a melting point of 195 degrees F, so never boil them.
8. Old socks
Those missing socks can serve another purpose rather than laboring over trying to find its match. Many of us use them as handy dust cleaners, but they can have other uses. Make a chew toy for your furry friend by tying a knot in the center, or add some catnip to a sock and knot at the top. Use for aromatherapy purposes: Take an old knee-high sock, fill it with white rice and a few drops of your favorite essential oil, and tie the end closed. When you have an aching, sore, or tight muscle, place the sock in the microwave to warm for a few seconds and place it around your neck, on your arm, or wherever relief is needed.
Snagged pairs of pantyhose can serve more than one purpose, as well. They can be used in the garden to secure low hanging fruit for support. Also, they can be used as makeshift pot scrubbers, can be used to tie rolls of newspapers together for future biomass fire logs, can be put on as a glove to test sanded wood for any snags. You can also make a handy-dandy soap on a rope, or line your flower pots with your old pantyhose to prevent soil from coming out between watering. Some have even used them to store potpourri and placed into drawers.
10. Egg shells
These are my all-time favorite trash item. Eggshells are so versatile, I could write an entire article on how to use them. Here are a few of my faves: start seedlings in it, add crushed shells to compost or feed them to your chickens for a calcium boost, add to garden for added calcium. Crushed eggshells are also great for scrubbing pots and pans too.
11. Wood ashes
I want to emphasize these ashes should be made from natural wood, not the chemical logs you buy at the store. Natural wood ash is a great source for mineral-rich dust that has practical uses. It strengthens plants that love calcium, such as tomatoes, vineyards, beans, spinach, peas, avocados, garlic, and even rose bushes. Add 1/4 cup ash before planting, It can also be sprinkled on plants to help winterize them before frosts. Animals hate ash. You can rid your garden of insects and various parasites, such as ants, slugs and snails. You can also use it as desiccant to keep your seeds dry.
12. Product bags
Those holey bags can also be reused. Rather than going out spending a few extra dollars from your budget for a new pot scrubber, you can make your own with a produce bag. You can also lure earthworms with them. The next time you have kitchen scraps, put them in a product bag and secure it with a twist tie. Add them to your compost pile or garden and, in a few days, the worms will move to where the bag is and eat the kitchen scraps. Use product bags as a carry all too. They are great for reusing as a storage bag when you go to the store. They can also be used as a makeshift loofah for scrubbing the skin.
13. Cardboard soda case
Build a can rotating rack, or make some fun pencil cases using these instructions.
14. Cereal boxes
My husband is a big cereal fan and we typically have 2-3 empty cereal boxes a week for his habit. Using some decorative paper, these boxes can easily be assembled into decorative gift tags, fashioned into filing centers for the desk, made into origami gift boxes. Or, if you cut out the center of one side, you can create a planter. Check out the instructions for these projects here.
15. Egg cartons
I typically reuse my egg cartons to hold fresh eggs from our chickens. But they can also be used to hold compostable material that can be added to the compost bin. Egg cartons can also be used for crafts, use it sort and organize small beads for jewelry. They make great fire starters, can be used as seed starters, store sewing supplies, or use egg cartons in lieu of styrofoam packing peanuts.
16. Glass jars
Aside from making great pens holders, they can also be repurposed to store shelf stable foods, used to store ribbons, turned into candle holders or outdoor lanterns. You can also use them to regrow vegetables or get plant cuttings started. Check out these 14 ways to reuse glass jars.
17. Dryer lint
Lint from drye