I don’t throw away paper coffee cups – I need them for my household needs.

A few years ago, I never thought I would collect paper coffee cups. After drinking my morning portion of an invigorating drink, I tie the glass in a plastic bag and put it in my bag. Then I bring it home, clean it with a damp cloth and put it in a specially designated drawer. My colleagues are already accustomed to my “strangeness”. In fact, I know how to use paper dishes usefully in everyday life.

Growing seedlings

People who have their own garden will understand me. In the spring, you often grab your head: there are so many seedlings to grow, but there are no suitable containers. You have to go to the market and buy containers with your hard earned money. That's what I did too. I mostly took plastic disposable cups. One day we found several paper cups at home. And she planted some of the seeds in them. And this is what I discovered: Seedlings in coffee cups always grow strong and do not wither. Because of the paper in their composition, they absorb excess moisture and allow the root system to breathe. Picky tomatoes especially like paper containers.

What am I doing:

1. I punch the bottom several times with a knitting needle.
2. I fill the cups with soil mixture.
3. I put it in a tray.
4. I place old newspapers between the glasses.
5. I water the soil and plant the seeds.

Freezing berries

Thanks to coffee cups, my freezer is always tidy. In the summer, I package currants, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries collected from the garden in them.

1. Wash the berries and dry them on a paper towel.
2. I pour it into glasses.
3. I wrap it in cling film.
4. I freeze it.

Makes small portions lined up in rows in the freezer.

Berries in paper cups never stick together and retain their flavor.

Nothing happens to paper either. Inside the dishes you can see a thin film that prevents the walls from getting wet.

Rescue from dampness

In autumn and spring, when there is no heating (yet) and the weather is cool outside, the house becomes damp and uncomfortable.

To remove excess moisture and not give mold a chance, I do the following:

1. I pour 5 tbsp into clean, dry coffee cups. spoons of baking soda.
2. I put it in rooms where there is dampness.
3. Depending on my mood, I drip my favorite essential oils of tangerine and cedar onto the soda.

You will get a remedy for dampness and an air freshener in one glass.

Fun evenings with grandchildren

When all the useful things are done, and some of the collected glasses remain, I don’t throw them away, but look for ideas for interesting crafts. This is an excellent material for creativity.

Here's what we've already done with our grandchildren:

• Decor for the New Year. Candy stands and funny snowmen are made literally in one evening. First, we paint 2 cups with white paint (several times), and 1 with black paint. We glue the white glasses together with their bottoms. We draw the snowman's eyes, a nose with a carrot, buttons, and handles. We decorate the black hat and glue it too. We make a scarf around the neck from threads or colored paper.
  
• Theater. For us, reading fairy tales turns into a real performance. We make the characters from the same coffee glasses, paper, markers, paints and glue. Example of figures in the photo:
  
• Cheerful frog. Paint the cup green. Glue the paws from colored paper and eyes. We cut a hole in the bottom for the buzzer-tongue.We put it in and have fun with the kids.
  

This is a simple explanation for my “strangeness”. First of all, I collect paper coffee cups to grow strong seedlings. But if some of the supplies remain, I will always find a use for them in everyday life. I don’t see the point in buying special containers when you can collect such beautiful containers without spending a penny.