace the curve if you are not comfortable going Kamikaze Crafter on it.
- Measure a straight line across the bottom of the shirt, 3" to 4" from the bottom.
- Make vertical cuts up to that line about 1" apart. You will now have strips in the front and the back of the shirt.
- Tie the front and the back strip together with double knots. Do the same for all of the strips
- And now you have a reusable bag to bring to the Farmer's market or craft store to get more stuff!
Ratty Towels
These are perfect for an upcycle project you can donate. Take all of your old towels, sheets, and blankets and stuff them into pillow cases and sew them shut to make beds for the dogs at your local animal shelter. Don't have a sewing machine? That's okay! Donate them as-is, your shelter can always use them. What would be considered ratty to you would be a welcomed gift to a dog in need.
Holiday Cards
Holiday cards can be used to make... wait for it... other holiday cards! Use scissors or paper punches to make shapes out of the cards and glue the pieces on to a piece of paper or card stock for a homemade card. Or, just cut the picture into a shape, punch a hole in it and use it as a gift tag.
Plastic Grocery Bags
So the next time to make a resolution to de-clutter your home, don't put all of your "trash" in the trash - upcycle it. If you can't think of a project, leave me a comment and I'll help you out!