5 Things to Do With Old DVD’s

Last week I cleaned out my entertainment center cabinet. I found drawers and drawers of DVD’s that I hadn’t viewed in years. I’d kept them for the “just in case” moments when I may want to see them again but I’ve moved on. Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu mean I no longer bother to find and load a DVD when I can see what I want with a few clicks on my computer.

I boxed them up and stuck them in the garage while I thought about what I wanted to do with them. I did a little research, a little experimenting, and here is what I came up with to ensure that my DVDs didn’t end up as landfill.

Get Cash!

DeCluttr
After downloading the app, (which was the major reason that I chose DeCluttr above it’s competitors) all I did was scan the barcode on each DVD to see the price DeCluttr will pay. Most DVDs went for .50/DVD, some went for.10, and a few were worth $3.
The app does the hard work. After confirming which DVDs I was selling to DeCluttr I just packed them into a box and applied the free shipping label that DeCluttr emailed to me. Ten days later their payment posted to my account. I chose the direct deposit option.

While DeCluttr was my favorite you may want to try some of the other online options for selling your DVDs such as SellDVDsOnline.or SecondSpin or EagleSaver.

 Make a Mosiac

Use a pair of tongs to immerse the DVD in VERY hot water for 10-15 seconds, then use scissors to cut it into pieces. Glue the pieces to a table top, a plant pot, a frame, kitchen or bathroom backsplash, or whatever you want to add sparkle to. Instructables has an

Use the DVDs as is, or cover them with contact paper, decals, or decoupage.

DVD Clock

It’s remarkably simple to make a clock from a DVD. This Instructable will give you the detes on how to make your own clock.

DVD Coaster

Use the DVDs as they are, or cover them with contact paper, a decal, or decoupage a picture onto them.

 Spinning Tops

These spinning tops are not only fun for the kiddos to make, but they’ll have a blast playing with them. Lalymom shows you how to do it.

 

 

Book Tables

You’ve heard of coffee table books, you probably have a few adorning your own coffee table. Well after staring at a stack of books that I’d read many times it occurred to me that the stack was the perfect height for a coffee table. So I hot glued each book to the next, made several stacks, and had myself a book stack coffee table.

I finished mine off with a tray but you could also place a piece of glass over your book stacks. The end result can look contemporary, oriental, country, traditional, Victorian … well you get the idea, depending on what types of books you use. 

 

Easy End Table

Use the same idea as for the coffee table but stack your books to use as an end table. Since this is just one stack, even gluing them together won’t be super sturdy so you may want to use the directions below for a sturdy table.

 

How to Make a Sturdy Book Table

Use a wooden dowel or straight branch that is shorter than the stack of books by ½ the width of both the top and bottom books. Drill a hole through the center of each book (except the top and bottom books) that’s just a hair larger than the dowel. Drill the same size hole ½ way through the top and bottom books. Squirt glue into the bottom book’s hole. Insert the dowel. Spread glue around the one or two inches of the dowel that is sticking out of the top of the book and slide on the next book. Continue gluing and sliding on books until you come to the top book. Squirt glue into the hole in the top book and slide onto the dowel. I like to use these end tables in spaces where I need somewhere to rest a coffee cup but there isn’t enough space for a larger table.

The cool thing about this method is that you don’t have to worry about where the holes line up from  book to book as long as they’re roughly in the middle of each book. A slightly askew stack of books is charming.

Emergency Kit Fashioned From Recyclables

When a natural disaster strikes we all wish we had prepared ahead. One of the things that had stopped me from getting supplies together is that I felt that if the supplies weren’t used they would end up going to waste. But every time I saw news reels of an earthquake or a tornado I would worry about the fact that I wasn’t the least bit prepared.

So finally, just to stop from nagging my own self to death I sat down and made a list of the items I would need. Then I took that list and thought through ways that I could use recycled items to make up my emergency kit. I took the same list and thought through ways that I could easily rotate items that would spoil. Anyway, here’s what I came up with.

 

Clothing

Extra sets of comfortable clothing. Pack clothing that you like but is no longer in style. Tip: polypropylene, wool, or fleece will keep you warmest if you get wet.

Foot Warmer: for each member of the family two plastic produce bags and two rubber bands which will fit snugly around the legs of each person. Layer one sock, a plastic bag, then another larger sock over the plastic bag will keep feet warm. To test this out, one day while vacationing in a the mountains I wore the plastic bag between socks on one foot and just the two socks on the other foot. It definitely made a difference!

Comfort

Plastic sheets will serve you well in a disaster. They can function as a ground cloth to keep the cold and wet from seeping in, to temporarily repair a damaged window, replace a missing door or as a rain poncho. Paint tarps work fine here as long as they are heavy duty ones. Garbage bags work better as rain ponchos as the paint tarps will be too large and too stiff.

Communication

Don’t throw out your old land line phone. This type of phone will work with no electricity as long as the phone line is operable.

