Five Random Things to Do with Random Junk

Perhaps not the most endearing title, but it's awfully true. I rounded up five of my random "recycled" projects from around the house to show you. Hopefully they inspire you to figure out uses for all those bits and pieces that you just can't throw away.

    1. Itty-bitty Stuffed Animals or People (Using fabric)

These are so fun to make. Find a pattern online, or draw your own. Any fabric works, but I especially like felt or fleece because they don't unravel and that seems to happen on small stuffed animals. The stuffed animals are very easy to make since they are so small: Minimal stitching and just as much adorable-ness. They make great gifts and surprises, but I do not recommend giving them to small children.

    2. Music Disk-Holder Cup Coaster (Using a music disk holder)

I'm not really sure how many people even have music on disks anymore, but for anyone who does (And keeps the disks in a spot other than their original holders!), the plastic cases the music disks come in make nice cup coasters. You don't even have to do anything. Just put your cup on the case. If you're worried about scratching or something, pick up a few self-adhesive felt pads from your local hardware store and slap them on the bottom four corners. Done.

    3. Storage Containers (Using any nice, clean container)

Anything works for this one. That old flowerpot on the back shelf of your shed. The soup can on the counter, waiting to go to the garbage pail or recycling bin. Even the egg carton you just used the last egg out of. If you'd like your container nicer-looking, either paint directly on it, or cut and decorate a piece of paper to glue around the container. If you're wondering what you can use an egg carton for, it holds rings, hair elastics, and earrings very nicely. Just cut the carton to size, leaving as many cups as necessary. Make sure none of your containers have sharp edges.

    4. Dollhouse Miniatures (Using anything!)

I just love making miniatures so much I couldn't leave this out. My dollhouse was so filled with my homemade miniatures that I eventually had to put some of them in a box until I redecorated again. To make the fabric-bolt shelf below, I used a box from eyeglasses. To make the fabric bolts, I used scraps of fabric glued around scraps of cardboard.

    5. Brown Paper Fun (Using brown paper, obviously)

There are way more uses than one for that brown paper used as padding in most boxes. Sure, you can reuse it as padding when you ship stuff, but it can also be used for many other things. You can cover books with it (Look the different ways up online. I've found at least three that I prefer.). Bonus: When you paper-cover a book, you can paste your artwork or favorite pictures on it, not to mention draw on it. Just make sure to write what book it is on your new cover. You can also just use brown paper as, well, paper. Use it to figure out your math problems, write down your newest idea, or write a letter to your friend. There are so many uses for brown paper.

I hope you had fun reading five of my favorite random uses for random junk! I also hope you were inspired to make some of the random junk around your house useful (Anyone tried a bubble-wrap to-do list yet?). There are no rules except: Clean up when you're done, and always ask an adult before wrecking anything you think might be junk. (If you are an adult, then just do it! But if it might be your friend's, ask them.)

What did you make out of your random junk? Tell me!

Baby Girl