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CLEVER Household Solutions (DIY)

Have a look though this collection and count how many times you thump the palm of your hand against your head and say "Why didn't I think of that?"

9320 followers, 101 pins

this one is for the kids

2 likes 16 repins

Glue a rock to the top of a empty pill bottle, bury the bottle so that only the rock shows. A spare key is hidden inside! so simple! Genius.

32 likes 4 comments 130 repins

Profile picture of Linda Stumpf

Linda Stumpf ....now why didn't I think of that?? ;)

Profile picture of Michael @ Blue Velvet Chair

Michael @ Blue Velvet Chair @Linda Stumpf, I know, right?

Profile picture of Meredith Murphy

Meredith Murphy Now the only problem is remembering where I buried it...

clever

11 likes 2 comments 36 repins

Profile picture of Cindy Marks

Cindy Marks UNLESS you happen to hit it a bit and PING - there goes paint across the room?

Profile picture of Michael @ Blue Velvet Chair

Michael @ Blue Velvet Chair @Cindy Marks - imagining the image and laughing!

The TOILET BOMB: an all natural cleaning recipe for your toilet.

29 likes 81 repins

cute recycled mailbox birdhouse

12 likes 1 comment 30 repins

Profile picture of Jade -<3-

Jade -<3- The awkward moment when the mailman reaches up and sticks your mail in it.

Use vinegar to kill weeds

10 likes 6 comments 64 repins

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Michael @ Blue Velvet Chair @Melissa French - good to know...I'm gonna try!

Profile picture of Tracy  Seifert Zumbiel

Tracy Seifert Zumbiel I used it one evening on many weeds. The next day, it burned up most of them. Works great!

Profile picture of Carrie Warhus-Perkins

Carrie Warhus-Perkins This is all I have used on weeds for years! Works great.

Profile picture of Kimberly Wilkes

Kimberly Wilkes Just keep in mind that vinegar has a very low ph (acidic) so continued used may require adding something to bring the ph back up.

Profile picture of Linda Stumpf

Linda Stumpf will it kill the plants around it or can I spray & it'll kill just the plants (sorry, sounds like it might be a dumb question.... I am not an experienced gardener, but I just moved into my own home and there's a lot of plantings with a lot of weeds surrounding!!! :(

All 6 comments…

add color to an area rug with paint

3 likes 19 repins

clever idea to glass etch your name into your baking dish...that way it will always be returned after events.

14 likes 64 repins

use recycled cardboard as a DIY weed block in your garden!

4 likes 2 comments 24 repins

Profile picture of Rita Van Tassel

Rita Van Tassel I started doing this in my garden beds and it worked great! I would lay out a fresh batch in the fall as well and in the spring the worms and bugs and mulched it all up into the top soil.

Profile picture of Michael @ Blue Velvet Chair

Michael @ Blue Velvet Chair I'm definitely gonna give it a try instead of buying expensive weed fabric.

Clever fire starters made by recycling you dryer lint!

2 likes 4 comments 27 repins

Profile picture of art is beauty

art is beauty so funny that my daughters have been making these for years for girl scouts..:) they think its so fun

Profile picture of Jill Waite

Jill Waite Yep, we put our lint into toilet paper rolls for that same purpose.

Profile picture of Michael @ Blue Velvet Chair

Michael @ Blue Velvet Chair OK...I'm excited to try it then. @Jill Waite - do you also add wax?

Profile picture of art is beauty

art is beauty yes they have done it with wax

Find a thrifted embroidery hoop and an oversized pillow case and...voila! You have an instant laundry basket.

13 likes 41 repins

Paper Towel Tube as Cord Organizer (spray paint to match room)

15 likes 1 comment 49 repins

Profile picture of Teresa Dedman

Teresa Dedman Michael, thanks for all your great pins!

Great idea to repurpose an ice cube tray as a snack pack for little fingers.

7 likes 29 repins

Cute idea. Lollipop stir sticks.

9 likes 37 repins

And it will smell good!

3 likes 2 comments 20 repins

Profile picture of Cynthia Bangston

Cynthia Bangston Great for stainless steel sinks, too.

Profile picture of Michael @ Blue Velvet Chair

Michael @ Blue Velvet Chair @Candice Caldwell - I'm gonna have to try that!

Easy and clever

10 likes 1 comment 36 repins

Profile picture of four corners design (Amy Duncan)

four corners design (Amy Duncan) my mom always did this and I always thought it was so clever...and that was 45 years ago!

This is definitely an option for me...I hate the prep work and will always take the shortcuts when available.

17 likes 3 comments 63 repins

Profile picture of Patricia Brenner

Patricia Brenner Ingenious - looks simpler than using the blue or green tape!

Profile picture of Cheryl Schlumpf

Cheryl Schlumpf How simple is that?

Profile picture of Linda Stumpf

Linda Stumpf Geeeez!! another ----- why didn't I think of that?? I've been painting my whole life and think I'm pretty clever...this is ingenius! TFS

I actually do this.

5 likes 1 comment 20 repins

Profile picture of Melissa French

Melissa French love it! i have been using plastic wrap, this one is much better! it's Free!

Reuse a soap case or other small case to carry your small camera around. No need to buy special cases.

6 likes 27 repins

Here's a way to use those shower caps we always leave behind at the hotels (even though we always take the cute little toiletries bottles)

9 likes 1 comment 45 repins

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vbaby705 Love it!

Clever reuse of a tissue box to keep those pesky plastic bags organized.

12 likes 44 repins

Palm of hand thumping on forehead, "why have i never thought to use candy as a candle holder before?"

2 likes 15 repins

Use old casette tape holders to store your headphones and plugs.

7 likes 31 repins

Did you know? Vegetable oil as shoe polish!

