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When my children were small I used toilet paper to wipe their noses as it was inexpensive and more hygenic than hankies. Now they have left home (and wipe their own kids noses with it) I find myself taking rolls down into my craft room for all sorts of uses. Mostly for quick absorbant drying.
I also use baby wipes. I started using them as stamp cleaners, but although they remove most stamp inks, after a while the rubbers would go yuk. But as a dressmaker by training, I always wash my hands before I start a project or come back to one, and baby wipes are the most economical way to do this.
I like to let baby wipes dry and put stamp ink from pads all over it, let it dry, iron on some iron on interfacing and make things from them. Am I weird? what are your crazy, but useful additions to your craft room?
I use a dental floss threader instead of a needle to put thread in buttons. I don't like buttons on my cards to look "naked", so to speak. The floss threader is so easy to use -- flexible, easy to load up several strands of embroidery floss to dress up the buttons.
That's probably the most unusual item I use in crafting.
I have been using one poor tattered Avon Skin-So-Soft towelette for almost 2 years now. I clean the sticky off my scissors with it. It was a Godsend when you had to cut out SU stamps to mount them. Yes, I have both more towelettes and bottles of the stuff, but why replace something that's still working?
And I save the plastic and foam trays meats come in, wash them well, and use them in the craft room. One size of the plastic deep dishes holds 2 scrub sponges perfectly. With water, they are my stamp scrubbers.
And there's the cheap set of 4 picks from Harbor Freight that seem to get used daily to poke a hole, scrape a stray bit of embossing off, position tiny gems or sequins, etc. I have to fight DH to get him to leave them in the craft room- I bought 'em, and I consider them a craft item! (OK, I let him use them to pry out old grout in the bathroom once, but he can buy his own set if he likes them that well, right?)
I collect the eye glasses cleaner cloths when my son and hubby get new glasses, these are great for making things glossy again and can be washed many times over.
I use a sewing tracer wheel (carbon for darts) for a line of pricking in a hurry, I have a sewing cabinet full of things that I try to find other uses for.
Right now all I can think of at the moment but I'm sure there are others
I also use baby wipes for removing ink from stamps (Im too lazy to get up to clean them and having something water like on my desk always ends up in disaster so they are more convenient) and I did find once that the exfoliating face wipes (in the beauty section) are actually better for getting bits of ink from small PIMA areas
I also use various tupperwear/the cheaper equivalent for storage and one of those plastic baby wipe containers for storing scraps for later use (may have to find something bigger though....)
Tooth picks never go a stray either.... wow now i want to go through my craft area and see the other "not so normal" uses I have for things that I dont even register as not the usual usage
I use a length of dental floss to take apart layers that have been adhered crooked. It works for layers I have adhered with tape runner or pop dots.
I also keep an empty Kleenex Boutique box (the sort-of cube-shaped one) on my desk for small scraps like ScorTape liner, pop dot backing, etc. When it's full, I just throw it away. I recycle larger pieces, but tiny bits or plastic-y bits go into my tissue box to go in the trash.
__________________ Carol
*Olim velis me peraudire.*
Rock is dead. Long live paper and scissors!
I have been using one poor tattered Avon Skin-So-Soft towelette for almost 2 years now. I clean the sticky off my scissors with it. It was a Godsend when you had to cut out SU stamps to mount them. Yes, I have both more towelettes and bottles of the stuff, but why replace something that's still working?
And I save the plastic and foam trays meats come in, wash them well, and use them in the craft room. One size of the plastic deep dishes holds 2 scrub sponges perfectly. With water, they are my stamp scrubbers. And there's the cheap set of 4 picks from Harbor Freight that seem to get used daily to poke a hole, scrape a stray bit of embossing off, position tiny gems or sequins, etc. I have to fight DH to get him to leave them in the craft room- I bought 'em, and I consider them a craft item! (OK, I let him use them to pry out old grout in the bathroom once, but he can buy his own set if he likes them that well, right?)
My husband used my tooth cleaners (look like dental tools; bought them at WM) to work on his car radiator and looked surprised when I said I couldn't use them on my teeth anymore. He said all I had to do was wash them. I don't know......
My husband used my tooth cleaners (look like dental tools; bought them at WM) to work on his car radiator and looked surprised when I said I couldn't use them on my teeth anymore. He said all I had to do was wash them. I don't know......
