Now Here’s a Tip – February 11, 2025

#MiddleburyCT

• When you finish a wood-working project, save your leftover bits of sandpaper and use them to sharpen your scissors. All you need is a piece long enough to make a few cuts through.
• “Plastic grocery bags are handy for so many uses, but keeping them organized was always a pain, until I discovered that I could use an empty tissue box to store them. I just ball up each bag individually (so there is no air trapped) and stuff it in the tissue box. You can do the same thing for larger amounts of bags by using an empty 12-pack box from soda. I store one of these in my shop.” – Fred C. from Pennsylvania
• “Tired of squirrels on your bird feeders? String a line of 2-liter soda bottles (as many as you like) together, and hang them between two trees, with the feeder in the middle. Works like a charm.” – C.V. in Maine
• If your kids (or you) like cereal, be sure to save the heavy plastic liners that hold the cereal inside the box. They are really handy when freezing meat patties in stacks. You can use them to separate layers of cookies, too.
• “I just finished packing up my house to move, and this little tip was a dandy: Use a toothpick to keep the open end of your tape from disappearing. When you cut the tape, slip a toothpick at the end that’s still on the roll. You will never have to go fishing for it again.” – L.K. in New Mexico
• If your water takes a minute to warm up, keep a pitcher by the sink. Let the water flow into the pitcher until it gets warm. Then, use that water (that otherwise would have been wasted) on your houseplants and in your garden.

Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.
© 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.