3 likes 2 comments 32 repins

Profile picture of Jacquie O

Jacquie O Or petroleum jelly works well too :)

Profile picture of Teresa Dedman

Teresa Dedman when I tell friends of how as a child we'd shine our patent leather shoes up on Sat night with Vaseline for Sunday school, they never heard of it. That was in the 60s

15 ways to use vinegar in your home.

10 likes 44 repins

DIY Mosquito trap- good for about 2 weeks... then replace ingredients

20 likes 124 repins

Brilliant - keep your wrapping paper tidy with toilet paper rolls.

17 likes 1 comment 102 repins

Profile picture of Danette Beringer

Danette Beringer I started doing this. Also with paper towel tubes. Works quite well!

homemade hand soap refill

9 likes 2 comments 45 repins

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Jennifer Carden I made this, but it came out stringy :( works great though!

Profile picture of jane ellis

jane ellis @Joann Humburg a common problem!

Of course! A drawer on wheels for under bed storage. (from The Painted Home blog)

10 likes 84 repins

MAKE MASCARA LAST 3X LONGER!! A typical mascara dries out before half of it is used. When your favorite mascara starts getting dry, add 4-5 drops of saline solution or eyedrops to the bottle. Insert your wand and stir and TA-DA!! Fresh mascara! This can be repeated 2 or 3 times until all you mascara is gone.

16 likes 141 repins

TIP FOR KEEPING BERRIES FROM GOING MOLDY: When you get your berries home, prepare a mixture of one part vinegar (white or apple cider probably work best) and ten parts water. Dump the berries into the mixture and swirl around. Drain, rinse if you want (though the mixture is so diluted I find you can't taste the vinegar,) and pop in the fridge. The vinegar kills any mold spores and other bacteria that might be on the surface of the fruit, and voila! Raspberries will last a week or more, and strawberries go almost two weeks without getting moldy and soft.

10 likes 140 repins

Freshen the air each time you go to the bathroom, with this handy trick. When you get out a new roll of toilet paper, place a few drops of your favorite essential oil in the cardboard tube of the toilet paper.

26 likes 121 repins

so you get the cute look of long socks without all that extra bunchy-ness

16 likes 4 comments 75 repins

Profile picture of Pinsuda Sagooleim

Pinsuda Sagooleim Love this. Where can I buy these?

Profile picture of Michael @ Blue Velvet Chair

Michael @ Blue Velvet Chair Not sure...but perhaps you could DIY a pair from the arm of an old sweater?

Profile picture of Natalie Seitz

Natalie Seitz if you can knit you can make these super fast-use a set of sock needles

Profile picture of Judy Lee

Judy Lee brilliant

Use an old glue cap and put it on a acrylic paint bottle to be able to write in color! This is genius!!

14 likes 112 repins

tea cans with magnets on back make great pencil holders

16 likes 1 comment 67 repins

Profile picture of Patricia Brenner

Patricia Brenner Stinkin' cute!!!

15 ways to undecorate and organize your home after the holidays.

8 likes 37 repins

Crown Molding Shoe Shelves- perfect space saver storage. 8' base pine base molding and 8' crown molding + white spray paint. Wood glue crown on to base molding, finish nail to hold in place while drying, spray paint, install w/ 2 screws onto wall studs.

23 likes 6 comments 238 repins

Profile picture of Heather Guckian

Heather Guckian Wow, I just realized how many more shoes I could buy if I did this in my closet!!!

Profile picture of Michael @ Blue Velvet Chair

Michael @ Blue Velvet Chair @Heather - LOL...careful there!

Profile picture of Carla Ray

Carla Ray @Michael @ Blue Velvet Chair just wanted to tell you that I love following you and love all your pins! Keep on pinning! :)

Profile picture of Michael @ Blue Velvet Chair

Michael @ Blue Velvet Chair @Carla Ray - So nice to hear! Glad you stop long enough to share some love!

Profile picture of Stephanie Ross

Stephanie Ross Perfect for my closet!

All 6 comments…

Clever! Holder for Charging Cell Phone made from recycled lotion bottle!

6 likes 1 comment 58 repins

Profile picture of Anita Carmona-Harrison

Anita Carmona-Harrison I use larger plastic bottles to make these to hold sponges, scrubbers, etc. under my kitchen sink. Use a hole punch and a nail to hang it up!

Entire page of mess-free painting tips

3 likes 71 repins

Oh....lightbulb! Look at the accordian coat hangers!

1 like 9 repins

very cool to use the hooks and hangers on the outside of the closet doors in the hallway.

1 like 3 repins

DIY overhead projector for tracing wall murals.

7 likes 60 repins

clever

10 likes 1 comment 87 repins

Profile picture of Jaci

Jaci Even better when you don't use the "over the door" hooks. Just get washers large enough to cover the hole that attaches the hook and screw the unit into the upper edge of even a hollow core door. A couple of heavy duty velco dots help keep it against the door.

How to paint letters perfectly...duh! Why didn't I think of that??

2 likes 1 comment 63 repins

stick push pins on the underside of your small painting projects to prevent sticking while drying

4 likes 73 repins

Deodorize smelly glass jars by washing them with a mixture of one teaspoon powdered mustard and one quart warm water.

1 like 43 repins

A little hot air to loosen price labels

8 likes 67 repins

Remove small stains from suede by gently rubbing the file (either side) across the problem area a few times to get rid of the splotch and refresh the nap.

1 like 29 repins

Remove gunk from the soleplate of an iron. With the setting on low, rub the iron over the dryer sheet until the residue disappears

5 likes 65 repins

Before clearing snow off a driveway, liberally spray both sides of a plastic or metal shovel with cooking spray. The ice will slide right off the oily surface. It's the easiest trick for smoother snow removal.

3 likes 46 repins

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