That old junk radio that you replaced with a full fledged entertainment center can be packed away in your emergency kit with a few sets of batteries. Write the battery expiration date on a piece of tape applied to the outside of the radio.

First Aid Kit

Fill a container with mini band-aids, aspirin, antacid, motion sickness pills, individually wrapped antiseptic wipes, shoe lace (for tourniquet) … whatever emergency supplies you may need for your particular environment. Don’t forget to include things like sanitary napkins, which can also be used as a dressing for large cuts. Be sure to seal so that it is watertight.

Choices for containers:

  • empty deodorant casing – not large enough for your entire first aid kit but can hold small items within the kit
  • large can

Food

You can store non-perishable food in your pantry. That way it will be rotated as you use it. For someone like me who prefers fresh food I stock up on canned items I might need in an emergency and then every now and then I use the canned goods to make up a few batches of soup which I take around to my neighbors. I restock my pantry and then I’m set for the next possible emergency. This periodic cleaning out of my pantry also serves to make me grateful for the fact that I’m using this food to serve my neighbors rather than to survive a disaster.

You’ll also need something to cook on. If you have an alcohol fondue pot or a marine stove you’re all set. If you don’t you could always purchase one of these or make a ??? cooking apparatus suitable for indoor cooking.

Infants

Keep a large stash of plastic grocery bags or produce bags for putting dirty diapers in before placing in your trash can.

Light

Candles provide good light. While taper candles provide the best light with the least amount of fuss they can be easy to tip over, depending on what type of candleholder you have and if you have a level surface to place it on. Pillar candles are more difficult to tip over but have to be fussed with as the flame burns below the surface, although it’s not that difficult or time consuming to gently turn the outer portion of the candle to the outside so that the flame won’t be lost behind it. Tip: do this after the candle has been burning for awhile so that the candle is soft.

I chafe at the idea of purchasing good candles for an emergency that may never happen, so I use the rejects from my candle making experiments. If this doesn’t give you enough candles just use all the candles made from melting down your candle stubs.

Matches gleaned from bars and restaurants and dipped in melted wax to make them waterproof should be all you need to keep your candles and cooking apparatus lit.

Medications

Ask your doctor to prescribe a double dose of all your meds. Keep the second set in a watertight container such as a large coffee sealed with waterproof tape. Tip: duct tape dissolves into a gummy mess when wet. Use a Sharpie pen to write the date of the med with the closest expiration date on the outside of the can.

Pets

Stash a large supply of plastic grocery bags or produce bags to use as a pooper scooper when walking the dog.

Warmth

Keep old blankets, bedspreads and curtains in your emergency kit. These can be used as a ground cloth and to wrap yourself in for warmth.

If you have an abundant source of wood so much the better but if not stockpile some NEWSPAPER/LOGS. The best ones to have in a disaster situation are WET LOGS dipped several times in wax to make them water-resistant. You will need a place to burn the logs in case you don’t have access to a working fireplace so store the logs in a large metal container such as a trash can.

Waste Disposal

Keep a large stash of plastic grocery bags and produce bags to secure wet, stinky or very perishable waste.

Store your emergency supplies in one or more large trash cans which once the supplies are removed can be used for waste.

Water

In case of a natural disaster you’ll need a gallon of water per day per person. Fill plastic soda bottles with clean water and store in several places around your home so that if an area becomes inaccessible you’ll hopefully have access to one or more areas.

Freeze a few of these bottles so that if the power goes off, you can transfer the frozen water to a cooler to keep your perishables from spoiling. When they eventually melt, you’ll have some cool drinking water. As an added benefit by filling empty space in your freezer you’ll save on the cost to run the freezer.

Embroidery Floss Saves

Do you have hanks of embroidery thread left over from projects completed or abandoned long ago? Well dust them off and take a look around your house to access new ways you can use them.

 

Gift Wrap

Use several strands of embroidery thread to wrap small gifts & then tie into a generous bow on top.

Braid embroidery floss into long strands to use as ribbons to wrap gifts.

Homemade tassels using embroidery floss can be used in place of a bow on a gift.

 

Fashion

Sewing Projects

Take a look through your stash of embroidery thread next time you need the perfect color of thread for a hand-sewn project or mending session.

Braid one or more colors of embroidery floss together to use as ties, trim, belt loops, button loops …

 

Shoelaces

Twist or braid together six strands of embroidery thread. Dip the ends in glue to stiffen them & when the glue dries you have a new set of shoelaces.

 

Hair

Braid embroidery floss into a long strand, then braid that strand into your hair, use it as a hairband or wrap around a ponytail.

 

 

Home Decor

Braid one or more colors of embroidery floss to use as curtain tie-backs, to trim upholstered furniture, lampshades or pillows …

Take a plain basket from ordinary to extraordinary by weaving four or more strands of embroidery thread through the baskets holes with a large eyed darning needle.

Homemade tassels using embroidery floss added to curtain tie-backs and other home decor projects.