Life After The Dinner Table
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Don’t let mismatched forks, knives, and spoons clutter up precious drawer space. Instead, try these clever reuse ideas for your orphaned utensils.
1. Smooth Grout
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The convex side of a spoon has just the right curve for shaping grout or caulk as you press it into a seam. Coat the spoon with liquid dish soap first to prevent it from sticking.
2. Hold Finishing Nails Straight
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Trap a nailhead between two tines of a fork to keep fingers out of harm’s way—especially helpful when hammering trim overhead.
3. Turn Spoons Into Hooks
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Bend spoons, then screw them to a piece of vintage molding or a wall to make a hang-out for dish towels.
4. Clean a Paintbrush
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Can’t find your metal brush comb? Forks are just as good at getting between the bristles and whisking out every last drop.
5. Transplant Seedlings
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Carefully lift roots from starter soil with a fork when transferring plants to the garden.
6. Use As Cabinet Pulls
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Small spoons and forks make attractive pulls for kitchen built-ins. Cut two short pieces from a dowel to use as spacers. Place one behind each end of a utensil and bolt through the front.
7. Untangle Rug Tassels
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To remove snarls in the fringe of a carpet, rake through it with a fork.
8. Fix Splitting Upholstery
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Use a butter knife to poke loose fabric and threads back in before pinning the seam and sewing it closed.
9. Scrape Away Peeling Paint
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After applying a liquid or gel paint stripper and letting the surface bubble up, run a spoon along curved profiles—or a fork inside crevices—to remove layers of old paint.
10. Make Plant Markers
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Get a metal-stamping set (like Tekton 6610, $23; amazon.com) to emboss lightweight butter knives; stick deep into soil.