N EW U S E S FOR O L D T H I N G S
SHOEL ACES RUNNER-UP
Never dig for your keys again. Tie one end of a shoelace to your house key and the other to a zipper pull inside your handbag. Simply tug the string to locate your key. KEY RETRIEVER:
T H E R E A L I ST
Photograph by Aaron Dyer
—idea from OLGA REED, Edmond, Oklahoma
CONTEST WINNER EARRING ORGANIZER: Push
your studs and chandeliers through a colorful shoelace. Hung horizontally or vertically, either on hooks or just tacked to the wall, it takes up little space and keeps your whole collection handy and easy to see.
RUNNER-UP
for a few days? Snip the plastic tips off a cotton shoelace. Then place one end deep into the plant’s soil and the opposite end into a full glass of water to slowly provide hydration. —idea from KATHY WINNINGER, Waterloo, Iowa
STAY TUNED FOR MORE CLEVER WINNERS OF OUR 2015 “NEW USES FOR OLD THINGS” CONTEST Throughout the year, we’ll feature the smartest, most creative ideas straight from RS readers like you.
JUNE 2015
24
REALSIMPLE.COM
P R O P S T Y L I N G BY J O J O L I ; I L L U S T R AT I O N S BY P E T E R O U M A N S K I
PLANT WATERER: Going away
—idea from SUSAN WILL, Portage, Michigan
