If you’ve ever had one of those “why didn’t I think of that?!” moments, you’re going to love what’s in store today. From new ways to re-use products you already have, to saving time doing mundane things, I headed back to New York this morning to show the folks at the TODAY Show seven different tips and tricks for making things easier around the home. You may recognize some of these from our past post, 40 Clever Hacks for the Home, where we tried out a whole bunch of home hacks found all over the web.
Use Cupcake Liners as Popsicle Drip Catchers
Popsicles are awesome. Sticky fingers are not. Cupcake liners to the rescue! Just poke a hole in the base and then wrap one around each popsicle stick. This is a GREAT trick for messy young kids… or Today Show hosts wearing nice suits ;) (originally seen on Parent Hacks)
Use Spaghetti as a Match
This is such a great trick for getting to hard-to-reach candles. Just light the end of a dry spaghetti noodle and stick deep into your votive to light your wicks. (originally seen on Real Simple)
Store Pasta in a Pringles Can
Speaking of pasta, here’s how to keep that spaghetti fresher longer: Store it in an old Pringles can! It happens to be the perfect length for your noodles, and you can even decorate the outside to look nice in your pantry or countertops. These are great for holding other types of dry goods as well. (originally seen on Lifehacker)
Use a Comb to Hammer Nails
I will fully admit to having hammered my fingers while trying to hammer a nail before. But now I know this trick! You can save your fingers from getting all busted up by using a comb to hold nails in place. (originally seen on WikiHow)
Use Beeswax to Waterproof Canvas Shoes
I LOVE this one, especially for beach season or rainy season. You can use a bit of beeswax to waterproof your shoes! Just rub the wax onto your shoes, blow-dry to seal, and you’re done. (originally seen on Snapguide)
Use a Bowl as a Sound Amplifier
If you’re having an impromptu dance party or dinner party and missing some great speakers for your music, try pulling out a bowl to add some amplification to your tunes. (originally seen on Real Simple)
Use a Hair Straightener to Iron Collars
And finally, a great trick for those super-rushed mornings. Use a hair straightener to quickly iron a cuff or collar. My husband steals mine to use on his shirts all the time! (originally seen on Real Simple)
More From Home DIY
Fall is right around the corner, and we're getting amped up for our next session of Selfmade, Brit + Co's 10-week interactive startup school. Designed to help you create a new business or grow your existing one, this course is personally led by Brit + Co founder Brit Morin and co-founder Anjelika Temple, and supported by more than a dozen of the top female entrepreneurs, creatives, and investors in the country. Students receive personalized coaching on everything from how to get out of your comfort zone to how to scale your business, and everything in between. And now, thanks to Office Depot, even more of you can join the course!
For the fall session, we're thrilled to team up with Office Depot to grant 200 FREE scholarship seats to the course. Scholarships are open to US residents, focusing on women of color, women from underserved and underrepresented communities, and women in need of support to help them trail-blaze. After all, we firmly believe that your support system is a huge part of how you achieve greatness, and we are here to cheer all of you on.
To nominate yourself or someone you know for a scholarship, head to our nomination form right here. The deadline for scholarship nominations is September 27th — it's time to take the leap!
Beyond the scholarship, Office Depot is all about helping you accomplish more. Whether it be the start phase, growth phase or keep businesses going phase, Office Depot offers a full suite of business solutions, including services and products, to help you work from anywhere, organize and save time and help build your brand.
So what are you waiting for? Take a chance on yourself and get yourself one step closer to truly being selfmade. Learn more about the Selfmade program, apply for a scholarship and prepare to be inspired :)