Jutta
Is he related to my husband? I found Mr. Wonderful straining cooking oil through the metal mesh SINK strainer!!! After I finished gagging, I explained to him that chemicals, raw meat, grease, dish soap, etc. are all not considered good for the human digestive tract. He didn't see why he couldn't just rinse that strainer off and use it!!! GERMS!!! BACTERIA!!! ICKY STUFF!!! That's why. (it's not like I don't have strainers for food- there are only three right within reach of the sink)
I can't think of one ODD thing in my craft room, all they have to do is slap a for sale sticker on it put it in a craft store and I will buy it! Sad huh?
Is he related to my husband? I found Mr. Wonderful straining cooking oil through the metal mesh SINK strainer!!! After I finished gagging, I explained to him that chemicals, raw meat, grease, dish soap, etc. are all not considered good for the human digestive tract. He didn't see why he couldn't just rinse that strainer off and use it!!! GERMS!!! BACTERIA!!! ICKY STUFF!!! That's why. (it's not like I don't have strainers for food- there are only three right within reach of the sink)
Brothers! Separated at birth! My hubbie once gave me a clueless look when I screeched after I found out he used my Heisy glass pitcher to fill the radiator on his old truck!
I but the clear plastic containers the cilinder ones that hold plastic lunch bags and use them to store my pens and pencils they are see through and have a screw lid but getting hard to find now. And in the baby section in the $2 shop l buy the baby containers with lids that have the spoon attatched to it it's great for ep and glitter you just hold the project over the open container use the spoon and close it no mess.
I use an unbent paperclip to stick down the bottle of Crystal Effects to make it come out again. It lays on the edge of my stamp scrub and when it's too sticky, I unbend another one.
*I love the dental floss idea to thread a button, will file that one!
I have a nylon pan scraper (ex kitchen shop) for lifting the little bits off my cutting mat, eye makeup applicators for chalking, makeup sponges to stick on my sponging handle, travel size toiletry bottles (or similar sized emptied spray bottles like hair spray) for mini-misters, paint pads for cleaning stamps, microfibre cloths for drying, an old tall mug to hold my paint brushes and on it goes.
I don't think I throw anything out without looking to see if it can be repurposed first or buy anything crafty if I can find a cheaper version elsewhere (Let's face it, how often do you get charged double for a hardware item, just because they make it in pink?).
__________________ There is no such thing as lack of sleep, only caffeine deficiency.
I used cheap cotton gauze I had in the kitchen from when I made some yogurt cheese and my Aileen's Tack It Over & Over to make a tack cloth to pick up stray glitter and dust/paper particles on my table. It works like a charm. I keep it in a ziploc bag. I've had it over a year and its still going strong. I think it probably cost all of about 25cents to make.
My husband used my tooth cleaners (look like dental tools; bought them at WM) to work on his car radiator and looked surprised when I said I couldn't use them on my teeth anymore. He said all I had to do was wash them. I don't know......
Jutta
That sounds like a friend of mine! I once had to use an inexpensive digital thermometer to take one of our cat's temps. I commented to her that it was now "the cats'" thermometer, and she said "oh, just wash it off and use it." Um, NO! That went in a cat's behind! I will spend the $3.99 and get another for myself!
I use those painter's edger replacement pads with stamp cleaner to clean my stamps. They're just like the fuzzy middle of one of those stamps cleaner trays but a lot cheaper..get them at Home Depot or any hardware type store.
I have a nylon pan scraper (ex kitchen shop) for lifting the little bits off my cutting mat, eye makeup applicators for chalking, makeup sponges to stick on my sponging handle, travel size toiletry bottles (or similar sized emptied spray bottles like hair spray) for mini-misters, paint pads for cleaning stamps, microfibre cloths for drying, an old tall mug to hold my paint brushes and on it goes.
I don't think I throw anything out without looking to see if it can be repurposed first or buy anything crafty if I can find a cheaper version elsewhere (Let's face it, how often do you get charged double for a hardware item, just because they make it in pink?).
And I bought some slender spray tubes of hand sanitizer, which, when empty, made wonderful spritzers in the craft room. (It was nice sanitizer, and they're GREAT spritzers!)
I use an unbent paperclip to stick down the bottle of Crystal Effects to make it come out again. It lays on the edge of my stamp scrub and when it's too sticky, I unbend another one.
*I love the dental floss idea to thread a button, will file that one!
I do this too! Or a pin either or. They girls at my craft group call these "technical unblockers" lol
Toilet Paper - and other oddities.
