Brace yourself for several aha! moments. These unique uses for everyday items are downright genius.
20 Uncommon Uses for Common Household Items
Updated on Sep. 12, 2024
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Wine Box Storage
If you’re tryign to be thrifty, you may be looking for clever uses for common household items. Here’s one: Find a free shoe storage container at almost any store that sells wine. Originally designed to protect glass bottles, a wine box is perfect for organizing shoes as well because it comes with cardboard dividers already in place.
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Wrench Caddy
Organize your wrenches in your toolbox by stringing them onto a large, bright colored carabiner (sold at camping and discount stores). It will keep your wrenches together and make them portable and easy to spot.
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Keep the Tape Rolling
Slip a rubber band over the ‘ears’ of your packing tape dispenser as shown to keep the end of the tape from falling through the slot and then back onto the roll. The tape won’t stick to the rubber, so you’ll always be ready to roll.
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Cord Control
Tame that cord jungle under your desk with a length of 1/2-in. foam pipe insulation. Paint it the color of your wall and it will virtually disappear.
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Use Tongs to Clean Blinds
Make quick work of cleaning your window blinds by using kitchen tongs! Secure rags to the ends of the tongs with twist ties, and then clamp the tongs on each blade to clean both sides of the window blinds at once.
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Rubber Band and Paperclip Binder
No more tangled extension cords! Store small extension cords neatly with this simple office supply hack: Attach a paperclip to a small rubber band. Then wrap the rubber band around the bundled cord and clasp the paperclip onto the rubber band again.
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Bobby Pin Nail Holder
There’s no need to risk hammering a finger when working with tiny nails or in tight quarters. A common bobby pin makes a great nail holder—and keeps your fingers at a safe distance! Once the nail is started, remove the bobby pin and continue hammering away.
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Egg Carton Painting Props
Keep a few empty egg cartons with the rest of your painting supplies. They’re great for lifting a small project off of a work surface, making it easier to paint nooks and crannies and along the base of the project.
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Greenhouses from the Salad Bar
Reuse a plastic clamshell container from the salad bar as a mini greenhouse for starting seeds in the spring. After washing the container, punch a few holes in the top. Fill the bottom with potting soil and plant your seeds. Close the lid and place the container in a sunny spot. It acts like a mini greenhouse, allowing the sun to reach the plants while holding in moisture.
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Sofa Stops
Prevent your furniture from sliding into your walls and leaving scuff marks that are difficult to remove. Reader Dwight Hillock screwed doorstops onto the back of his sofa legs at the height of the baseboard along his wall.
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Anti-Skid Level
Levels tend to slip when you’re trying to mark a line on a wall. Make it an anti-skid level by sliding several rubber bands (or one fat one) over each end.
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Paint Brush Drip Stopper
When you wipe your paint brush against the inside of the can, paint fills the rim and eventually runs down the side and onto the floor. Solve the problem by wiping the paint against a heavy rubber band wrapped around the center of the can. Excess paint will drip back into the can without making a mess or gumming up the lid.
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Small-Parts Clamp
Make a small-parts clamp by wrapping a rubber band around the jaws of needle-nose pliers. The rubber band keeps the jaws of the pliers clamped together for holding small items. It works especially well for getting nuts into inaccessible spots or for starting small finish nails.
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Better Tree Watering
It’s a lot of work to haul buckets of water to recently planted trees. Then, when you dump out the water at the base of the tree, the water quickly runs off. Here’s a solution: Get some old 5-gallon buckets and drill a 1/4-in. hole near the bottom of each one. After plugging the holes with dowels, fill the buckets and haul them to the trees in a wheelbarrow. Set the buckets near the base of the trees and unplug the holes. It takes several minutes for the buckets to drain, allowing the soil to soak up every drop. — editor David Radtke
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Vacuum Attachment Holder
Take one of your shop vacuum attachments to the home center and find a PVC tee that fits. Drill a hole in the tee large enough to accept a screwdriver, place a small plywood spacer behind it and screw it to the wall.
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Fix Wobbly Furniture with a Penny
You can fix a wobbly bench or table with your pocket change. Add a drop of hot glue to a coin and attach it to the problem area. The coin will act like a shim, leveling out the furniture piece. This is one of the fastest suggested uses for common household items; in the time it takes the glue to dry you’ve fixed your problem.
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Wine Cork Caulk Saver
Some of these uses for common household items are really creative! Synthetic wine corks are great for sealing partially used tubes of caulk. Drill a 5/16-in. hole into the cork about 1 in. deep. The cork fits perfectly and makes an airtight seal. — reader Susan Claussen
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Easy-Grip Tool Handles
Improve your grip and comfort when using hand tools by wrapping the handles of hammers, chisels, turning tools, clamps— just about anything with a handle—with the self-clinging tape used on hockey sticks (sold at sporting goods stores).
The absorbent, textured surface keeps the handle from slipping around in your hand as you work, and you won’t have to grip it as firmly.
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Tennis Ball Bottle Opener
Slice a tennis ball in half using a utility knife. (Be sure to stabilize the ball in a vise or with clamps while cutting.) The rubbery inside of the ball is perfect for gripping stubborn twist-off bottle caps or sticky jar lids.
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Custom Cord Wraps
Make your own cord wraps using old bungee cords and synthetic wine corks. Drill two holes in the cork, thread cord through the holes and tie off the ends. You can make them as long or as short as you want. They’re lightweight and work great for securing air hoses and other things, too. Plus wine corks can be one of those common household items that are plentiful.
