How can I reuse or recycle poster tubes?
We’ve looked a little toilet tubes and giant big tubes in the past but what about ones more in the middle of the size range?
I got sent a (freebie promotional) tshirt from the US a couple of weeks ago and for some reason they decided to send it in a solid cardboard poster tube instead of an envelope or postal bag.
Said tube has sat around the living room ever since with a “how can I be reused?” question mark hanging over its head. It’s a solid cardboard tube, about 50cm long (20″) with plastic caps at each end (one of them with a lip to make it easy to take out).
Now, thanks to one of our friend’s newly-discovered love of expensive whisky, it’s also now been joined by a similar whisky bottle tube – slightly lighter cardboard but similar plastic caps.
I’ve kept them to this point for reuse if I need to send anything small poster-ish through the post but that’s quite unlikely – so any other suggestions?
How about using the smaller one (whisky) to store pencils,pens or even pasta as they are usually quite dry and just the right size etc.
The larger one you could decorate and make a table from. simply cut some light wood or some cardboard to the size you`d like and voila.
If you can make it water tight it could be usefull as a time capsule for bored kiddies.
or finally use it to disguise pressys for those people who like to fiddle.
Cool site!
That would make a great spaghetti holder, I think.
Come and see * how they recycle stuff in Sweden *
I’m an art teacher so I know this might be a good suggestion…go to your local school and see if the art teacher can use them for a project.
How about hammering some nails round in a spiral from top to bottom, quite close together in a fairly tight spiral. pour in a cup of rice, pop the lid back on and hey presto! A rainstick.
Offer them to your local knitting group ~ especially if they also knit for charity. These types of tubes are perfect to hold all those loose needles . . .
I can’t believe I didn’t think of a knitting needle holder myself! I’ve been absent-mindedly looking around the house for a knitting needle container for the last few weeks but didn’t once think to use the poster tube – duh! silly me! :)
-louisa
use it to hold important docs that you don’t want to fold, like birth certificates.
As the “craft person” at our church’s youth club I’d welcome anything like this – particularly useful for monster model making. Yes, I know that it will eventually get recycled as cardboard but hey, the kids will have had fun in the meantime. And I’ve already got one in use for my knitting needles!
You could cut them in half and they could hold cooking utensils?
I keep my knitting needles in an old whisky tube.
the best idea is make 5 circules each about 2-3 cm,and them fill it with cotton which normally using to clean makeup, then put any flower seeds in there and only spry water once a week. then get two paper pins and pin it from inside to the wall and colse the cape. it would be nice when it grows, also you welcome to visite my website http://www.geocities.com/recycleartdesign which is full of recycle design,
Reza
I use them to store all my christmas decorations in, they keep the baubles and tinsel nice and tidy, keep them from breaking and are easy to store away in the back of a cupboard.
(I love how the comment above me was probably trying to be rude, but made me giggle because it was so stupid : )
I would offer them up on freecycle/craigslist before using them for crafty/etc uses. I have NEEDED cardboard tubes like that before… in fact, I need one now, because I am bringing home a poster from Japan to America… hmm, time to post a wanted notice on freecycle. :)
You can make a small rain stick from it, by putting in a strand of rolled aluminum foil and adding rice/beans for the “rain” sound.
I line them with waxed paper or plastic and use them for soap molds.
use them for hamster tunnels. once theyve chewed the heck outta one piece cut off another.
cut part of it out and make a bird feeder with it
i think everybody shuld recycle 2 save the planet and if u need mare info on myspace go 2 taylorfandino@yahoo.com
Use them to keep ladies long soft leather boots , place them inside to keep their shape.
Use one to keep your umbrella in. This way you will not wet every where once you’ve had to use it. Ideal when you get to work and want to put it in your bag. Just shake as much water off it as you can first to make the tube last longer but they hold together well and dry out quick.
Thanks for the pasta storage suggestion. I was wondering what to do with a scotch whisky tube with metal caps… it now holds about 3 pounds of thin spaghetti.
Build a telescope toy.
Store long brushes or knitting needles, candles, rulers, craft supplies. Can always shorten the tube to the size you need.
I’m an art teacher so I know this might be a good suggestion…go to your local school and see if the art teacher can use them for a project.