You know those packing peanuts that end up everywhere when you open a package? They’re annoying to clean up, and most of us just want to get rid of them fast.
But before you toss them, you might want to keep a few. Those little foam pieces can be quite useful.
Here are some interesting, and admittedly slightly strange, ways to put leftover packing peanuts to good use.
Give Your Beanbag Chair a Little More Filling
If your beanbag chair has gone flat, leftover foam packing peanuts can help fill the empty space. Add them to the chair’s inner liner, if it has one, to add volume without buying a whole new bag of filling.
Keep Picture Frames From Scratching Your Walls
Picture frames can leave small marks on your walls, especially when you bump them or move them around. Cut a foam packing peanut into smaller pieces and attach them to the back corners of a frame to create a soft cushion between the frame and the wall.
Related: 15 Incredible Ways to Repurpose Used Coffee Grounds
Make Your Own Holiday Garland
Here’s one you probably haven’t thought of. Thread foam packing peanuts onto string to make a lightweight garland, then decorate it with craft paint or other embellishments safe for polystyrene foam.
Related: 12 Uses for Hand Sanitizer
Protect Fragile Decorations in Storage
Those delicate Christmas ornaments and other breakable decorations need extra protection when you pack them away. Reuse clean packing peanuts to fill empty spaces in storage boxes and keep fragile items from shifting.
Make a DIY Pedicure Toe Separator
This one sounds strange, but the curved shape of some foam packing peanuts makes them useful as temporary toe separators. Place clean pieces between your toes while painting your nails, then remove them once the polish is dry.
Hold Tiny Nails While Hammering
Holding a tiny nail in place without hitting your fingers can be frustrating. Push the nail through a foam packing peanut, hold the foam while you start, then pull it away before you finish.
Create a Homemade Snow Scene
White packing peanuts can make surprisingly convincing snowdrifts in winter-themed decorations. Arrange them around miniature trees, houses, or holiday displays to create a snowy scene without buying additional decorative filler.
Keep Dried Flowers Standing Upright
Arranging dried flowers in a vase can be tricky when the stems keep falling to one side. Fill part of an opaque container with packing peanuts to help support the stems and keep your arrangement in place.
Protect Furniture During a Move
If you’re moving or storing furniture, packing peanuts can help cushion small decorative parts that might otherwise get scratched. Place them in a sealed bag or wrap them around fragile components so they stay contained and don’t scatter everywhere.
Fill Empty Spaces in Shipping Boxes
This might be their original purpose, but it’s still one of the most useful ways to reuse them. Keep a bag of packing peanuts for the next time you need to mail a fragile item, return an online purchase, or pack something breakable.
