It’s always a hardline to draw between keeping something and throwing it away. Sometimes you tell yourself, “Well, maybe I could use this or upcycle it somehow?” and other times it seems like it won’t ever see the light of day or a craft project ever. So, if often find yourself with that struggle, hopefully this list can help you. Here are 17 things that you should never throw away.
Things You Should Never Throw Away
1. Always keep spare buttons (unless they’re broken or damaged). Most buttons are so small that you can get a little box and store them away in a closet without any problems. Buttons are great for emergency clothing repairs, craft projects, or anything in between.
2. Never throw away fancy glass bottles, especially if they still have their lid. You can find tons of uses for glass bottles—artfully storing cleaning supplies, canning jams and jellies, etc. Make sure they’re stored away properly so they don’t accidently break and get glass everywhere.
3. Speaking of glass bottles, another container that’s great to keep around is baby food jars. You can use them to store spices, make impromptu salt and pepper shakers, or even keep them in the garage to organize nails and screws.
4. Don’t throw away pens and pencils unless they’re broken or useless. If you do throw them out to minimize the load, you’ll find yourself at the store within a few weeks buying more. Pens and pencils seem to disappear in every house, so having a stash is a great idea.
5. Keep all your picture frames stored away neatly, unless they’re broken of course. Throughout your life, as you redecorate, move, get move pictures, etc. you’ll find yourself in the need of a picture frame or two. If it’s ugly, don’t worry—you can always paint and decorate to make a brand new looking frame!
6. While getting junk mail and unwanted flyers may be obnoxious, don’t throw them all away just yet. Keep quite a bit of the extra newspaper around so that, when you need to store fragile items, you have newspaper to act as a cushion. You can also use newspaper to wrap presents on the fly or use as kindling for your fireplace.
7. Keep any and all wine corks that you may have collected over the years. Wine corks in vases and glass jars is actually a pretty popular decoration these days, so you can make your own at the fraction of the price.
8. I know this may seem a bit hoarder-ish, but broken bits of crayons are one thing that you should keep around. One, you could melt them together if you really wanted to get as much use out of the crayon as possible. Or, more fun, you can make fun melted crayon art for the whole family to enjoy!
9. Let’s be honest, does anyone actually use pipe cleaners to clean out pipes? I know I don’t. But that doesn’t mean you need to throw them out. They take up so little space, but they’re great for kids’ craft projects and sprucing up a card or last minute decoration.
10. Toilet paper and paper towels rolls can actually often come in handy around the house. You can use them to store cords, hold wrapping paper, or even make fun holiday decorations. Keep the rolls around and search the Internet for some great uses your home could use.
11. You don’t need to keep fruit and vegetable scraps around your house, but you also shouldn’t throw them away. If you have a garden or herb patch, then use the scraps as compost to make the plants grow even better!
12. There’s no need to throw away any clothes if they’ve got holes or rips in them. Instead, repurpose them to become rags for around the house. This way, you’ll save money and be helping out the environment.
13. If you’ve ever looked at a garden DIY blog, then you know never to throw away wood pallets. There are TONS of craft projects to be done with pallets, and you can save money if you don’t throw yours away.
14.Old tires are another object that is great for DIY projects. Whether it’s in the garden, on the back porch, or a swing in the front yard, old tires are a great item to upcycle.
15.If you’re going through your library and stacking up tons of books to throw out or donate, reconsider! There are so many ways to upcycle books that you should never need to get rid of them. You can use the pages as jewelry or the covers as hide-aways around your home. Find some great craft ideas online and go for it!
16. Keep your old toothbrushes around, even if you aren’t going to use them to brush your teeth. Toothbrushes are great to clean and scrub parts of your kitchen and bathroom. Keep them until they go bad or lose their bristles.
17. Coffee filters—either used or unused—are another thing that you shouldn’t throw away. Used filters are great for gardening projects and unused ones make great craft material!
Looking for more ways to get organized? Check out my post on 9 decluttering rules to live by.
Thanks you just single handedly dismantled years of therapy… ;-p
If you never threw these things out, you would be exploding in clutter in no time.
