
Declutter With a Dumpster
November 27, 2025If you’re anything like me, you have a lot of things that you once thought were totally useless. I used to think that bagel holders were only good for holding bagels, but now I see them being used on everything from bookshelves to bulletin boards! The same goes for binder clips—I never imagined that they could be used in any way other than sticking papers together (which they still do), but now they’re everywhere! And coffee stirrers? I’ve never even thought about using them as anything other than something else than what they were originally intended (i.e., stirring coffee). But these are all just examples of items that can be repurposed—and we’re going to show you how by sharing some household items that don’t need to go into your dumpster rental!
Keep These Household Items
Bagel holders
If you want to avoid throwing away your bagel holders, there are plenty of options.
- Mason jar lids can be used as a replacement for the bagel holder. Place the lid on top of your bagel and use it as normal until it begins to deteriorate and fall off. Then just replace it with another mason jar lid!
- Plastic containers also work well because they’re easy to find at any store or restaurant that sells food products like ice cream buckets, yogurt cups and more (you’ll find them near the dairy section). You can also use plastic wrap if you don’t have any other options available – just make sure not too much weight will rest upon them when opened up again later on down the road!
Binder clips
Binder clips are not just for holding papers together. They can be used to hold things together, too.
- In the car: Use binder clips to secure things in your car so they don’t fall out when you’re driving and don’t get damaged. You’ll also want to keep them handy so that you can use them if there’s a sudden stop or collision, which is especially important if there are children in the vehicle (and/or pets).
- On the wall: Binder clips also make for great hanging accessories for your home décor! If you’re looking for an extra touch of organization, try using one on each side of a picture frame as an easy way to keep track of whose going where during family trips or vacations; this way, everyone can see who should accompany which person at any given time without having access only through their own phones (which aren’t always reliable).
Coffee stirrers
Coffee stirrers can be used as skewers for kebabs, toothpicks and even paint applicators. They’re also perfect for stirring glue or other glues in small amounts.
Condiment containers
You may not be aware of this, but condiment containers—like ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise jars—are actually very versatile. They can be used to hold change, keys and other small items that don’t fit in your pockets or purse (especially if you’re working from home). They can also serve as an organizational tool when you need somewhere to put pens and pencils at the office.
Condiment containers can also make for great jewelry holders! If you have earrings that are too big for your ears or rings that won’t stay on your fingers anymore because they’ve been stretched out by those tiny little hands of yours (and yes, I know how it happens), no problem! Just hang them up with these handy little containers instead by their stems so they don’t get lost while being transported around town by mommy/daddy/grandma/etcetera
Egg cartons
Egg cartons are great for storing small items. You can keep buttons, beads and other small items in egg carton boxes. You can also use them to organize your craft supplies or even as a mini terrarium!
Empty tissue boxes
Tissue boxes are great for storing many things, including:
- Cotton balls
- Pens and pencils
- Craft items like beads and sequins
- Small items like buttons (for sewing projects) or earrings (for jewelry making).
Empty water jugs
Water jugs are one of the most common household items to throw away. They’re great for storing food, water and other liquids—but they can also be used as containers for other things too!
- Use it to store dry goods such as cereal or flour.
- Use it as a container for storing spices and seasonings in your kitchen cabinet or pantry.
Paper bowls
Paper bowls are an incredibly versatile item. They can be used to store small items, like pens and pencils, and they can also be used as a funnel for pouring liquids into other containers. In addition to this, paper bowls make excellent containers for holding liquids! You might find yourself needing something like this when you’re at home or in the office (or anywhere else).
Finally, if you’re trying to keep your kitchen clean but don’t have enough storage space on hand or if you want something that won’t take up too much space on your countertop—paper bowls are one such solution!
All of these can be used for something other than what they were originally intended.
These items can be used for something other than what they were originally intended.
- Organizing: If you want to organize your home or office, these items are perfect for keeping all of your things in one place. You can use them as storage containers or decorating ideas like baskets, vases and more!
- Crafts: Use the same item to make different crafts! Paint it with different colors and add stickers or fabric pieces to create unique art pieces that will look great hanging on walls at parties or events. Also, check out our list of craft ideas if you need some inspiration!
- Other household items: There are so many uses for everyday items around the house—like pillows—that we couldn’t fit them all into this article alone! Just because something isn’t listed above doesn’t mean it can’t be repurposed into another project later down the road (for example: take an old pair of jeans & turn them into shorts).
There you have it! We’ve covered a lot of different household items that can be used for something other than what they were originally intended. Of course, if you really don’t need them, toss them away!




