Random Re-use

I thought it would be fun to share some things that are random re-use items in our home.  There is so much that can be re-used and re-purposed in life, that most of the time the only drawback is allowing  junk to pile up with the intention of re-using it.  So with re-use comes some rules (of course!).

First lets look at some fun stuff we’ve stumbled across in the past couple years.

1. During our Friendship Thanksgiving last year, I discovered that I hate the size of my gravy boat.  They are nice looking, no doubt, but they hold 2 cups of gravy max.  This is enormously frustrating for the hostess who then proceeds to get up every five minutes to fill the gravy boat.  With a table of 30 people eating, that pretty much translates to me walking behind people with the pan of gravy to fill the boat every third person. Can you say annoying?! So this year I decided to abandon the boat.  Looking through my cabinets on a hunt for something that would work better, my eyes settled on a beautiful glass pitcher. Normally reserved for water and two slices of lemon, this was going to be a perfect gravy boat.  I dumped almost the entire contents of the gravy pan into the pitcher, and am happy to say, there wasn’t a single re-filling session needed during the entire meal.  Way to go water pitcher!  I will probably never use my gravy boat again…thus as OCDiva I will be donating to goodwill or otherwise getting rid of it, to avoid the clutter problem. 

2. Long ago I realized that old kitchen canisters had many lives and could be used for so many things.  Currently this set, holds trinkets and odds and ends.  I also have one on the floor behind the door, filled with decorative rocks, to prevent the door from hitting the wall.  Great use for old canisters.

3. More recently I am keeping every glass jar I have.  Jelly jars, pickle jars, any glass jar that has a lid.  I peel off the labels and run them through the dishwasher.  At first I was saving them for the hubby to use in the garage for odds/ends/nuts/bolts.  But now I am thinking of using them in my office.  Up on shelves.  If I spray paint all the lids black, then despite the varying sizes, they will appear uniform. Now I can have staples in one, stamps in another, binder clips, paper clips, post it notes.  What a great way to be organized without looking too cluttered!  You could implement the use of your jars in the bathroom (cotton balls, floss, q-tips, etc…) or in the pantry (nuts, crackers, etc) or maybe you just want to display some flowers and can use the jars of varying sizes as vases.  So many options.

The thing to remember is that its’ not worth the clutter if you don’t have a use for it.  If you do, then go with it.  If you can’t think of a single thing you’d store in a bunch of glass jars, then don’t do it!  Keep yourself clutter free.

Have fun!  Check out this website of great ideas for re-use: http://www.altuse.com

Don’t Agonize, Organize.

~ by obsessivecompulsivediva on February 12, 2010.