If you want to keep a few items because you know you have a use for them pretty soon, designate a place to keep them and stick to a pre-set amount. Otherwise, you’re just hoarding things that may never be used.
I totally agree
Speaking as a hoarder myself who is in over her head (figuratively), I totally agree! My grown children discourage buying anything that is not a necessity unless I’m willing to part with two hoarded non necessities. It’s slow progress but it’s what I can handle right now. When I can handle more, I’ll make greater progress!
God bless you. From watching the TV shows on hoarding I understand that it can be a great struggle. I keep too many things, but haven’t reached the hoarding stage. At least I think not!
Oh my, you certainly are behaving like a pacrat!!!
I feel I’ll just thinking of the clutter!
Pack rat. Not if you have space and know how to manage it, reuse and repurpose all the time, it’s no problem. Messy storing of junk that is taking over your life is pack ratting. Some of us know how.
Yes, if you actually make the things you see on Hometalk or Pinterest, yes save stuff. But set yourself a limit. If you’ve had 20 glass jars for over a year, time to get rid of some at least.
Pretty sensible article.
What is this obsession with getting rid of stuff, only to have to go out and buy it again?
And to think I have thrown all this out to get rid of clutter. Sorry good ideas but could never keep all these thing. Do save buttons and pipe cleaners or crafts but most else is out
I think this is a great reminder of what
to keep! If you find you are getting too many of one thing, put it up on freecycle or the free section of Craigslist. I never throw out glass jars or bottles- I keep a small stash for myself and always find someone who can use the rest.
My house would explode if I kept all of those things. Toilet paper and paper towel rolls are available all the time, no need to save. As for food scraps, I’d have raccoons, fox and deer plus a best or two if I threw them out anywhere but the trash can. These are hoarder
And clutter makers.
Unused Coffee filters also work great for home teabags should you have some mint or another plant in your garden that makes terrific teas.
This is quite an interesting list. However, I am not sure that the suggestion to up-cycle a book instead of donating is a good one. Although these days majority of the new books are probably not worth keeping and it makes me sad.
Also, keeping a toothbrush until it loses its bristles? That would be like 10 years?:)))
More alarming is the thing that you have a pipe cleaner without even using it, which means you bought it for no reason? This is the biggest problem in the world today on many levels.
Love pipe cleaners in my garden. They are great for staking my flopping plants. Green or brown are both good, but any color will do. They are already nice and cushy so as not to damage the plants. Often than can be cut in half or even thirds if it’s a small plant. They actually hold up rather well, even in winter. Can’t beat that quick little twist.
I cant get to the post.
Too much is not good, but glass jars, etc. are going the way of plastic being used for many things. Share your “clutter” with others.
True. Get creative and become a part of the solution to consumerism, not just buy buy buy. Do it better.
I make classy gifts out of bottles of all kind, paper, toilet rolls, material, buttons & beads etc. there is just so much to make and do. Waste not, want not & handmade in King . Having said that, know when enough is enough. When you can no longer store these items neatly and without crowding out your living space, recycle or dump it.
Sensible advice. Storage is the key. I have a spare room and probably too much stuff, but I do use most of it. I envy organized people who can take time to sort and toss the unnecessary.
Jars can be used to store the buttons and other small parts, or to make snow globes or candles as presents at Christmas. Pickle jars make great terrariums. There are tons of paper towel and toilet paper roll crafts. Send them to a school. I don’t compost, so no food scraps here. I donate books to the public library. I do keep coffee filters for a variety of uses. I have no pallets. I make junk journals out of junk mail. I’m keeping the wine corks for a project. Two toothbrushes for scrubbing and one for art projects. Two tires in the garage…maybe for some project someday? (possibly just taking up space)
No used up crayons. Pens and pencils are in the junk drawer until needed. Sheets and towels become cleaning and dusting rags. All clothes get donated…once a year.
What’s a junk journal?
My house would explode if I kept all of those things. Toilet paper and paper towel rolls are available all the time, no need to save. As for food scraps, I’d have raccoons, fox and deer plus a best or two if I threw them out anywhere but the trash can.
Don’t use random glass jars for canning as suggested. Mason jars with new lids, yes. Others can explode
Karen,
Thank you for the tip!