School days are here again, and store aisles are filled with all the familiar supplies. You can find rows and rows of vividly colored, wonderful-smelling, boxed crayons. There are towers of bright white school glue with neon orange caps, binders, folders, pens, pencils, erasers, and the like. I was happily surprised by the re-appearance of the old trusty Trapper Keepers this year. I think mine had a palm tree on the front. Did you have one?
School Supplies Can Double as a Home Repair Kit
Having fresh school supplies at hand isn’t only helpful for learning ABCs and 123s. You can assemble a handy home repair kit using some of the same items you stowed in your backpack for all those years. I compiled a list of some of the most home helpful school supplies below.
Big White Eraser
Big White Eraser-These are great for removing small marks on painted walls. It is especially effective on small dark scuffs and scratches. I find the pink ones leave a mark and smudge more often.
Liquid White-Out
Liquid White-Out-Cover screw or nail heads used on white painted walls or furniture. You can also use it as a temporary marker to help put furniture back in place after moving it for a party.
Crayons
Crayons-Mix and match dark browns and blacks to fill in scratches on wood furniture and floors.
Playdough, Silly Putty, or Modeling Clay
Playdough, Silly Putty, or Modeling Clay-Need to replace a cord on a large appliance? Push the existing cord plug prongs into a rolled-up ball of playdough and take the imprint to the hardware store for a perfect match. You can also press it into hard-to-reach spaces to imprint bulb-type information such as inside the refrigerator.
Printer Paper
Printer Paper- One of my favorite tricks is using printer paper when repairing an oddly shaped drywall hole. It helps to try to square off holes in drywall by sawing at straight angles, but it’s hard to get the hole perfectly square. To help move the project along faster, I take a sheet of printer paper and press it onto the hole, running my fingers along the edges of the hole to imprint an outline on the paper.
I then transfer the outline onto drywall using a pencil. I cut the outline into one side of the drywall paper, leaving the other paper side of the drywall paper un-cut. Next, I snap the cut drywall side being careful not to rip the paper on the other side. With the drywall snapped, I can see where the actual drywall (solid part) will fit into the hole. I cut one to two inches beyond the hard borders and leave it intact. Now, I have a perfect (plug) for my drywall. I simply fill the inside borders of the hole with excess drywall mud and use a drywall knife to spread the paper onto the surface edges. This creates smooth borders and the perfect drywall patch.
You can also use typing paper as a patch on small drywall repairs where the drywall surface paper has been damaged around the border.
School Glue
White School Glue-School glue is my magic ingredient for creating a rustic/farmhouse/shabby-chic finish on any surface. You can see examples of my process here, here, and here. Covering an ugly particle board surface? All you need is school glue and water-based paint of your choice. No one will ever guess what is under your beautiful new finish.
Scotch Tape
Scotch Tape- Double it over and stick it on each keyhole hanger on the back of wall-hung home decor. Press the piece of decor onto the wall and pull it free leaving the tape on the wall. Now you know exactly where to put your screws to hang the art! I have also done this by adding a dab of paint on the tape to mark the exact spot where the screw needs to sit.
Scotch Tape Again
Scotch Tape again- I have doubled scotch tape several times to create a nest of sorts to grab and unscrew a lightbulb over my stairs. I taped the nest on the end of a mop or broom handle, unscrewed the lightbulb, and removed and replaced it without using a ladder. Very helpful!
Dry Erase Markers
Dry Erase Markers- More decor than repair, but you can decorate the inside of windows for holidays using dry erase markers. You can also create a family calendar on any glass surface.
Backpack
Backpack-Have an old backpack no longer in use? Label it a home repair kit and place all your double-purpose school supplies inside along with a hammer, nails, screws, flat and Phillips screwdrivers.
Markers and Highlighters
Markers or Highlighters-Color code your breaker box to figure out which breaker goes to which outlet faster! Color the number on the breaker box and the back of all corresponding outlet and switch covers. If you need to replace a switch or outlet, you know exactly which breaker to flip off. Always be sure the power is disconnected before doing any electrical work.
Binder Clips
Binder Clips-These are great for clipping bagged snacks tightly closed. You can also use them to wrangle up and keep small cords tidy.
Thumbtacks
Thumbtacks- Live in a rental? I used only thumbtacks to hang all my pictures and wall decor when living in our first rental. Of course, the objects must be somewhat lightweight. It makes move-out a cinch while helping you get your full deposit back. Just fill all the tiny holes with a small touch of white toothpaste (not the gel type.) Every hole disappears without noticeable damage to the walls!
Ruler
Ruler- Wrap a microfiber cloth around your ruler to more easily clean ceiling fan blades and window blinds
Pencil Box
Pencil Box-Wrangle up all your small replacement light bulbs, batteries, or small hardware. These little guys are a great source of organization.
Chalk
Chalk-I’m not sure if anyone uses chalk in school anymore, but it is cheap and helpful to have around the house. Use it to temporarily mark studs, wiring, or plumbing routs, before cutting into or driving nails or screws into walls. Outline new furniture arrangement possibilities on the floor or walls on a true-life scale. Sketch and outline picture walls or displays before committing. Use chalk for planning cuts on wood or fabric. All you do is brush it off to erase the marks.
Small Paint Brushes
Small Paint Brushes-These make excellent dusters for tight areas such as between air conditioning vents, sliding door tracks, car air vents, and ceiling fan ventilation screens.
Stapler
Stapler-Temporarily tack fabric together until you can get around to a permanent fix. Create curtain swags and bevels. Connect two narrow curtains to create one large one.
Binder
Binder-Make a home appliance binder. Stash all your product manuals, warranties, and instructions in clear sheet protectors inside the binder. Now you’ll know right where to look when you need to know your vacuum bag type, product code, or replacement part numbers.
Other Uses for School Supplies
I’m sure I’ve left out all kinds of alternative uses for common school supplies. What ideas do you have? I’d love to share them with other readers. Comment below if you have a different use for everyday school supplies.
More Great Ideas
Be sure to bookmark this blog for countless other ideas for creating the home you want by using the things you have. Also, be my guest at the Sawdust and Cornbread YouTube Channel. I post DIY tutorials each week.
Until next time,
Lora Lea
