Sunday, November 30, 2008

Jackie "O" How Extraordinary


This morning as I was replacing the paper towel roll, and about to toss the cardboard tube, I knew there had to be a zillion uses for what I was about to throw away. So I googled ‘cardboard tubes’ and came across an interesting ‘advice and how to’ web site: “Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things”
I knew there were many craft projects just waiting to happen…but wondered what other practical purposes there might be for the tubes.
Here are a few re-purposes that sparked my interest:


Trying to stay warm this winter? Don’t toss out your Cardboard tubes!
Use as kindling and logs!
Turn toilet paper and paper towel tubes into kindling and logs for your fireplace. For fire starter, use scissors to cut the cardboard into 1/8-inch (3-millimeter) strips. Keep the strips in a bin near the fireplace so they'll be handy to use next time you make a fire. To make logs, tape over one end of the tube and pack shredded newspaper inside. (or dryer lint w/wax) Then tape the other end. The tighter you pack the newspaper, the longer your log will burn.

Another re-purpose that I found helpful….(and if you ever saw GramE’s closet, you would know why the light bulb went off in my head when I read this one .)
Keep pants crease-free!
Ever go to your closet for that good pair of pants you haven't worn in a while, only to find an ugly crease at the fold site from the hanger rack. It can be frustrating and time (and energy) consuming to have to iron the pants each time. It won't happen again if you cut a paper towel tube lengthwise, fold it in half horizontally, and place it over the rack before you hang up your pants. Before hanging pants, tape the sides of the cardboard together at the bottom to keep it from slipping.

And I must confess that I also remember the ‘good ol’ days when we used to use cardboard tubes to roll our hair…So that we could give it that ‘Jackie O’ look back in the 60’s !! An extraordinary outcome using ordinary things!


The website article mentioned above also included detailed ways to:
Extend vacuum cleaner reach
Keep Christmas lights tidy
Preserve kids' artwork and important documents
Keep electrical cords tangle-free
Make boot trees
Make a plant guard
Start seedlings
Store knitting needles
Store fabric scraps
Store string
Keep linens crease-free
Protect fluorescent lights
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