• Last month one of the biggest discussion points was how to get into the habit of taking packed lunches; this month it’s how to freshen up a tired winter coat. I only asked the question on Tuesday but we’ve already had some great responses – and an impromptu confessional session about the size of our wardrobes! Thanks to Jayne, Linda, bookstorebabe, Su and Alice!
• Unsurprisingly, we’ve been talking a lot about Christmas too – Anna suggested a great modern recycled gift wrap idea – using brown paper or foreign language newspapers while Pauline suggested decorating shoeboxes to reuse for gifts year after year. Cipollina posted a fun Christmas basket made from old Christmas cards and when it came to ideas for using up leftover turkey, I had the bookstorebabe at bacon croutons.
• Another popular seasonal talking point was how to make draft excluders (aka draft dodgers) – lots of great suggestions on there including Lyndsey’s idea using old jumpers, the Crafty Green Poet’s silky one using an old kimono robe and Alexis’s clear modern one stuffed with barley.
• Less seasonally, Linda was a commenting machine when it came to generating ideas for things to do with old disposable hairnets – keep scrolling down that page for more ideas from her!
• And speaking of net related things, Su had some great suggestions for things to do with old net curtains.
• Finally, I asked about making placemats and Anna had a great idea – use an old shower curtain as a backing to any pretty fabric to make waterproof tablemats.

Thanks to everyone who commented on our posts this month – and indeed through 2010 as a whole!

Here’s some of my favourite comments left on the site over the last month in case you missed them first time around.

First up, props to everyone who left comments on our post about how to get into the habit of taking packed lunches – great answers from everyone: Bellen, Alice, Alexis, carol, Bobbie, Karmae, cmdweb, Marti and “Computer Recycling and Disposal”. I almost wish I left the house regularly enough to warrant taking lunch!

And Robert Campbell and Rainwater Recycler’s comments on our post about how to improve a greywater system were also very informative.

Karmae also left a great suggestion on the post about how to reuse or recycle the ends of receipt rolls – use them to expand clothes sewing patterns when the wearer changes sizes.

Summer suggested using the bottoms of plastic bottles to keep underwear drawers tidy and Petra left a comment explaining her spin on the using a bottle top to make a resealable plastic bag thing – use them on balloons. Or, she hypothesises, that it might be possible to make a “vacuum” seal bag for fabric storage.

Thoey uses the stubs of old pencils – ones with erasers on the end – to make mini stamps.

Mary Horesh added a sixth suggestion to my great reuses for polystyrene list – use it to fill empty space in your freezer as freezers are less efficient the emptier they are (you can also use plastic bottles filled with water for this purpose).

Alexis, who I’m currently living through vicariously for my spinning and weaving wants, has suggested using an old curtain to insulate a draughty loft hatch.

And finally Bellen gave us a reuse and a warning – metal sweet or biscuit tins make great drums for kids. Just very, very loud ones.

Thanks to everyone who has suggested things over the last month – lots of really inspiring ideas!

(Soup photo by ellikelli)

We’ve had some great comments on Recycle This over the last month. Here are some of my favourites:

• I’ve seen this idea in a couple of places recently but Paul in Austin, TX was the one to mention it here – use the necks and lids from plastic bottles to make random plastic bags air tight and resealable – great for reusing cereal box liners and bread bags.
• Speaking of plastic bottles, the bookstorebabe showed us how to turn them into fun plastic beads.
• Chyna wrote an interesting summary about plastic identification code numbers and whether or not they’re food safe.
• Bellen was busy a couple of weeks ago – giving us a whole list of ideas for ways to reuse and recycle Nesquik tubs (but as Alice urges, better to avoid them in the first place).
• Similarly, Ron had a great selection of ideas for reusing and recycling plastic kitty litter buckets.
• After working out what they’re called buckeyes in the UK, we came up with a few reusing/recycling ideas for conkers – fishcake_random reports that they can be used like soap nuts for washing delicate clothes and fabrics.
• Dani explained how we can use old aluminium foil (aka tin foil) to clean silverware.
• And finally, when I asked about what I can reuse or recycle to make a money box, MaryH sent us a link to a fabulous how-to – how to turn a plastic bottle into a piggy bank – and Alice dared me to make a chicken shaped one instead… My birdy bank will be revealed soon!

They’re been some really great suggestions on Recycle This recently so I thought I’d highlight a few in case you’ve missed them.

• Scott Bedford popped by our conveniently timed post about how to reuse or recycle pencil stubs to tell us about the little insects he’s been making out of the ends of pencils and paperclips – like this pesky wasp.
• Alice in Blogland urged us to make cider from apple cores & peel rather than jam.
• Michelle had a suggestion to reuse and recycle old jars, toys & glitter to make snow globes as upcycled toys for small children.
• And speaking of old jars, Jessie suggested using them to make reusable jack-o-lanterns for Halloween.

Thanks to everyone who has left a comment recently – you’re all fab :)