73 smart ways to use simple everyday objects differently

1. Bookwork Mess

Keep your books in perfect condition by strapping a rubber band over the end when putting them in your bag. That way, the pages don’t fly open or bend.

2. Sweet Threads

Use a shoe box revamped with a few nails to hold your thread collection. It’s super cute and handy. Just make sure you don’t step on it. Ouch!

Voil Voilumes Creations
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Voil Voilumes Creations

3. Another Sponge, Another Day

You may have done this one before but it never hurts to remind you. Cut up a sponge for a super cheap way to separate those toes during your home pedicure.

One Good Thing By Jillee
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One Good Thing By Jillee

4. She’s a Genius

This brings a whole new meaning to fast food. While not all of us have killer spoilers, those that do will love eating their lunch off of it. Because…well, you look cool doing it.

5. Since You Don’t Use Them

You may have a package of shower caps lying around to protect your weave or for Great Aunt Linda. Turns out, they are pretty useful otherwise. Try protecting your bike seat from dust and rain!

6. Never Lose Your Place

It takes perfect nails and a good eye to find the place where the tape begins. But it doesn’t have to. Use a paperclip to keep your place and even a child can do it now.

7. Marshmello?

I think you’re confused. Before Marshmello was so popular, people assumed you meant marshmallows when you mentioned the name. Bring them back by eating them when you have a sore throat. Soft, moisturizing, and tasty.

7th House on the Left
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7th House on the Left

8. Eggcellent

Egg cartons are free and can be used for just about any small object. The greatest of these being Christmas ornaments. You need somewhere to store them all year!

Natural Green Mom
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Natural Green Mom

9. Cut the Cheese

If you have unwaxed, unflavored floss, then you are in luck. Use it to cut soft cheeses. Or even sharp cheddar if it’s really strong floss! Use flavored if you want minty cheese.

He Cooks She Wines
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He Cooks She Wines

10. Another Shower Cap Save

Let’s face it, the plastic wrap does little to no good on a watermelon and there are not really many more choices. Except for the shower cap! Another point for that product!

One Crazy House
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One Crazy House

11. Not for Cheerios

Cereal containers make perfect storage units, but they also make perfect tiny trash cans. Like in the car, for example! Never let another fry or straw wrapper fall.

12. Shiny Chucks and Me

There are a few ways to clean white shoes. Bleach, whitening toothpaste, and even 409. But the best of these is micellar water. You may have some of this face cleaner around already!

13. Anti-Bacterial Too

Ink gets around. It bleeds and wreaks havoc on clothing. One of the best ways to remove it is with just a little Purel or hand sanitizer. Use a toothbrush to work into the cloth and then throw it into the wash.

14. Again with the Remover

Again, before you wash anything stained with makeup, dab a bit of micellar water on it first. The stain will be much more likely to come out this way.

15. If You Insist

While it isn’t recommended to keep mascara longer than a few months, if your mascara starts drying out early, there is an option. Wash the brush in saline solution and it will be revitalized.

16. Buy No More

Ice packs are something you are going to need, especially if you have kids. Save on money and freeze a few wet sponges and stick them in baggies. Works for reducing swelling and in lunch boxes.

My Kitchen Escapades
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My Kitchen Escapades

17. Be Straight with Me

Have a shirt you need in a rush but is all wrinkled up? Concoct a remedy in a spray bottle with water, liquid fabric softener, and vineger.

18. Keep Away

A magnetic strip will forever be one of the handiest tools you can have around. Hang one on your wall to collect bobby pins and more!

19. Travel Stink Be Gone

When traveling, there’s not much you can do about your dirty laundry. You can get a separate bag for them, but they’ll still stink. Try adding a bar of soap to keep things fresh. Maybe even steal one from the hotel!

20. Not a Table Sandwich

They’re not making a sandwich. They are removing stains! Who knew that the best stain remover for wood furniture was mayo? Too good to be true? Not this time!

21. The Citrus Squeeze

We all have these clacking tongs in our utensil drawer. They are great for grilling but also for juicing your limes, oranges, and lemons!

22. Keep ‘Em Fresh

You can keep your fruit fresher by adding sponges to the crisper. They will asborb the moisture and extend the life of the fruit. The sponge may need changed regularly.

23. Clean Your Lights

There are tons of ways to remove scratches and clean your headlights. While oil, mayo, and finger nail polish remover are great, the best way is to use toothpaste!

24. Blot Away

Sometimes it’s from your late morning and sometimes it’s from the kitchen stove. But a greasy face is inevitable. Use a toilet seat cover when you’re on the go to remove it!

