I have figured out how to repurpose old chopsticks! Coaster update.
By The Horse
@TheHorse (220215)
Walnut Creek, California
March 19, 2023 5:39pm CST
As you know, I enjoy making coasters out of guitar sound holes. Each pair takes several weeks to make, but most of that time is drying time for stain and then polyurethane. I sometimes sell the coasters for $25/pair, but mostly I give them to musician friends in the Bay Area.
As you also know, I have a weakness for Asian food. We don't have a Chui's here, but we have many excellent Japanese and Chinese restaurants. This means I often get disposable chopsticks with my to-go orders. Being frugal, I sometimes wash said chopsticks in my dishwasher, but they sometimes fall on the coils in my dishwasher, causing them to burn. I like the smell of wood smoke, but a fire in my apartment would probably destroy all of my stereo gear and guitars and other musical instruments. Plus it would scare Kitty.
Therefore, I have started using my use chopsticks (after one washing) to stir my polyurethane before applying it to the coasters I make. I did so today. In the photo I'll attach, you can see the three pairs of coasters I am making right now. I hope to have them done by April. One repurposed chopstick can be seen in the polyurethane to the right.
Are there things in your house that you repurpose?
12 people like this
11 responses
@DaddyEvil (137624)
• United States
20 Mar 23
We have a pair of chopsticks that I washed and have one I use at the kitchen sink if something doesn't want to go down the drain... It works well as a "poker"... Somebody had put two tiny nails at just the right width to hold a chopstick behind the kitchen faucet and that's where I store the chopstick I use for that.
Some loaves of bread come with wire ties and some come with plastic clips. I keep the wire ties because the plastic clips break too easily. I just grab one of the wire ties and close the loaf of bread before putting it back into the fridge.4 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137624)
• United States
20 Mar 23
@TheHorse I know using wire ties isn't considered "green" anymore but I don't see how using those little plastic clips is "green", either.
3 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137624)
• United States
20 Mar 23
@TheHorse I pay attention and then still do what I want.
Some people on myLot gripe if I say I leave the water in the sink running while brushing my teeth. I think that's silly. We have oceans of water.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (80708)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
20 Mar 23
Those are really coming out to look like awesome coasters, Good job. Nope nothing repurposed here,
2 people like this
@RasmaSandra (80708)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
20 Mar 23
@TheHorse thanks for the thought. I get things I never thought of reusing for different things after the cats take care of them, Just waiting for something new to come up,
2 people like this
@TheHorse (220215)
• Walnut Creek, California
20 Mar 23
@RasmaSandra After the cats take care of them? Goodness, what's left of them?
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29413)
• Eugene, Oregon
20 Mar 23
Recycling anything is a good idea. We repurpose as much as possible. So much plastic ends up in the garbage. We reuse plastic bags for wastebasket liners.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (220215)
• Walnut Creek, California
20 Mar 23
@JamesHxstatic I usually forget to bring an old grocery bad to the grocery store. I should keep a couple behind the seat in my truck.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29413)
• Eugene, Oregon
20 Mar 23
@TheHorse Right, we do to and recycle if we get too many.
2 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (108071)
• Marion, Ohio
20 Mar 23
The coasters look nice. Repurpose many things here.
2 people like this
@Fleura (30541)
• United Kingdom
20 Mar 23
We just use them as chopsticks. What is a 'disposable' chopstick anyway? Admittedly we don't keep accumulating them as we very rarely get the kind of food that comes with those. Even if we did get take-away food (something that only happens maybe once a year) most places do not give away chopsticks. Consequently I do have pairs of 'emergency chopsticks' in my car and in my bag, in case we are away from home somewhere and needing food, because that's the sort of occasion when we might get a take-away and as I said they don't come with eating implements so you need your own.
1 person likes this
@RubyHawk (99405)
• Atlanta, Georgia
20 Mar 23
A chopsticks is the very thing to stir paint. I do repurpose anything possible. I use plastic store bags to line trash cans, and I cut the top off plastic bottles to store my paint brushes. I use plastic cool whip container for cleaning paint brushes. That gives you a hint. I could probably think of more.
2 people like this
@LindaOHio (181556)
• United States
14 Apr 23
We get 398,972 plastic bags a year from the grocery store. We always repurpose them for trash or for a lot of other things.
1 person likes this
