RRR: Newspaper
Posted by Gail | Filed under Good ideas
Last year when I redid my front yard, I decided to lasagna it. This refers to using newspaper as a barrier to weeds. Worked like a dream. Buh-bye thistles!
You don’t have to have a serious weed problem to put all those newspaper you’ve piled up to good use. Lasagna an area of your garden that you want to turn into a bed just before the winter and you’ll have a grass-free zone for planting come spring. Simply cover the area you want for your new bed with about six layers of newspaper, dampening each layer as you go, and then top with a mixture of soil and shredded leaves. You’ll need about four inches on top of the newspaper. Again, wet thoroughly. Next spring your new bed will be ready for planting because the newspaper/soil covering will have smothered the grass/weeds beneath.
Newspapers are one of the unsung heroes of the recycling world. Perhaps because they are so easy to walk to the curb, we don’t think too much about what we can use our old newspapers for at home. But they’re wonderful for all sorts of things.
Line your veggie drawers with newspapers and they’ll not only stay dry, they won’t get all stinky.
If your shoes and boots get wet, stuff ‘em with crumbled newspaper overnight. They’ll absorb the moisture and smells.
Wrap unripened peaches or avocados to help them ripen quickly.
Add some to your compost bin. Tear it into strips first so it breaks down more easily, That’ll take care of your “brown” compost component since it is carbon rich.
Stuff it into toilet paper and kitchen paper rolls to use as fire-starters.
Nothing beats newspaper and vinegar for sparkling, streak-free windows. Ditto cleaning your mirrors.
Newspaper is a terrific deodorizer. Pack it into smelling luggage or gym bags, or stinky plastic containers and seal overnight. If you’re storing away coolers or other camping stuff over the winter, wrap it or stuff it with newspaper to avoid those stale odors.
Make your own seedling pots and you can plant the whole kit and caboodle when the frost has passed. Fold a sheet of newspaper in half so that it is about the length of a can of pop. Roll the newspaper around the can. Slip it off and fold in one end of the newspaper to make the bottom. Done.
Anyone who has ever moved knows the value of newspaper for packing. It’s fallen out of grace because cleaner wrap means you don’t have to wash everything when you get it to your new digs. But you can extend the use of your clean wrap by padding your box with newspaper and using just one layer of clean wrap directly around the object you’re wrapper, bulking up with newspaper to create the extra padding you need.
Newspaper all balled up is great for shining your stainless steel sink.
Create your own piñata. Each year for Alex’s birthday we’d blow up a balloon and layer on newspaper strips (using diluted mod podge, or white glue and water, or flour and water) to create our own piñata. Once the paper mache dried, we’d pop the balloon, stuff with treats, cover and decorate. Come party time we’d hang it, and let the kids whack at it to get to the goodies. Weeks of fun.
Use as wrapping paper. The black and white serves as a lovely backdrop for whatever coloured ribbon or accent you want to add. If you can find an article that’s pertinent to the recipient, even better.
Your turn. How do you reuse your newspapers?
January 31, 2013 at 8:07 am
Other than as a fire starter and wrapping breakables, we don’t use newspapers. Composting just didn’t work out here… Rats came to invade (no meat in our compost either).
January 31, 2013 at 8:09 am
I always use some to line the bottoms of my compost buckets. It saves having to wash them out, and it’s cheaper then the compostable bag that you buy from the grocery store / hardware store.
January 31, 2013 at 10:12 am
Line compost bucket
Some packing
Mostly we send it to farmer freind for bedding
Used to roll many and burn iin woodstove like logs.
Now that we don’t take the daily newspaper, we need to look for some when we need more than the Friday, Saturday papers.
January 31, 2013 at 10:33 am
as a kid I used to line the hamster cage with it. That way all the chips wouldnt get stuck to the bottom! Nowadays I mostly use it for reading, but I do save them up when I know I have some painting projects to do!
January 31, 2013 at 10:43 am
We shred all of the newspapers that appear on our doorstep and in our mailbox (we don’t have a subscription, but they keep appearing” and use the shreds as an alternative to store-bought bedding for our guinea pigs. Recycling, less money and it absorbs smells better . . . a great solution!
January 31, 2013 at 11:27 am
Line the top of all the kitchen cupboards so the kitchen grease that accumulates over the year doesn’t stick to the cupboards. Throw out the newspaper and replace once a year.
January 31, 2013 at 11:45 am
My dad has used newspaper to wrap presents for as long as I can remember. He was an environmentalist before it was cool. I used to find it ridiculous. Now that I am 42 – I LOVE doing this. Obviously not for weddings, etc. but for all family birthdays. If it’s in newsprint, it’s from ME. lol.
January 31, 2013 at 11:47 am
What’s a newspaper?
(just kidding)
January 31, 2013 at 11:55 am
We don’t get any newspapers anymore – not even flyers. Mostly I feel lucky for that, but now that you’ve pointed out all the great things that they are useful for I’m a little sad. But only a little.
January 31, 2013 at 12:16 pm
I use it to line the bottom of my rabbit’s litter pan. Its a great use for that free newspaper we can’t seem to cancel even though we don’t read it.
January 31, 2013 at 12:58 pm
I don’t understand the cleaning windows and mirrors with newspapers thing. I first saw it on that British show where the two old gals help clean up a pigpen’s house. I tried in on my mirrors at home and the mess it made on the mirrors was insane. I tried different brand newspapers and vinegar and then another time Windex. Huge disaster both times.
However, I am going to try and line my veggie drawer with them. Thanks for that tip!
January 31, 2013 at 1:15 pm
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January 31, 2013 at 1:41 pm
I shred it for my rabbits’ litter boxes. They love to play with it and nibble it, it costs me nothing (I get it from a neighbour) and it works as well or better than the expensive recycled bedding at the pet store. The only draw-back is that it makes their feet black, so I put a layer of hay over the top.
I also put it down when I paint or when the kids do crafts, to protect the floor.
January 31, 2013 at 2:17 pm
Use newspaper to clean glass door on woodstove. Take a damp newspaper and dip into ash. Rub ash on glass to remove the black. Take a dry newspaper and clean the glass.
January 31, 2013 at 5:34 pm
I’m still digesting the whole newspaper in the garden thing. That’s brilliant! I despise weeding. Maybe I’ll start saving up all those annoying flyers and try this idea in the spring.
January 31, 2013 at 6:39 pm
OOOH I’m SO excited now, I’m going to lasagna EVERYTHING! My son just got a paper route and there are always 5-10 extra papers in his bundles. Take that weeds, lol.
February 3, 2013 at 11:08 am
All the uses for newspaper you brought up we do, except for the lasagna! That is super cool, I only wish I knew about it before winter as I want to grow a veggie garden this year. Can’t wait to try it.
February 17, 2013 at 7:32 pm
Use it for tin foil cooking. Instead of just wrapping your veggies in tin foil and throwing them on the BBQ/campfire, layer soaked newspaper between two sheets of tin foil. Your food will come out nice and steamed, with little chance of burning (the newspaper will dry out and then burn before your food does)