Positively Splendid {Crafts, Sewing, Recipes and Home Decor}

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12 “Why Didn’t I Think of That?” Tips

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I never cease to marvel at the sheer abundance of amazingly useful information available on the internet. Every once in a while, I stumble upon an idea that makes me stop and think, “Now why didn’t I think of that?” I’m passing along twelve of these tips that are simple, no-nonsense ways to streamline various aspects of your life!
These ingenious tips will have you wondering, "Why didn't I think of that?!"
one. Piping Bag Trick @ Dollar Store Crafts via Karen’s Cookies

Heather calls this amazing technique for filling piping bags mind-blowing, and for good reason: it really is! For anyone who has ever dealt with the hassle of filling piping bags for any project involving frosting, this is a must-read.
two. Cupcake Liner Storage @ Tidy Mom

I can finally reclaim my utensil drawer from all of those rogue cupcake liners! What a simple, brilliant idea!
three. Freezer Paper Pattern Tracing @ Girl. Inspired.

When I first came across this trick from my friend Stef, it was a serious A-ha! moment! By tracing patterns onto freezer paper (or by printing PDF patterns directly onto freezer paper using your inkjet printer), you can then iron each piece onto your fabric before cutting out, eliminating the need for pins or pattern weights. And no bunching or shifting!
four. Grocery Bag Storage @ Tatertots and Jello via Infarrantly Creative

Finally – a way to consolidate the grocery bags that want nothing more than to take over my pantry! Beckie’s tip for how to roll the bags so they dispense properly is downright clever.
five. Hanging Pictures with Pop Tabs @ Apartment Therapy

Have a piece of artwork with no hanger? What a smart idea to use a pop tab to do the job!
six. How to Regrow Green Onions @ Cookthink

You know those little white bulbs you are left with after chopping green onions? Place them in a bit of water, and they will sprout so you can harvest new growth several times! Who knew?
seven. How to Prevent Painted Items from Sticking While Drying @ Chica and Jo

This idea of using push pins to avoid the frustration of having newspaper remnants stuck to the edges of your painted projects is brilliant!
eight. How to Remove a Stripped Screw with a Rubber Band @ Apartment Therapy

With this handy dandy trick a dreaded stripped screw is no big whoop!
nine. Mess-Free Painting Tips @ The Family Handyman

There are some truly ingenious ideas in this lineup, but my favorite is definitely the idea to use Glad Press’n Seal to protect surfaces as you paint!
ten. Time-saving paint tip by Positively Splendid

 

Another great use for Glad Press’n Seal! Wrap a section around a wet brush when you have to take a break in the middle of a painting project and pop into the refrigerator. The paint will stay fresh until it’s time to return to the project!
Wrap wet paint brush with Glad Press'n Seal to keep it from drying out between coats or when you have to take a break.
eleven. Bread Tag Cord Labels @ Apartment Therapy

What a true sanity-saver this little trick will be the next time I need to decipher the origin of the wires behind my desk!
twelve. Lint Roller Glitter Pick-Up @ Real Simple

Not that I tend to be a messy crafter or anything. Of course not. But if I were, this might just revolutionize my crafting life! 😉 This same idea would also be a terrific way to clean up small bits of paper and embellishments left over from kids’ craft projects.
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Wanting even more inspiration for making life a little easier? Don’t miss these other round-ups of helpful tips!

12 More Why Didn’t I Think of That Tips
10 Helpful Household Tips

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Michele {The Scrap Shoppe} says

    I’ve seen many of these ideas floating around and thought they were all brilliant! I have not, however, seen the freezer paper for patterns. Wow! I will be pinning that one for sure!

    I can attest to the coke tab hanger and the green onions. Both worked marvelously! I won’t even tell you how long I kept my green onions around. It was obscene! 🙂

  4. Megan says

    Cupcake liners and glitter picker-uper were new to me. Love it! Seriously, that cupcake liner thing is so common sense….why didn’t I think of that?

  5. Brandy says

    I saw that piping bag video the other day and it changed my life! Seriously, I used to wash and re-use my Wilton frosting bags and what a nightmare that was. Now I’ll never have to wash them again!

  6. Angela says

    Oh my gosh!! The glitter pickup… Like the guy on Despicable Me… LIGHTBULB!! Thank you so much for that one! 🙂 My husband thanks you too, he doesn’t like going to work with glitter. 😉 ha ha

    Angela

  8. Stephanie says

    WOW! I don’t use piping bags, but that tip is very awesome!!! I also love the one about using a rubber band to remove a stripped screw. We are remodeling our kitchen and have several cabinets that are needing to be moved but the screws are stripped. Now we have something to try so we don’t have to tear up the cabinet and wall and create extra work for ourselves!!! Perfect timing with this post, thank you. 😀

  10. Stef says

    I can always count on you to put together a great roundup of ideas, Amy! You pick the perfect topics. Thanks for the great collection of tips and thanks for including me!
    xo,
    Stef

  13. Lizzy says

    These are great! I just finished fooling with washing and re-washing piping bags and getting frosting everywhere trying to fill them or twist them closed–wish I’d known about that little trick then! I’ll know next time! The rest are great too! Going to try the green onions tomorrow!

  14. Clair says

    I saw something on pinterest that suggests folding your sheets so that they fit into their own matching pillowcase. Such a simple idea but something I had never thought of! Makes you feel a little stupid that you never thought of some of this stuff!!

  15. Clair says

    I saw something on pinterest that suggests folding your sheets so that they fit into their own matching pillowcase. Such a simple idea but something I had never thought of! Makes you feel a little stupid that you never thought of some of this stuff!!

  16. Shelly @A Creative Space says

    @Claire -I know what you mean. Years ago, I saw an article in Family Circle magazine giving the tip about storing sheet sets in their pillow cases. I have been doing it ever since. To help me get those crazy fitted sheets to fold well, I found a fab method & posted about it here: http://shanarunacreativespace.blogspot.com/2010/12/little-off-topic-how-to-fold-fitted.html

    @Amy -This is an awesome post! I am just now getting to it… Thanks for sharing all this great info. 🙂