Sometimes, you can tell about people’s lack of creativity due to their lack of innovation when it comes to the many items that they throw away, thinking it's merely trash. There is gold in many things we throw away daily and all we need to do is polish the rubble off and discover the items’ true shine and uniqueness. If you're up for an innovative challenge that will also challenge your creativity then you may find this piece fun and helpful to you. Here is a list of items that you can turn into personal DIY projects and come up with fun and unique items.
Glass Jars
Do you remember the mayonnaise containers, jam containers or peanut butter containers that you constantly throw away after the contents are finished? Well, these common glass items are the very first DIY raw materials. While empty glass jars can look useless, they can serve a lot of other purposes. Firstly, you can opt to paint the glass jars after removing the labels on them and then use them as message jars where you can cut tiny paper messages for your loved ones and have them pick one message a day either on topics like ‘reasons why you love them,’ ‘things you will do for them’ or ‘fun conversation topics’. You can also use glass jars as vases after designing them a bit more to match your home colours. By using these eco-friendly glass jars, you not only get to enjoy using them but also get a durable addition to your home.
Tin Cans
If you are into tinned goods, you are probably used to just getting the contents you need from the tin and then throwing it out after use. However, are you aware of the fact that tins can make a beautiful addition to your home? You just need to make sure that you smoothen the sharp edges so that nobody gets hurt, then decorate them to match your style and they’ll be ready for use as pen holders or as candle holders. When well-designed, they will give a rustic feel to your office or home, making them a good DIY addition. The advantage of using tin as a DIY raw material is that it is easy to customise and can be used for various other projects just as long as you use your imagination.
Plastic Bottles
Plastic is a good item to repurpose as it helps to reduce plastic waste through repurposing and recycling. It's also easy to use, especially for children, as it is lightweight and a versatile material. You can invite your kids to work with you on all the plastic bottles you were about to throw out by transforming them into items like funnels, planters, garden water dispensers, bird feeders or even storage containers. You can decorate them and reshape them respectively to get a ton of DIY items from them and enjoy the moments of creativity with your family.
Egg Cartons
The biodegradable material that egg cartons make makes this raw material a useful one when it comes to DIY projects. You can use them as craft organisers as you can remould them after adding water to them to make the perfect shape you want for your organisers. Egg Cartons are also very useful as paint pallets. You, however, need to take care of craft items from egg cartons as they may be fragile and easy to tear. The best thing about using these egg cartons is that if they fail as a DIG item, you can decompose them and use them as compost manure. That's one less trash item to worry about.
CDs
If you were in an era where CD collecting reigned, then you can probably make use of this hack if you don't know what to do with these almost outdated items anymore. While it was nice having them as collectables, you don't have to throw them into the trash can just yet. CDs can make the perfect artsy addition due to their colourful reflections and rainbow-like colours. You can use them to decorate your arts and crafts corner, as this will give it a nice feel and a disco-like reflection, making for a unique and innovative wall. You can even use them to decorate your garden or locker due to their shiny element that makes them attractive. This hack is pro-environment and eco-friendly, making it a two-for-one win.
Shoe Boxes
Shoe boxes are easy to use for DIY hacks as they are made out of cardboard and have a convenient size for use. You can make a lot of items from shoeboxes, including craft boxes, storage boxes and organisers. They are also convenient for use as gift boxes after you make sure to paint over the original inscriptions. This item is easy to use as it can be decorated easily (just like all cardboard items) and because you can customise it using many materials. Shoe boxes can also be the difference between a cluttered room and a well organised one as they act as good storage boxes for items you will not be using anytime soon and as organisers for your everyday use items. The next time you consider throwing away shoe boxes, consider how they can help improve your space as well as how they can be of use to you when you are now wrapping your next Christmas gifts.
Used Up Fabric
Whether it's old socks, an old T-shirt or old towels, used fabrics can be used for DIY hacks. They make essential items like cleaning rags, bath mats or pet nesting and help you save money by doing so. You just have to make sure to grab your needle and decorate the areas that need patching up so that they can be aesthetically pleasing, other than their usefulness.