They may seem like waste to be thrown away, but some items can turn out to be useful and creative materials for other purposes

There are many objects that, once used, end up in the trash without us thinking too much about it. These throw-away items include packaging or other leftovers that remain after the main product has been consumed. But sometimes these waste materials can become a useful resource for creating ingenious DIY solutions, as well as for imaginative creative projects, and all at virtually no cost.

So, before throwing away materials such as cardboard tubes from toilet paper rolls or even the packaging of certain pills and vitamin supplements, we might consider some ideas for reusing them, such as the ones mentioned below:

Toilet paper rolls

Anyone who loves DIY knows that toilet paper rolls are a fantastic resource: cardboard tubes are the backbone for a myriad creative projects, often also suitable for children.

They can be transformed into pencil / pen holders to be used on a desk and, in fact, almost everywhere in the house: from pens to brushes, there will always be something that we can tidy up thanks to a table organizer made of cardboard tubes.

And when the cardboard tubes are larger and more robust (like those from tin foil rolls), they can also help to tidy up drawers and cabinets, by putting small towels or other items of clothing inside them.

And since there is always someone who is ready to turn them into useful decorations or accessories, you might even consider selling them online!

Egg cartons

Egg cartons are another staple of the DIY world and from which you can realize a thousand creative ideas. Depending on how they are cut up, painted and reassembled, they can be the main material used for decorations of all kinds, such as artificial cardboard flowers.

Or they can become cute, colorful monsters to make together with the kids.

And they are also useful for making centerpieces, wreaths and even serving as seedbeds in which to germinate young plants!

Pill boxes

When you buy pills, vitamin supplements or tablets contained in cylindrical plastic tubes with child-safe or pressure caps, before throwing away the empty containers, you could consider using them in creative ways.

Making a portable pincushion, with lots of space inside for the pins, for example is very useful and creative.

And they don't need to be only pins. Inside the pill box you might keep screws and nails that are needed for a repair jobs around in the house.

Most earphones fit very well into pill boxes when their cords are properly rolled up. This prevents them from getting tangled up: this is an excellent solution to keep them secure and neat in your bag or suitcase.

Tea bags

Once we have had our tea, we usually throw the tea bag away. Yet, even after a second use, those disposable bags can come in handy. In addition to crumbling their contents onto the soil around some plants (especially acidophilic ones, like Gardenias), or letting them dry out and then using them to absorb unpleasant odors in the fridge, we can also use tea bags for a simple beauty treatment.

Tea, especially green tea, in fact, contains a series of beneficial elements for the skin: a cold, wet tea bag can, therefore, be rubbed over the face as if it were a sponge distributing a cream; and it's also relaxing to keep put cold tea bags over your eyes, a bit like you would do with cucumber slices.

Black tea, on the other hand, can help us in some house cleaning chores: did you know that black tea bags are excellent for eliminating stains and streaks from glass? Try a black tea bag, and rub it over a dirty mirror to see the results.

Is there any waste objects that you usually recycle creatively?