That's my story...

Some places use a plastic box rather than styrofoam for take out. I keep those. Also glue paper or put contact paper in a pizza box to store blocks in.

At the Dollar General Store I buy the clear plastic shoe boxes to store my cloth project after I get it cut out. My DIL buys ice cream in clear plastic containers with handles Her daughter reuses them to hold her doll clothes and other items. I sew a lot on my serger and use the larger cones of more than 5,000 yards. When they are empty I save them for the local Physical Therapy group to help those who legs are in a cast and they need to re-learn how to move and lift their leg to walk. I give the smaller cones to the church for the smaller kids to play with in the sand box. Barbara was in SC, now in FL

One of our local grocery chains offers baked cookies in clear topped plastic square containers, about 12"x12". Based on the size of the cookie, they can get 50in there, or several dozen jack-o-lantern and mini-ghosts goodies. You get the idea.

Did you know those trays and lids, when washed out, are great for fabric pieces in a project, organizing your are pretty well, and lets you keep things separate.

Uh huh, that's why I buy those cookies. I take them in to work, and claim dibs on the empty trays. Well, sometimes the cookies get to work. Sometimes I share them with the neighbors instead. Well, maybe one neighbor and her elderly mother. Sometimes.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it....

What's you favorite recycle/upcycle quilting related tip?

Ginger in CA

--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: snipped-for-privacy@netfront.net ---

I use the plastic boxes that laundry capsules come in, for all sorts of things. Thread is a good use, as you can see instantly what colours you have. I prefer those where you can peel off the labels! I used to use the very small round clear plastic boxes that some cheeses come in for pins (and hooks and eyes, and press studs etc). Can't seem to find them any more?? I use my father's old cigar boxes for keeping embroidery threads in, and one for drawing pencils and another for coloured pencils. I use one of those wall-mounted (supposed to be) racks for cling film, greaseproof, foil etc standing on its side, for rolls of bondaweb, freezer paper, quilting paper (golden threads). I use fridge trays for rulers and other drafting equipment; old fridge drawers for patterns. Anything re-usable, I re-use! I like your cookie rationale! Unfortunately, my favourites come in paper packets! Re-using is a great habit. I started when I didn't have much of an income, and I have always loved boxes or pots to put things in >g< So, I just keep on doing it!

Pat on the green .

That seems reasonable to me. ; ) Costco has a lettuce mix in a clear plastic container that is good for storing fabric bits. The lettuce clearly not as good a size as the cookie one must be! A lot of the work on the house here has been more re-working to update rather than demolish and start with new. It has been more work to do it this way, probably not any cheaper either but we are working the reduce, reuse and recycle thing as much as possible. I picked up a really beat up DWR quilt at an estate sale Saturday (I was going to the city chemical/battery recycle place) The quilt is very sad but I think I can rework it enough to make a wonderful table topper for spingtime since it is 30's prints. That is fun recycling! Hope you are good over there on the coast! Taria

One of our local grocery chains offers baked cookies in clear topped plastic square containers, about 12"x12". Based on the size of the cookie, they can get 50in there, or several dozen jack-o-lantern and mini-ghosts goodies. You get the idea.

Did you know those trays and lids, when washed out, are great for fabric pieces in a project, organizing your are pretty well, and lets you keep things separate.

Uh huh, that's why I buy those cookies. I take them in to work, and claim dibs on the empty trays. Well, sometimes the cookies get to work. Sometimes I share them with the neighbors instead. Well, maybe one neighbor and her elderly mother. Sometimes.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it....

What's you favorite recycle/upcycle quilting related tip?

Ginger in CA

I save spice jars (the ones with holes to scatter to spices) because they make great shakers for glitter at Christmastime, when we make our Christmas cards. They can also store damaged pins and needles - simply put them in when they are damaged and then you can put the whole shebang in the bin when full instead of random pins and needles poking out of your bin liner.

I save loads of things now that I have a toddler. I like the cardboard cylinders (think Quaker Oats in the US), in the UK I buy a big cylinder of French bouillion and it lasts about 6 months. Cover in grey construction paper, and you have a castle tower. Add a grey box near it and you have a castle keep, etc.

Yogurt pots make nice pots for paints. Also useful for when you need something to prop your gingerbread houses up, while icing the walls and sticking on the ceilings.

The paper that covers a ream of printer paper has a bit of something-or-other on it... you can use this ream covering as you would use "freezer paper". As a student, there was a printing shop on my route into University, and I asked for these about once a week. I am just now coming to the end of them, and now have trained Mark to bring them home.

Old plastic folders which are breaking/broken can be cut up as template plastic. Colours give the added benefit of colour-coding your patterns.

Cardboard tubes inside wrapping paper make great marble runs. So do the tubes inside tinfoil and clingfilm. Throw a couple of loo rolls in there, and you have a free marble run which will probably nest together like Russian dolls (tinfoil tube inside wrapping tube, which is inside the cardboard toilet rolls). Chances are, they will be played with more than the expensive wooden ones.

-- Jo in Scotland

I save shoe boxes when I buy shoes & find lots of uses for them. I also use the plastic boxes that Swiffer wet pads come in.

Julia in MN

I really like the plastic containers that the stick Crisco shortening comes in. I save the first "box" and lid, for buttons, bobbins, sewing machine attachments, etc. I also use Ziploc bags for patterns and templates. Papertowel rolls are used for our lizard (Jeffrey)to crawl thru. we change those once a week for him.