Make no-mess pancakes with the help of a ketchup bottle: Pour in batter, then squeeze out precise portions.
At a party, stash ice in a colander set on top of a bucket or a bowl. Water will drain out, and guests will get only the solid stuff.
A toothbrush's bristles lift away stray threads of silk from fresh ears of corn quickly and efficiently.
Repurpose an old frame for a vanity tray that's pretty as a picture. Place a piece of colored paper or fabric inside as a finishing touch.
Chalk is a moisture absorber: Tie up a few pieces in cheesecloth and store them with your good silver to slow any tarnishing.
Vegetable oil will put a shine on leather shoes. Use a damp cloth to remove any dirt, then run a soft cloth with a drop of oil over the surface to (literally) add polish.
Tuck a few needles, pins, and thread into a matchbox for an instant sewing kit.
Transform a six-pack holder into a condiment tote that's ideal for summer picnics.
Have an old cassette case hanging around? (Oh, you know you do.) Coil iPod earphones and tuck them in to keep wires uncrossed.
One of readers' all-time-favorite ideas: the LifeSaver as birthday-candle holder. (Candies in the original rolls provide the best fit―LifeSavers sold in big bags are larger and don't work as well.)
Forget unruly plastic bags that seemingly regenerate under your sink. An empty tissue box keeps them neatly corralled and ready for use.
A giveaway shower cap becomes the perfect wrapper for shoes when traveling, preventing them from dirtying clothes packed in your suitcase.
Brand anything as yours―books, binders, Tupperware, a stapler―with a return-address sticker.
A clever way to keep straight whose drink is whose: Mark each glass with removable window decals.
A hard plastic soap case is the perfect size to protect a camera stashed in a carry-on bag.
A supermarket bag, tightly secured with a rubber band, will keep a brush (or roller) moist for a day or two in between painting sessions: the end of dried-out bristles.
No more worries of camisoles and sundresses slipping off hangers when you wrap the ends with rubber bands.
Pretty ribbon revives an old lamp shade. Apply a thin layer of glue and press on each piece of ribbon, matching the ends neatly.
Save a countertop with an old mouse pad turned trivet. (Make sure it has a nonplastic coating.
A clear hair elastic binds blooms together for a better arrangement in a wide-mouth vase. Stretch the elastic around the stems, then let the flowers fall naturally.
Why pack with Styrofoam peanuts when you can pack with popcorn (plain and air-popped). No air popper? Be sure to cover the item with a plastic bag.
An unused glasses case makes a convenient storage spot for beauty items on the go.
The cardboard tube from a spent roll of toilet tissue is a wonderfully simple tool for keeping extension cords tangle-free.
A lemon works to remove tough food stains from a plastic or light-colored wood cutting board. Squeeze on the juice of one half, rub it in, and let sit for 20 minutes before rinsing.
Change dirty water in a flower vase by using a turkey baster to suction up the liquid without disturbing your arrangement. Add fresh water directly from the tap.
Give Easter eggs a year-round use (and save on resealable bags) by filling them with snacks like crackers or Cheerios.
Organize bills―arranged in the order in which they need to be paid off―in an unused napkin holder.
Bridge the gap between too-short stems and too-deep vase by sliding on trimmed clear plastic straws.
Shower-curtain hooks provide sturdy storage for heavier items, like purses.
Liberally apply cooking spray to both sides of a plastic or metal shovel before clearing away snow, and ice will slide right off instead of building up.
Attach a magnet to the inside of a metal medicine cabinet, and you can promptly pluck tweezers (or nail clippers) when needed.
Give cocktails extra pop with lollies in complementary colors subbed in for stirrers. -Source: MSN Life
At a party, stash ice in a colander set on top of a bucket or a bowl. Water will drain out, and guests will get only the solid stuff.
A toothbrush's bristles lift away stray threads of silk from fresh ears of corn quickly and efficiently.
Repurpose an old frame for a vanity tray that's pretty as a picture. Place a piece of colored paper or fabric inside as a finishing touch.
Chalk is a moisture absorber: Tie up a few pieces in cheesecloth and store them with your good silver to slow any tarnishing.
Vegetable oil will put a shine on leather shoes. Use a damp cloth to remove any dirt, then run a soft cloth with a drop of oil over the surface to (literally) add polish.
Tuck a few needles, pins, and thread into a matchbox for an instant sewing kit.
Transform a six-pack holder into a condiment tote that's ideal for summer picnics.
Have an old cassette case hanging around? (Oh, you know you do.) Coil iPod earphones and tuck them in to keep wires uncrossed.
One of readers' all-time-favorite ideas: the LifeSaver as birthday-candle holder. (Candies in the original rolls provide the best fit―LifeSavers sold in big bags are larger and don't work as well.)
Forget unruly plastic bags that seemingly regenerate under your sink. An empty tissue box keeps them neatly corralled and ready for use.
A giveaway shower cap becomes the perfect wrapper for shoes when traveling, preventing them from dirtying clothes packed in your suitcase.
Brand anything as yours―books, binders, Tupperware, a stapler―with a return-address sticker.
A clever way to keep straight whose drink is whose: Mark each glass with removable window decals.
A hard plastic soap case is the perfect size to protect a camera stashed in a carry-on bag.
A supermarket bag, tightly secured with a rubber band, will keep a brush (or roller) moist for a day or two in between painting sessions: the end of dried-out bristles.
No more worries of camisoles and sundresses slipping off hangers when you wrap the ends with rubber bands.
Pretty ribbon revives an old lamp shade. Apply a thin layer of glue and press on each piece of ribbon, matching the ends neatly.
Save a countertop with an old mouse pad turned trivet. (Make sure it has a nonplastic coating.
A clear hair elastic binds blooms together for a better arrangement in a wide-mouth vase. Stretch the elastic around the stems, then let the flowers fall naturally.
Why pack with Styrofoam peanuts when you can pack with popcorn (plain and air-popped). No air popper? Be sure to cover the item with a plastic bag.
An unused glasses case makes a convenient storage spot for beauty items on the go.
The cardboard tube from a spent roll of toilet tissue is a wonderfully simple tool for keeping extension cords tangle-free.
A lemon works to remove tough food stains from a plastic or light-colored wood cutting board. Squeeze on the juice of one half, rub it in, and let sit for 20 minutes before rinsing.
Change dirty water in a flower vase by using a turkey baster to suction up the liquid without disturbing your arrangement. Add fresh water directly from the tap.
Give Easter eggs a year-round use (and save on resealable bags) by filling them with snacks like crackers or Cheerios.
Organize bills―arranged in the order in which they need to be paid off―in an unused napkin holder.
Bridge the gap between too-short stems and too-deep vase by sliding on trimmed clear plastic straws.
Shower-curtain hooks provide sturdy storage for heavier items, like purses.
Liberally apply cooking spray to both sides of a plastic or metal shovel before clearing away snow, and ice will slide right off instead of building up.
Attach a magnet to the inside of a metal medicine cabinet, and you can promptly pluck tweezers (or nail clippers) when needed.
Give cocktails extra pop with lollies in complementary colors subbed in for stirrers. -Source: MSN Life
