Creative Uses for Foam Food Trays

Dina Montgomery
Foam food trays are excellent for serving food for outdoor picnics, parties, barbeques, or just about any type of get together with friends and family. But you can use these trays for other things also. You can use them to help out in the garden, your children's art project, and even for your outgoing mail. These are just some of the many creative uses for foam food trays.

Creative uses for foam food trays: Knee protectors for gardening

The task of gardening is very enjoyable but the sore knees you can get aren't. This is a very cool trick to keep your knees protected while you tend to your garden. Take foam food trays and place it on your knees. For extra comfort, instead of taping them in place, use the top elastic portion of an old tube sock to secure the trays in place. Now you can get on with your garden duties with no worries of knee pain later.

Creative uses for foam food trays: Relief for your feet

Instead of throwing the foam food trays that your meat comes from the grocery store, keep them and you can use them for insoles for your shoes. Take a clean foam meat food tray and cut it out to fit the insoles of your shoes. Simply place them inside your shoes to give you extra support and comfort. It may seem silly but who is going to know, they're inside your shoes.

Creative uses for foam food trays: For your children's art project

If your child is an inspiring artist, you can take a clean, dry foam food tray and place their watercolors or paints on them with no worries of messes. You can place the paints in the separate sections of the trays and let your children go wild with their imagination. After they are finished with their works of art, you just simply throw the foam food trays in the trash.

Creative uses for foam food trays: Protection for outgoing mail

You have recently taken some photos of the kids to send to Grandma and Grandpa, instead of buying the expensive padded envelopes to mail the photos, use foam food trays. Take a clean food foam tray and cut two pieces a bit smaller than the envelope. Place your precious photos in between the two trays and mail away. They will arrive at their destination safe and sound, and it didn't cost you a thing.

Creative uses for foam food trays: Serving platter

How many times did you go to a cookout or a barbeque and wondered if you were ever going to see your serving platter again? Instead of worrying about losing your platter, make one from a foam food tray. Just simply take a clean foam food tray and wrap it in aluminum foil. You are now ready to fill it up with food and snacks to pass around. You don't have to worry about seeing it again; it can just be tossed out when the food is gone.

Instead of throwing away those foam food trays, you can put them to good use by following these simple steps.

Sources: Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things book

Published by Dina Montgomery

I've always loved writing and sharing things with others.  View profile

20 Comments

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  • Patrick Hayes11/22/2010

    Awesome ideas. I hate throwing these away and I recycle them if I can but using them for the projects you describe is a great idea. Thanks for sharing.

  • Susan Slade9/18/2010

    These are great for so many uses.

  • Cicely Richard8/18/2010

    Love these ideas.

  • Bridget Ilene Delaney8/14/2010

    Returning comments . . . I'm WAAAAY behind. One of these days, I'll be caught up . . . for now, reading and PV love!

  • Bridget Ilene Delaney8/14/2010

    Returning comments . . . I'm WAAAAY behind. One of these days, I'll be caught up . . . for now, reading and PV love!

  • Susan Jane8/12/2010

    Great environmentally friendly uses.

  • Mallory Collier8/9/2010

    You're so creative! :)

  • Theresa Wiza8/7/2010

    A friend of mine always asked me to save mine for her. She painted.

  • Bridgitte Williams8/7/2010

    Excellent creative uses for foam food trays. :-) I loved! Thanks!

  • Jeanne Baney8/5/2010

    The mail tip is awesome! Not just for photos but for anything needing a little padding.

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