Double Duty Living

If you're fresh off a remodel and have extra pieces of wallpaper, then don't throw them away. Cut them into rectangular pieces to line the insides of your kitchen or bathroom drawers. Regular liners are often boring and muted. Wallpaper will instantly inject some color and pizzazz into your storage spaces.

After the flowers have wilted, put that vase to work elsewhere in your home. Short square vases that often house tightly clustered arrangements can become perfect utensil holders for entertaining. Elevate the vase by tossing in a handful of clear pebbles or confetti for a festive start to any holiday buffet.

Eliminate the tangle of unused extension cords by storing each one in a piece of pipe insulation foam tubing with a slit along one side. Using a utility knife, cut the insulation to your desired length. Then simply fold the cord to size, insert it, and label the foam to indicate the length of the cord enclosed. Ta-da! Instant cord corral.

For the DIY diva looking to cut costs this holiday season by creating her own floral centerpieces, don't forget to grab the duct tape. You heard correctly… duct tape. Crisscross strips across the top of a vase, creating a grid to help stabilize flower stems in an arrangement.

Especially in the wintertime, dirt can become a problem. Before you pull your hair out trying to get every particle, pull out those old, soft paintbrushes. Soft-haired brushes are great cleaning tools to get the grit out of hard-to-reach spaces like vents and window screens.

When life hands you lemons, clean the garbage disposal. In addition to all those lessons about making lemonade, Grandma should have told you that dropping half a lemon (with a dash of baking soda) into your garbage disposal drain will instantly sanitize and get rid of any foul food odors.

Instead of tossing all your old newspapers into the recycling bin, save a few. By design, newspaper is a very absorbent product, because it has to hold ink. But that also means it is equipped to absorb all sorts of moisture, including the musty results of odors found in your refrigerator's vegetable drawers. Take a page of newspaper folded into squares and tuck it into the corner of your fridge for an overnight fix.

It takes too long to find remote controls in their usual hiding spot: between cushions on the sofa. For an easier and more stylish storage solution, put a wide-mouth vase or other good-looking container on your side table to place all your remotes inside.

Protect your china and festive plates by using coffee filters as scratch guards. Large filters, or even paper plates, are just right for cradling dishes without adding bulk while still avoiding chips and nicks. Alternate plates and inserts, and then carefully store in the cabinet for your next dinner party.