25. Something for Everyone

Now this is a glorious idea. Use a breadbox to create a charging station for guests and residents. You can even label each cord to make it easy on everyone.

26. Another Win for Sponge

Carve a soapdish out of a sponge for a multi-purpose dish. You can use the sponge on the outside of the soap to help wash your hands. It will have a safe place to set. Plus, the moisture will be absorbed.

27. Sharpens Your Mind Too

Use foil or sandpaper to sharpen scissors. All you have to do is cut them and your scissors will be sharper than ever. Quicker, cheaper, and easier than buying a sharpening block.

28. The Cure-All

If you grew up in a Mexican family, chances are, you have heard that Vick’s VapoRub can do anything. In this case, use it to repel your pets when training them to not chew on furniture.

29. Drop It

If you want to prevent your tea candles form sticking to the bottom of the holders, spray the cups with cooking spray beforehand. Don’t worry, a little spritz won’t start a fire.

30. Who Needs Files?

All it takes is a file sorter or two to clear up space in your pantry. Use them to store canned goods and save tons of space! They make great dispensers and are easy to use.

Tracey Mackenzie
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Tracey Mackenzie

31. Stick a Cork in It

Corks are pretty, European rustic, and make great decorations. Use them for tiny plants and mount them on your wall or fridge. Aren’t they just adorable?

32. Ice Ice Baby

Need ice on the go? Fill your water bottle up about halfway with water, turn it on its side, and freeze it. When it’s done, you can add water and have cold water all day.

33. Toilet Seltzer

Need to clean the toilet in a jiffy? Alka-Seltzer works as good for cleaning it as it does for getting rid of that holiday heartburn. Try it out before the in-laws visit.

34. Now That’s Fancy

This is a great way to take an average chair and make it fabulous. Grab a bunch of belts and weave a seat out of them, buckling them underneath. Joanna would be proud.

Kiki the Spunky Munky
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Kiki the Spunky Munky

35. Kinder Spirits

These little earbud holders are so adorable! We all have trouble keeping our earbuds untangled and in place, so using these Kinder cases could be an adorable life saver.

36. Have Twelve of Them

These soda pop tabs have tons of uses. One of them is hanging pictures. You can use them on the frame if there is no hook or on the wall if there is one.

37. GPS For Everyone

Getting GPS is totally a thing of the past considering your phone is just as good as a screen that does nothing more. However, mounting it isn’t always a piece of cake. Thankfully, all it takes is a rubber band to change that.

38. Too Simple to Be Amazing?

Nope! Using any old bowl will do when you need to amplify the sound of your music. Just make sure that the speaker is facing downwards and you will be sure to hear the music from the other room.

39. If You Have One

So you probably don’t have an old guitar lying around, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find one! This little shelf is absolutely adorable and deserves to be pursued.

40. For Thanksgiving Night

If you are pregnant, outgrowing your jeans, or just need a little leeway, then you’ve come to the right place. All you need is a ponytail holder and you can continue to splurge on stuffing.

41. Perfect Nails

If you want French Tips, then you can get them at home! Spend $0 on your nails and they can still look amazing. All you need is a rubber band!

42. Unstick The Ick

If you have old wallpaper that thinks it’s more stubborn than you, tell it to think again. Mix in fabric softener with water and let it sit on the walls for 20 minutes before peeling it off.

43. Command Yourself

Need a mount for your tablet? Just use Command hooks and you’re good to go. Whether you’re in bed or doing dishes, you can now make time for a little Netflix binge.

44. Pop, Lock, and Drop It

No need to grab your strong wife to open the pickle jar for you. All you need is a metal spoon and you can pop it right off like nobody’s business.

45. One Stop

Bread ties and chip clips are overrated. When it comes to frozen food, you can use the top of the bag to secure it. Now that’s thinking inside the bag of peas.

46. No More Mermaid Green

Washed out blue can turn green. Which is fine if that’s what you’re looking for. But if not, make some aspirin water to wash it out and refresh your look.

47. Always Trust a Sock

We all have fancy old socks lying in some drawer somewhere. If you’d like to repurpose them, just cut the bottom off and you have a holiday mug warmer that’s cute too.

Goods Home Design
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Goods Home Design

48. Softer Than Ever

Remove pet fur from carpet with a fabric softener solution. Just brush it on and then brush the fur out. It will happen again, but at least it’s clean for a while.

49. How Chic

Shabby Chic is so in right now. All you need is a cheese grater and some paint and you can have an adorable Shabby Chic earring rack! They sell for a hefty sum on Etsy too!

