Today, while doing some much needed paper shredding, I made a pile of unused return envelopes. It’s one of those annoying little things that I have always just ignored. I was a little surprised at how many there were. I thought, “There has to be some brilliant use for these wastes of paper!”
Here’s what I came up with so far:
- Let your kids use them for a game of post office, or babies to crumple and throw around. (My boys loved playing with the blue envelope of coupons that comes every month as well.)
- Use them for (drum roll, please) mailing correspondence. You have to figure out a way to deal with the window- like put a label on it or actually write the address on the contents behind the window. Either way it really doesn’t look very fabulous- especially after you have taken a black sharpie to the bar codes so you letter to Aunt Suzie doesn’t end up at the publishers clearing house or your cell company. The post office scans those codes and may not even need the address!
- Use them for your grocery list and put any coupons that you will need on your trip in the envelope- or if you are on a budget- the amount of cash you can spend.
- You could use them to separate coupons, spending money, or receipts by category or month.
- Store tiny things like screws, washers, seeds, spare keys and tiny Lego pieces.
Still…. There has to be something a little less practical that I am missing. Also, what am I going to do with all these envelopes once they are filled with stuff? Photo Storage boxes are too narrow- I already tried it. Anybody have any fresh ideas?
