Tuesday Tip for a Greener Planet –
TOP 5 WAYS TO TURN YOUR TRASH TO TREASURE
You may look at your trash can (or recycling bin) and see only garbage but did you know that you can save hundreds of dollars by repurposing the ‘garbage’ inside those dirty little walls?!
Everyone knows the ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ mantra for a greener planet but how often do we really reuse and repurpose? k.o. kidz is here to help you with that! We put together a list of our Top 5 favorite everyday household items that you call trash and we call repurpose TREASURE!
1. Plastic Milk Jugs
These make THE BEST scoops, pitchers, and watering cans – all in the same design! Simply cut right above the handle in a circle and take off the top to create your perfect watering can, scoop (we like ours for the dog and cat food), or the ultimate, unbreakable outdoor margarita pitcher (reuse the cut away top to keep the bugs out).
Want to get real crafty? Paint the outside of the jug with eco-friendly paints like SafePaint by Milk Paint (isn’t that fitting?!) to coordinate with any room or outdoor space décor. SafePaint is sold only in powder form so just add water for the amount desired. No more wasted, dried up paint from cans that don’t close with an airtight seal!
2. Paper Towel and Toilet Paper Tubes
Can you really make something beautiful from toilet paper? Absolutely!! Collect toilet paper and paper towel tubes (surprising how quickly these accumulate when collecting them), cut to desired size (1” as pictured), and paint or keep natural color. Once dry, flatten to make an oval shape and glue together to create stars, snowflakes or let your kids get creative! Makes awesome wall art for their bedroom that everyone from your toddler to teenager will love!
3. Tin Coffee Cans
Decorate a plain wall or fence with these adorable tin coffee can ‘herb’ planters. So easy! Punch a hole in the top of the can at least ½” below the rim to allow enough space to enlarge hole if necessary and hang on hooks or nails. Oh, and of course, you can paint these any color of the rainbow too!
4. Glass Pasta Sauce and Jelly Jars 
Glass jars of any size offer boatloads (cruise ship size!) of DIY ideas but our simplest and favorite is the good ‘ol pencil, pen, highlighter, ruler, nail file, etc. holder. Pasta sauce and jelly jars tend to be the right size for these items. The wider the opening, the better – easier to take items in and out! And, don’t throw out the lids. We have many repurpose ideas for these too. We’ll start with the perfect paperclip caddy – on your desk or as an organizer in your drawer.
5. 2-Liter Plastic Bottles
A great way to repurpose all those bottles is to create an easy summer soaker toy or lawn sprinkler. Poke holes in the bottle and attach to the hose using duct tape. Waters your lawn and fun for the whole family including the dog! Too bad we can’t get this to work with our rain barrel! Oh, the drawbacks of conservation – please use water responsibly.
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