Using It UP~Oatmeal boxes and Coffee Cans

I really hate to throw out stuff that can be re-purposed.  I have a couple of neat uses for ~

Oatmeal boxes:

1.  Cookie/candy give a way containers.  Line with wax paper and decorate with Christmas paper.  Use to give away your fresh baked goods for family and friends.  Let the kids decorate them for a personal touch!

2. Store dry goods.  I have stored extra items such as bulk macaroni and dried beans.  They stay very nice.  It's food grade, so it stores things very nicely.

3. Child's drum. Let your child decorate with construction paper and with the lid on, tap for a drum sound!

4. Sewing thread storage.  Do you have loads of the stuff and have no where to keep it? Here ya go!

5. Small toy storage for a child's room...remember that drum? Well, this box can be decorated and small cars and other toys can be stored inside it.

Coffee Cans:

For metal cans~

Party lights~I like to take an "all" and punch holes for a pattern.  Then I turn the bottom right side up and place a candle over for a neat outdoor party light to line my walkway...

Food storage~everything from bake goods as gifts, to anything that will fit.

GREASE trap~I like to pour grease off my cooking into a coffee can with a lid so I can store it until it's pretty full or before it goes bad and then toss.

Kid's cooking fun~ Take an empty metal coffee can, punch some holes~you can use the can opener or an all, but make some holes so the can will breathe near the rim of the top.  Be sure the label is removed.  Scrub the bottom.  Take a sterno can and light. Place this on a sturday table and place over it the can with the holes with the bottom facing the top.  Prepare grill cheese for the 'stove' and set on top...flip when heated through...This is fun for an outdoor camp out!

For plastic coffee cans~

I like the way they stack.  Store sugar and other dry goods in these.  Label with a permanent marker.
Use as a huge scoop to remove water in larger quantities such as in a pool or decorative pond.  The handle makes this nice!

You can use as storage for food items...but I don't care to use them as gift givers because they aren't as attractively shaped and are more difficult to decorate, but they make wonderful rice, flour, bean, pasta storage and MORE!  Remember these stack really nicely!

What are you doing with these?