Uses for Leftover Paper Cups

It never fails that when you have a party or just a bar-be-que in the backyard, you will have leftover paper goods and if you are like me, you will buy more instead of digging them back out of the pantry. Most of the time I forget that they are there so they tend to accumulate. I could just throw them out, but what fun would that be? Besides the idea is to not be wasteful, right? So what can be done with leftover paper cups? Several things can be actually and they range from ice molds to wind vanes.

If you are having a party where you will have punch, such as a bridal shower or baby shower, you can use an ice mold instead of ice cubes. Ice cubes will melt faster than an ice mold does. What does this have to do with paper cups? Simple, an ice mold can be made from a paper cup. All you have to do is fill the cup with water, pop it in the freezer and allow it to freeze thoroughly. After it has had time to freeze, peel the paper cup off of the ice mold. Now the ice mold is ready to put into your punch.

A paper cup can also be used in a pinch as a funnel or as a pouring cup. There are times when you may need one or the other of these two items and do not have them. Or you may have them but are going to use something in them that you do not necessarily want to put into the same funnel or pouring cup that you use to cook with. When this happens all you have to do is grab a paper cup. To make a funnel out of a paper cup, take the cup and puncture the bottom of it close to the edge. Now it is ready to use. To make a pouring cup simply take your fingers and crimp or pinch the edge of the paper cup to make a spout.

As mentioned earlier, a paper cup can be used to make a wind vane. A wind vane is a device that will tell you what direction the wind is blowing. This can be handy at home if you are planning on burning leaves or are going to spray pesticide on your garden or yard and are concerned with the direction that the wind may carry the product or the smoke. To make a wind vane using a paper cup you will need the paper cup and a string. Take off the bottom of the cup and attach the string on the cup allowing the cup to hang horizontally. You can tell which way the wind is blowing by holding the string and watching the cup. The large end of the cup should face into the wind.