How to Creatively Reuse Items - 5 Quick & Easy Ways

Small green liquor bottles make lovely bud vases when lined up in a neat row. Glass drink bottles with screw on lids make great storage for small items like buttons and ribbons. For an interesting flair, paint the bottles with chalkboard paint and decorate them with chalk doodles. You can also buy etching cream and etch designs on to each one and give as gifts. Use them to store premixed dry ingredients for single servings of cookies or bread. You can also use some of them for candle holders.

2. Save cardboard boxes to use for packaging gifts and mail and for storage.

Whenever you order something online or from a catalog, save the cardboard box in which it was mailed. You can reuse these for mailing packages to friends if you make sure and cover up any other addresses or barcodes, or you can wrap them prettily to use as gift boxes. You can also use them for storing items you buy in bulk. If you don't like the look of the plain cardboard, wrap them with decorative paper or use sticky shelf liner paper to cover the sides that will be visible.

3. Save blank envelopes from junk mail and use to mail bills and letters.

A lot of mail comes with blank return envelopes. Use the ones with no writing and that require a stamp to mail in bill payments or to mail letters. You can also save them to sort receipts in them.

4. Save one-sided junk mail or misprinted paper for scrap paper notepads.

Cut or tear the paper to the same approximate size and make sure all of the blank sides are facing them same direction. Use rubber cement to glue one edge together. This will make great scrap pads for jotting down notes. Put several by the phone and a few on your desk. Place one next to your bed for when you remember something when you're falling asleep.

5. Save food boxes to sort your stuff.

The boxes that tea bags come in make excellent drawer dividers to hold staples, tape, pens, and more. Cereal boxes can be made into magazine holders. Oatmeal cylinders can be used to hold utensils, hair combs, or paintbrushes. You can also use these all of these to mail packages in, so long as the items aren't too fragile or heavy.