Salvage the wire toys from toy packaging for use around the house

Nancy's common sense hack may reduce your frustration level while you're trying to unbox a new toy for your kid:

I hate how toys come locked into their boxes with plastic and twisties and cardboard and tape, so that it takes forever to even get them out (and of course, the kid is usually salivating with impatience as we struggle!) What's more, the packaging is so wasteful. We recycle the cardboard if possible, but the rest is often just trash.

I've taken to saving those long wire strips that secure some toys to use as twist ties for garbage, stray potato chip bags, etc. They're super long and often need to be cut down to be useful, but sometimes that length comes in handy. Might even be a good idea to use it as a kind of snarky ribbon on a baby shower gift, like it might say: Welcome to the world you are now entering!

In our house, the kids play with the wire ties while we're busy cursing over the box. Anyone else have a good use for toy packaging detritus?

Comments

[michelle]

I use them for power-cord management. The length makes them perfect to wind up the length of several cords to keep them together. I use them to bind together the computer cords snaking up behind my desk. They are also great for tying up individual cords.

[michelle]

I use them for power-cord management. The length makes them perfect to wind up the length of several cords to keep them together. I use them to bind together the computer cords snaking up behind my desk. They are also great for tying up individual cords.

[Laura]

We use them as cat toys. My cat plays fetch with them. When one of us is opening a new toy for the kids the cat comes running because she knows she gets a new toy too.

[Justin]

I second Michelle's use. Twisty ties are quite handy for cable management, and the ones that come with trashbags are usually waaaay too short.

[kimberly]

I've used these for cord management, like Michelle. Also, I use them to tie electical cords to things in order to keep the cords out of sight and secured to something. (a different type of cord management, I know) We use an old IKEA baker's rack in our daughter's room for her media stuff and to store some toys. We keep a lamp and nightlight on the upper shelf so I use the ties to secure the electical cords to the poles on the rack. Now, dd can't pull on the cords and pull stuff down on top of her.

[gil]

Sometimes all the "extra" scenic packaging I keep (once I detach the toys inside) so that the box can be played with as a separate toy.

For instance, all the Little People toys have grassy or cloud type scenes printed on the back of the inside box area and it's like an already made stage for other toys to play in.

If I save the box which can usually be flattened and remade to save space, I can later use it to box up the toys that came in it come "toy rotation" time.

[Laura]

I looped one multiple times through the end of a broom for a hanging up loop. It tends to stay upright, so I can snag the broom's wall hook easily, too.

[Annette]

Great ideas everyone! Now if only someone can figure out what to do with that maddening plastic clamshell packaging...

[CJ]

On the subject of irritating packaging: before large gift-giving days (birthdays and x-mas at our house) we go into the boxes and remove all the twisties before we wrap. Then we put the toy back in the box. That way, the kiddos get to open the box and get out the toys themselves. (This obviously doesn't work for gifts from other people, but at least all the "Santa" toys are readily accessible...)

[marci]

our 'santa' was arranged ready to go in displays. put together, out of boxes, batteries in, no wasteful wrapping paper. everybody's santa is different, so this is just a thought & what works for our family.

[Farm Fresh Jessica]

They are PERFECT for tying holiday garland and lights to the banisters!

[Jennifer]

You can save them for tying up garden plants (tomatoes, etc). I realized this after I bought a package from W-mart and saw that this package I just purchased was just a bunch of of these long ties!

[Mommyprof]

Tie the two zippers on the suitcase together before checking. Irritating enough to defer theft, cuttable if the TSA needs in your bag.

[make art every day]

this is not a tip on what to do with the leftovers, but i just want to say how great our lives became when i bought a pair of fiskars snips that cut through wire and plastic like butter. i made my husband open them FIRST a few christmases ago and he loves them.

[leigh]

Last Winter we filled lots of the empty clamshells with water and left them outside to freeze, then stacked them up as ice castles. We also used food colouring to make coloured ice castles. If you have a wide railing or wall you can try balancing them on there (just 'glue' together with a little dip in warm water first) They look fantastic on a twinkly night and as soon as you've used them you can refill them to add to the castle the next night. We had a tower that was three foot high!!