We’ve had another email from Louise, this time on a “reverse this” type thing?

Hello it’s Louise again (ice-cream containers).

I’d like to make a breadbin using recycled material. I’ve thought about decorating an empty, clean paint container, but I’m not sure it would be hygienic. Any ideas?

I also wanted to tell you that I love your site and some of the creative ideas some of your posters come up with are nothing short of genius.

There you are people, you’re geniuses so let’s not let the lady down ;)

I’d steer clear of paint containers because I’d worry about just how clean I could get them for use with food – and particularly for use with ready-to-eat food that isn’t always wrapped perfectly. But I don’t know what I’d use in their place.

Has anyone made one before or got any ideas? What are good materials to think about? Does it need to be airtight or just fairly closed off dark?

And one final question from me and my tiny tiny kitchen, is it possible to make a collapsible one for folding away/shrinking down when it’s not in use or only holding a couple of crumpets instead of a full loaf?

We’ve had another email from Lyndall, asking:

i was wondering if you knew what i could do with the foil top of milk bottles?

I remember a Blue Peter fundraising appeal from circa 1985 that involved us collecting them for charity but now charities – like Southampton’s Gift of Sight appeal – seem to collect plastic ones instead.

Since they’re just foil, they can be recycled along with other foil products – we can include it in our doorstep recycling.

But what about reuses?

(Photo by LHMike)

We’ve had an email from Sue:

I have a pile of old placemats and coasters, some with a cork backing and some felt-backed and I just don’t know what to do with them.

I have used a few for my kids to paint and stick on but I’d love some more ideas.

We’ve got a placemat underneath the cats’ food dishes in the kitchen (to stop food spillages/flickages from going all over the floor) but all the other ideas I can come up with – using as drip trays under paint cans or plants – need them to be more tray-like instead of being flat.

So any suggestions?

We’ve had an email from Natalie:

I’ve got a few plastic pots that I don’t know what to do with. They had herbs and ground pepper in so they have shaker tops or one side shaker, one side pour. Any ideas?

We use lots of spices so bulk buy them in bags and refill tubs like that for culinary convenience – so that’s one option.

On a slightly bigger scale, we’ve got a (very clearly marked) old table salt bottle filled with bicarbonate of soda – the bicarb comes in cardboard boxes to start with and the pour function makes it easier to, well, pour and the plastic bottle protects it better from moisture.

Any other suggestions?

Some related posts:

• How can I reuse or recycle old spices?
• How can I made spice jars out of shot glasses?

We’ve had an email from Louise, saying:

Here in Malta ice cream comes in rectangular plastic containers. I use them a lot to organize my drawers and cupboard, they’re useful for all kinds of bits and bobs. However I’d like to use some as storage boxes on open shelves, and I’d like to decorate them. Any suggestions?

I love those ice cream tubs. The stuff that isn’t aimed at the luxury market in the UK comes in those rectangular tubs too and I’ve got them all about the place – holding beads/craft stuff, packets of seeds, cat medicines etc. The 2litre tubs are a great size for storing stuff in and of course the regular shape is great for stacking.

I haven’t redecorated any of mine though – anyone got any hints/ideas?

Because I’m obsessed with wire stuff at the moment, I might be tempted to try wrapping it in plastic coated wire (something like a less complicated version of these bottles) – I suspect that would really transform it but would take a lot of wire.

Any other suggestions?