Shoelaces

NEW USES FOR OLD THINGS

Photograph by Aaron Dyer

RUNNER-UP

KEY RETRIEVER: 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.

—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.

—idea from SUSAN WILL, Portage, Michigan

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.

RUNNER-UP

PLANT WATERER: Going away 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