How to Reuse Gifts Creatively

Audra Lowe Lowe: Flowers are beautiful they will last a few days but now you are not quite sure what do with the glass vase so are all the empty baskets that are stacking up.

Well, Beth Roehrig is here, she’s got some ways to use those and other ordinary items that you have laying around the house. She is the home editor of Ladies Home Journal Magazine. Good to have you here Beth.

Beth Roehrig: Good to be here.

Audra Lowe: Is this just because the economy that a lot of people are trying to use things more than once or is it just a trend?

Beth Roehrig: Yeah. I mean it is a great way to save money and just be creative with the things that you already have in your house.

Audra Lowe Lowe: So you guys found a few different creative ideas, the first one we are going to start with over here is the vase. Automatically you think flowers, right?

Beth Roehrig: But when you don’t have flowers on them, normally it gets hit in the back of the cupboard. But you know here we re-used it as a book end. We just fill it up with some pretty river stones and it helps keep your books neat and organized.

Audra Lowe: Good idea, you got the ice there also to serve have a little party.

Beth Roehrig: Next time you are having a cocktail party, you can just do this. Instead of going out and buying at ice bucket which you probably are going to use - once or twice a year.

Audra Lowe: And then over here I see a flower and there is what I see?

Beth Roehrig: Well this actually we made into an aquarium. By just filling up with a little bit of gravel and a plant, it makes a little home for a gold fish.

Audra Lowe: So you don’t have to throw them away or just keep them stacked up. Do something with them, I really like that a lot too. Now for the cocktails, you’ve turn the serving trays into kind of mini-bar. You have to three different examples here for us right?

Beth Roehrig: Here you can just turn into your great display, we took these metal trays, you bottle of wine. Your glasses on it and you know you are having your friends over and some mine- bar.

Audra Lowe: It looks snatchzy, I like that and then over here, you got the perfume, come in and display.

Beth Roehrig: Most of us don’t have room for our vanity, but if you put a tray like this on your dresser. And you just put your pretty perfume bottles on it. It’s a really elegant display.

Audra Lowe: Smart and they are also here, the plants as well too. It is all in how you arrange things on the tray.

Beth Roehrig: By grouping them together, you make a really unexpected center piece.

Audra Lowe: Now when it comes to glasses, it seems like you either have to many or not enough in the cabinets. So what do you do if we let’s say if you have too many?

Beth Roehrig: You can just take a few and fold some photos in them as we’ve done here. It really creates ambience in a room.

Audra Lowe: Over here on the other end?

Beth Roehrig: The medicine cabinet is one of the messiest areas in our room. Here you can just use them to coral your supplies and it’s really easy to see them.

Audra Lowe: It looks like a little hotel-ish too, I like that. Give it a little extra twist, and then when it comes to the baskets, some flowers do come in baskets and you want to re-use them again. But you just don’t know what you can do with them. Tell us what you did here with these three.

Beth Roehrig: Here, the next time you have a buffet style party, you just put your napkins and silverware in it. And your guest can serve themselves, its great for casual entertaining.

Audra Lowe: Got you.

Beth Roehrig: And then next, if you put it by your entry way, you can use that as an out box. And just put your mail and things that you need you take out the next morning and you won’t forget them.

Audra Lowe: I like this one here too.

Beth Roehrig: I mean, we are always loosing our remotes in the couch cushions, if you just put a basket like this out on your coffee table. And put the remotes there, you will always know where it is.

Audra Lowe: No questions asked whatsoever, now what about if people are intimated and they just saying “you laid it out for me, now I get some ideas but I wouldn’t know how to come up with these ideas on my own.” What would you say to them?

Beth Roehrig: Well there are really no rules, you just need to be creative and look at your things that you have with a fresh eye.

Audra Lowe: I love it, thank you so much Beth, good to have you here.

Beth Roehrig: Thanks.

Audra Lowe: And you guys can get a complete list of other genius ways to use those everyday items that you already own by going to LHJ.com. Or you can pick up a copy of Ladies Home Journal.