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Packing and Shipping
The most obvious way to reuse packing peanuts is to use them for their original purpose—packing. So, save them for the next time you need to send something fragile in the mail, or when it comes time to pack away the holiday dishes.
Keeping Drinks Cold
Use packing peanuts to make a quick and easy DIY cooler. Just put your cold drinks in a tub full of polystyrene peanuts and let them serve as insulation.
Improving Drainage for Plants
Place a layer of packing peanuts at the bottom of a planter to facilitate drainage for potted plants. This is a great solution for large planters, because the lightweight peanuts take the place of heavier soil, reducing the overall weight of the planter and making it easier to move around.
Filling Beanbag Chairs and Pillows
Do you have a saggy beanbag chair that needs some revitalization? Use leftover packing peanuts to add some extra oomph to that chair, or to puff up throw pillows or other items around the house that need a little more heft.
Protecting Your Walls
Slice a packing peanut in half with a sharp knife, and glue the flat edge to the back of framed mirrors and artwork you hang around the house. This little bit of cushioning will protect your walls from scuffs and scrapes.
Related: Mirror Magic: 10 Ways of Using Mirrors to Your Design Advantage
Creating Crafts
There’s no end to the craft uses for packing peanuts. You can use them for stuffing, string them together, use them to apply paint, or do something entirely different. Packing peanuts can spark creativity in kids of all ages.
Related: Kid-Friendly DIY: 10 Projects Sure to Inspire Summer Fun
Covering Pointy Tools
Protect yourself from the point of a sharp tool by sticking a packing peanut onto the end before putting the tool away.
Tightening Loose Screws
If a screw has gotten too loose, break apart a packing peanut and stuff a little of that polystyrene into the hole. The screw will sit a lot tighter when you put it back in.
Related: How To: Use a Screw Extractor
Crafting Holiday Decorations
String packing peanuts on a length of fishing line to create a DIY garland this holiday season.
Making a Sensory Bin
A tub full of packing peanuts can keep a small child busy on a rainy day. Hide little toys and household objects inside, and you’ve created an instant treasure hunt for a curious tot.
Cushioning Fruit
When you store delicate fruits and vegetables, surround them with packing peanuts to prevent them from getting bruised.
Arranging Dried Flowers
You can use packing peanuts to help hold stems in a dried floral arrangement. Just fill a vase or other container with packing peanuts, and then let them do the support work.
