Reuse Office Supplies in your Craft Stash!

office supplies for your craft stash

Have you ever thought about how to reuse office supplies in your craft stash? It’s cheap and it gives new life to items that end up in the recycle bin.

Reuse Office Supplies in your Craft Stash!

The office is a great place to pick up a few craft supplies. No, I’m not suggesting you sneak out a box or two of paper clips! I’m talking about all the stuff that ends up in the recycle bin…or worse – the trash! From used folders to K-Cups, it’s easy (and cheap) to reuse office supplies in your craft stash.

Paper Clips

Most office managers order paper clips by the thousands. And once they get a little wonky, we’re quick to throw them out.

Not me! I love old paper clips and can find a million uses for them. I use them as hangers for the back of ornaments. I use them to punch tiny holes in craft paper. And most recently, I used a paper clip as a spike for an office plant ornament.

Single-Serve Coffee Maker Cups

This is a touchy, touchy subject with lots of environmentalists. Single-serve coffee makers are overrunning our office kitchens and the plastic cups they use are practically impossible to recycle.

And guess where they end up? Yup. The garbage.

Not good. So I’ve been known to fish our office K-Cups (probably the best known single-serve coffee maker) out of the trash (along with those non-dairy creamer containers) and work them into my craft stash.

It does take a little work. You have to dump out the coffee or tea grounds, rip out the paper filter and then clean up the gunk on the rim. It’s a pain. But they do make perfect containers for paints and glue. I’ve even seen a few people online who turn the cup itself into an artsy flower! You can also put them together as an organization tray. Get creative. We need to find ways to use these babies up!

Reuse Office Supplies in your Craft Stash!

Old Folders

Even though everything is digital these days, I bet you still have bunches of file folders lying around. And once we’ve labeled the folder, it’s pretty much no good for anything else.

Luckily these folders are made out of really strong material that’s similar to card stock. You can cut it up and use it for making cards, invitations are even mats for frames. I cut a shamrock out of one of mine and used it to make that plant ornament I told you about earlier.

Empty Pens

Remember when we thought disposable pens were awesome? “Totally awesome” to be exact – because it was the 80s when they really hit big time. Before that, pens were something we refilled and used over and over again. Now, ALL pens are considered tossable.

OK, I’m done with my rant and onto what you can actually do with empty pens.

The obvious is to use them as stir sticks for mixing paints. They’re also good as a simple craft tool that can punch holes or hold things in place – kind of like when chop sticks come in handy every once in a while.

Business Cards

When someone’s title changes, so do their business cards – leaving hundreds of those cards useless. But that’s cool by me. Business cards are generally made of quality paper, and the back side is almost always blank. You can use them to punch out shapes for cards and all sorts of other craft projects.

In my craft stash, I have a box labeled “Inspiration”. So if I find something at home…or in the office…that I see is going to waste, I toss it into that box. Who knows, it could be EXACTLY what you were looking for when it comes to future craft projects!

Reuse Office Supplies in your Craft Stash!

 

 

1 thought on “Reuse Office Supplies in your Craft Stash!”

  1. Pingback: K-Cups Are Killing the Planet | Care2 Healthy Living

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