50. We Found a Leek

Asborb odors from the refrigerator by putting newspaper in it. Lay the meat and veggies on it for extra power! What’s black and white and absorbs odors?

51. Erase Everything But the Past

Make a tiny eraser that will allow you to erase with precision by adding glue to the end of your pencil. It works like a charm and lets you use a glue gun for fun.

Youtube Screenshot
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Youtube Screenshot

52. Put That Fire Out

Not everyone has a fire extinguisher in their home, though they should. For those who still need to get one, throw baking soda on a stove fire to put it out. Make sure it’s soda and not powder.

53. Don’t Touch Hot Kettles

Rule of thumb: don’t touch hot pots or pans. But if you do on accident, like this fellow here, just bathe your burn in mustard to soothe it just like aloe.

54. Ready for a Night on the Town

Easily remove debri from shoes with a nail file. This works particularly well on suede and similarly textured shoes. And you know you have a whole bag of files.

55. Ooooh Banana

When toothpaste fails, you can use a banana to clean your CDs. That is, if you still have any. Way to go for not letting Spotify completely take over.

56. More Than Underarms

Prevent chaffing and sooth razor burns with a little deodorant. You use it every day, if we’re in luck, so roll a little over your other body parts to stay fresh and dry.

57. No More Painter’s Tape

If you don’t have painter’s tape, you can use aluminum foil on doorknobs to make sure you don’t get a drop on them. Foil also makes a great chore girl!

58. Earl Grey Soothes

Soothe a sunburn with Earl Grey teabags. You may not have heard of this old wives’ tale before, but you should definitely try it next summer.

59. Don’t Drink It, Stock Man

Let’s ignore the moutwash drinker and focus on that foot. Get rid of foot fungus and odor with a moutwash bath. Just make sure you get the extra large bottle.

60. One Fail Swoop

Clean the crumbs out of your bag with a simple lint roller. It works for under the couch cushions too! You won’t believe the treasures you’ll find there.

61. Summertime Fun

All you need is a plastic bottle and you can make a free sprinkler for the kids to enjoy. There isn’t a kid alive that doesn’t love one of these in the summer sun.

Housing a Forest
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Housing a Forest

62. They Won’t Get Drunk

You’ve heard about sugar water being a flower’s favorite drink, but have you ever heard of vodka in its place? Turns out, flowers love vodka! Who knew they were so refined?

63. LEGO My Cord

This is cute and genius. Hang a lego board to hold your keys, cords, and other small objects you don’t want to lose. He looks adorable holding it for you too. What a champ!

64. Light It Up, Angel Hair

One piece of uncooked spaghetti or angel hair pasta can light the hard to reach candles you have to light. It’s like a long wick that comes with five hundred in a box.

65. Christmas Has Never Been Easier

Those sealed packages seem impossible to open without fifteen minutes and a whole lot of hassle. But you can now put that can opener to good use and crack it open in no time.

66. Not What it Looks Like

If your kids’ Barbie has tangles hair, all you need to do is dunk their head in watered-down fabric softener and they will look like a Paul Mitchell project.

67. Pesky Summer Attraction

Get covered in bites and the itching is driving you crazy? Use scotch tape or nail polish to relieve the bite. Although, I’d suggest clearcoat unless you want to be covered in blue dots!

68. Never Thought of This

This is a wonderful way to be precise in your texting or phone art. If you find a lead pencil, you can carve out a slot for your thumb and the electricity in your body will allow you to use it as a stylus.

69. Not So Moldy Cheese

The cut end of cheese seems to get moldy fast. Prevent this my buttering it before putting it away. Clean and tasty, that’s a hack that we can all appreciate.

70. Shower Cap Finale

Our shower cap finale includes a handy travel tip. Use one you find at the hotel to keep your shoes from getting everything in your suitcase dirty.

71. Tic Tac Ribbon

You may not be a connoisseur of ribbon, but you may have a few of them in the craft door. Use Tic Tac containers to keep them organized and tangle free.

72. Look at That Smiling Face

This is a no-brainer. After you get out of the shower, clear the steam from the mirrors with a blow dryer. It’s simple, safe, and easy. Plus, you’re already using it, right?

73. Twist Off

For some reason, fingernail polish really seems to get stuck. Those lids aren’t as twist-off as you may think. Save yourself the trouble and tighten a rubber band for an easy grip.

Honestly, it’s possible to make use of various common items we see at home. From cleaning; to restoring; to reusing — you can be creative by using the simple things around you.