Reuse Ideas for Coffee Cups, Sleeves and Stirrers

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Photo: Heather/Chickabug

Tiny wooden coffee stirrers can pile up quickly. Since these common coffee leftovers are difficult to recycle, try using them to create adorable cupcake toppers for an upcoming birthday party, baby shower or wedding.

As explained in this fun photo tutorial from Chickabug blogger Heather, simply cut your stirrers down to size and use them to adorn your cupcakes in a few simple steps.

Try using scraps of craft paper and a circle punch to make the toppers yourself. Or if you don’t want to go entirely DIY, Heather also sells a variety of printable toppers in her Etsy shop (priced at $15 for a set of four designs). After purchase, you can print as many toppers as you want to keep every guest smiling.

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5. Garden with your throw-aways

As the growing season wears on, Earth-lovers are gardening with all sorts of recycled materials – from paper towel tubes to takeout containers. So, why not give it a go with your old coffee cups?

This simple tutorial from Chris Job, editor-in-chief of Curbly.com, will show you how to turn an old incandescent light bulb and a used cofee cup into a whimsical mini-greenhouse for seedlings or succulents. Place a few on your windowsill and watch your greenery grow!

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