How to Repurpose 7 Items That Rarely Get the Attention

One way to save the planet is to reduce waste and recycle it in any way we can. There are a lot of tutorials on how to upcycle your things on the internet, and we also have an article about it too. But some there are some things that are usually overlooked when it comes to repurposing, and they end up in the trash bin.

So if you’re one of those people who are just starting to switch to the zero emission lifestyle, you’ll want to read this through. These are 7 things that are rarely included in upcycling tutorials and how to repurpose them well in your own home.

1. Underwear

Okay, so your underwear (panties and/or boxers) is very worn out with all that holes and it’s become too loose to even fit your body. Or maybe your underwear is uncomfortable and you want to buy new ones. Then what do you do with the old ones? You don’t have the heart to throw them away because you know you can upcycle it. But how? Well, there are a few things.

You can scrunch up a few into an onion bag and get yourself a new scrubbing sponge. Stuffing old panties into your plushies or pillows will fluff them up and make them feel and look brand new. For cleaning purposes, you can turn them into washcloths or duster. All you need is cut them into long strips and fasten them around a stick with glue or simple rubber band.

There are others too. You can make your old undies into hair bands, especially the patterned ones. If your underwear has some charms, buttons, or zippers, don’t hesitate to cut them out and save them for later. Rugs from panties are not a bad idea at all too, and you can find tutorials that don’t need sewing as well!

Bonus tip, If you have 100% cotton panties, it’s also possible to compost them at your home.

2. Bra

Now that you know how to make your lower undies into something new, what about your bras? What do you do with the cups and all? Most of the time, the cups are made from polyurethane foam. It’s not only bad for some people, but also to the environment as well. We feel guilty to put it in the garbage bin, but we don’t know what to do with it.

First of all, you can always donate unused, old bras to whatever institution or organization you like. Second, repurposing bra is fun! Seriously, you can turn them into other useful and cute stuff. For example, you can make a purse out of it and it’ll look great and nothing like its original shape. Then, you can put bra paddings into uncomfortable shoes to make it more wearable.

If you’re the sewing type, then you can also sew your bra cups into backless dresses to give yourself some extra support. You can also turn the bra cups into edgy or fancy caged bras. What about the straps? Well, you can transform them into cute floral headbands! Then you can show what you’ve made with Instagram pictures.

3. Cans

Usually there are these things that exist in households. Soda pops, corned beef, cat’s and dog’s wet food, tuna, baked beans, corn, sardines, hummus, soup, pork luncheon, condensed milk, instant food, and a lot more. One thing in common? They’re all packaged in cans. There are companies that take back the cans and recycle them. But, can you recycle them at home?

Aside of handing them into recycling posts and get them recycled into new tins, yes you can definitely repurpose them at your home. For aestheticism and a bit of zen purposes, turn them into wind chimes. Simply gather your soda cans and make one yourself like THIS. If you don’t like wind chimes, then simply make a hanging decorative.

Other things you can do are making cookie cutters, lanterns, keychains and candle holders. You can make fashion items out of this too, such as belts, bracelets, necklaces, and even earrings. However, the easiest thing you can do is making a stationery holder and coasters. A lot of things you can do from a simple trash, don’t you think?

4. Pantyhose

Sure, we can turn trousers or leggings into something new. What about the more sheer item of clothing like tights or pantyhose, though? Turning them into rugs like this won’t be a good idea. I’ve read a comic where the character puts oranges inside them and put them in a hot tub for a fragrant bath, which I think is funny. Seriously, though, how can we repurpose these things?

Well, you can store garlic and onions inside your old pantyhose because good air circulation keeps them fresh a bit longer. Then, you can use pantyhose for laundering delicate clothings instead of using your usual mesh bag. You can use it in gardens too, especially when it comes to protecting growing fruits.

Just like underwear, you can make a scrubber and stuff it to your pillows or plushies. But if you have crafty hands and like to wear t-shirts, you can make DIY and top quality screen-printed tees using pantyhose. Here’s the tutorial.

5. Soap boxes (or other small boxes)

Let’s say you’ve just bought soaps in bulk. Or you’re one of those people who do soap asmr thing. What do you do with the boxes? Fortunately, the boxes are usually made of paper, and you can do a lot of things with paper, including composting them. However, you can also make it into something new and even prettier.

You can make gift boxes for smaller presents and make a greeting card out of it. You can also make a mini book from these boxes! However, soap boxes are perfect to be put together to create a nice organizer box for your small items such as rings, ribbons, other jewelries, stationery, and many more. Here’s an example.

6. Plastic bottle caps

Did you know that plastic bottle caps are usually downcycled each time into poor quality grade which head straight to the landfill? Other than that, they can cause problems at recycling centers. There are only a few countries that accept plastic bottle caps as well. It’s like there’s no win solution for this issue, which really sucks. For this, you must use your crafty hands.

A soap dish is great to make your soap last longer, and instead of buying it, why not make it yourself? Simply put the caps together in a box and put your soap on top. For kids, simply make cute stamps from styrofoam, fridge magnets, toy figures, and hanging art piece.

Bonus tip: to get really creative, you can gather bottle caps of many colors. Then, arrange them color by color neatly on your table or floor and pour resin. Et voila! You got yourself a very nice table or floor with mainly bottle caps. Inspiration from here.

7. Makeup brushes

So your makeup brushes have become worse for wear and you’re thinking of buying new ones. The thing is, the old ones are still okay for other things, as long as it’s not your face. You just don’t know what you should do with them. What must you do then?

Since makeup brushes are so smooth, you can use it to clean your camera or camera lenses. You can also use it to clean narrow or small parts like mobile charging slots, remote controls, computer keyboards, window frames, or picture frames. If you’ve got spares, use it for arts and crafts projects or even turn it into paint brushes!

So have you got some new idea on how to repurpose the items above? We’d love to know what you think. If you’re really into repurposing, make sure to read another article about recycling and repurposing. Don’t forget to give this article a like if you enjoyed reading it!

What kind of stuff that you’ve recycled so far? Tell us in the comments down below.

Source(s)

https://www.bustle.com/articles/136843-11-things-to-do-with-old-underwear-instead-of-throwing-them-away
https://www.bustle.com/articles/126030-7-ways-to-recycle-your-old-bras-after-youre-through-with-them