One reader, Elizabeth, asked me to find clever re-uses for those sturdy bags also known as liners that hold crackers or cereal inside a box. With my work clearly cut out for me I tried a variety of ideas and here are the ones that work!
1 What to do with those sturdy plastic liners inside cereal and snack boxes? Reuse them!
2 Once you've eaten the contents, just clean and reuse!
3 As a sandwich baggie. Slip your sandwich into the liner and wrap it up to take it with you.
4 Prevent your shoes from getting crushed when packing or storing them away. Bunch up the liner and stuff the shoe.
5 Packing material: Either use the liner bunched up as padding in a shipping box or make your own air pillow by blowing air into the liner using a straw and taping the liner closed.
6 Keep your fresh herbs fresher longer by storing them inside the liner before putting them in the fridge.
7 Keep your wet pool clothes from touching your dry clothes in your gym bag by slipping them into a liner first.
8 Snip off a small corner of the liner and add an icing tip (with or without a coupler) then add the icicing and decorate.
9 A prep surface for foods, fresh fruit, you name it!
10 Snip off the bottom corner of a liner and you have a funnel for filling those little containers like salt shakers or soap dispensers without the mess.
So the next time you polish off a box of Kashi cereal save that liner and put it to good use.
...And if you think that's amazing, I have MORE uses for cereal box liners for you next week!
GOT ITEMS YOU HATE TOSSING? TRY ME!
What other household items do you hate throwing away but aren't sure how to put to good use? I take requests!
Until next time keep it simple and clutter-free! -Jamie
Jamie Novak, The World’s Most Relatable Organizer, is author of "Stop Throwing Money Away: Turn Clutter to Cash, Trash to Treasure—And Save the Planet While You're at It." Please visit her website at JamieNovak.com.
From: Jamie Novak | 6/21/10 at 4:06 pm
Which re-use will you try? What did I miss?
From: Maggi | 6/21/10 at 5:11 pm
My favorite use for them is to pour grease from cooking in them. They stand nicely in the sink and don't leak the yucky contents!
From: Ellen Chmiel | 6/22/10 at 1:45 am
Old CDs. Not to hang in trees to scare geese or to use as drink mats. Maybe hang them in rows in a kid's room. How to hook them together?
We donate, reuse everything. Try freecyclers to give away stuff. Rags go in bins. Reusables are donated to help families out of poverty. One daughter gave her kitchen set to her sister which originally came from MY mother. We reuse and recycle bags, both plastic & paper. My husband's computer club recycles monitors, printers, etc. and if too useless, they go to recycle place. A pat of the back for us both. Now,what to do with hundreds of buttons since I stopped sewing. Plain ones, fancy ones, different colors. Thanks
From: Marcee | 6/28/10 at 9:32 pm
I save any store food bag and reuse it when shopping for fruits and veggies (instead of taking the store bag) or to store my veggie co-op items. I use the cereal bags, snack bags, bread bags - even the big kids know to be gentle when opening a new item so that mom can reuse the bag.
From: Jamie | 7/16/10 at 3:32 pm
Ellen I have WAY too many buttons as well. But I love them all
Buttons...hmmm...there must be something we can do with them!
From: Jamie | 7/16/10 at 3:33 pm
Maggi I would have NEVER thought about cooking grease- good one!
From: Jamie | 7/16/10 at 3:34 pm
Marcee that's funny that everyone in the house knows to open bags gently.
I have a question: how do you remember to take the bags with you into the market?
From: Regina Gradess | 8/9/10 at 5:57 pm
Remembering to take bags when shopping:
Keep reusable shopping bags in the trunk and grab a few when you go into the supermarket.
Keep some lightweight plastic ones of various sizes in your pocketbook.
A nice and neat way to fold plastic bags:
Fold a bag the long way until it is nice and narrow. Then, beginning with the sealed end, start winding it up on two or three fingers, as if you are winding a spool of thread). When its all wound, take the last few inches, bend it back on the coil and push the end into the back and up through the front. This forms a rose and keeps the bag secure.
I keep a few on the bottom of my bag and put other things on top of them.
From: Cereal Bag Liners (Who Needs Them; You Do) « The Earth Is Not a Trash Can | 11/30/10 at 10:29 am
[...] to Cool People Care for sharing this link about what to do with cereal bag liners. I try to reuse everything I can. LikeBe the first to like this [...]
From: Liz Heinecke | 11/30/10 at 6:44 pm
Love it! Here's a fun idea for reusing prescription bottle rings and old rubber bands: marshmallow catapult! http://kitchenpantryscientist.com/?p=1543
From: Verna | 2/14/11 at 11:26 am
I sew buttons into a chain and use them as necklaces. I have seen articles on making button jewelry. I can never have too many buttons.
From: Melanie | 2/16/11 at 11:19 am
All of those buttons can be put in a glass jar and used as a book ends - Pretty and functional.
From: Ernie Smith | 11/5/11 at 7:14 pm
You can reuse a cereal bag for snack storage, to pack away frozen food or as a replacement of wax paper. http://blog.greenlivingeveryday.com/2011/11/05/Ways-to-Reuse-Cereal-Bags.aspx
From: Megan | 1/31/12 at 9:12 pm
"From: Jamie | 7/16/10 at 3:32 pm
Ellen I have WAY too many buttons as well. But I love them all
Buttons...hmmm...there must be something we can do with them!"
^^ I saw a tip in a magazine that I love I use my buttons to organize my earrings into pairs once a week I have to go through my jewelery box and re-attach ones I wore during the week onto the buttons but when you're in a hurry to find a pair of earrings it is a lifesaver!
From: Cereal Lining | Cool People Care | 5/10/12 at 2:33 pm
[...] are made out of waxy paper, you can reuse those bags for a lot of things. Don’t believe us? Click here for eight ways to reuse them. Or click here for seven more ideas. Craving more? Click here for six additional [...]
From: Recycling Tips: Old Socks? Corks? Cereal Box Liners? « downsizing the home | 6/21/12 at 11:55 am
[...] What to do with cereal box liners: http://wholelivingdaily.wholeliving.com/2010/06/8-ways-to-reuse-cereal-box-liners.html [...]
From: Kim Kiminy Karoo | 9/16/12 at 9:03 pm
I reuse cereal bags to lay out foods to be frozen. For example, I carefully tear the bag at all seams and lay flat on a cookie sheet. Then I slice bell peppers and place in a single layer on the bag, then place the cookie sheet in my chest freezer. Once frozen, they come off the bag easily to be wrapped up for long term storage. I do the same with homemade hamburger patties, french toast, waffles and pancakes. That way I can make huge batches of any of these items for my kiddos instead of buying pre-packaged frozen foods. Cheaper and healthier (I make my own baking mix from scratch as well)