Use It Up Advice Thread

[Jilly]

I am pretty sure that you can safely burn graphite. I could be wrong, but I think you have to heat it to, maybe, a few thousand degrees before you have to worry about the whole carbon bonding and creating carbon monoxide problems.

But, the burning thing makes me think that they would be cute when glued around a little votive candle holder. And, the letters are so cool.

I can hardly believe that you end up with stubs, though. The pencils are our library are just terrible. Not sharpened well when they arrive and nearly impossible to sharpen on our dinky, public sharpener or on our nice electric one.

Books, magazines and audio media, both donated and out of circulation, that cannot be kept for the book sales and lobby sale shelves are put into a box in the vestibule for people to take for free. I have many books that I have been meaning to read, several that I have used for crafts and a neurology journal (that shows up regularly, as the doctor is finished with them) that I enjoy, but for which I am too cheap to buy a subscription.

We even have a few regular and reliable patrons that will bring in a book or two and add them to the free box.

It is only the occasional donation that is too far gone to recycle, but we do that, too.

[SiouzQ.]

I am someone who has actually used and is looking for almost used-up pencils, as they have appeared in some of my art pieces! I have been working on what I call a "rattle-bone", which is a musical instrument made from a beautiful piece of deer leg bone with all sorts of funky things attached to provide a "rainstick" sound when shaking (I'll see if I can figure out how to post a picture of one). I am also that person who picks up metal stuff from the gutters and in parking lots (rusty washers, old paperclips, lost earrings, pennies, unidentifiable metal things, etc, etc...http://www.simplelivingforum.net/att...0&d=1385421180

[Gardenarian]

That's amazing SiouxQ!

Kelli - we do try to give the books away at the end of the semester - no takers! Maybe I'll ask at SCRAP if they want those.
I liked that crayon craft too!

[MaryHu]

Azure: If the bottles are plastic just cut them open and scrape them clean. Put the cream or lotion into a clean empty moisturizer or cold cream jar or a small canning jar with a lid. That way it won't dry out. I do this with my tubes of hand cream and it's amazing how much is left in them that can't be squeezed out of the uncut tube!

[Lainey]

SiouxQ - Absolutely love that rattle bone. If that's like your other art pieces, you really have a gift.

[rosarugosa]

Any ideas on what to do with a fairly large amount (guessing about 4 cups) of leftover cooked bulgur wheat?

[herbgeek]

Bulgur: you can make all kinds of grain based salads. Taboulleh is a classic one. I often make a salad by adding dried fruits and nuts and a fruity vinaigrette. Or you can throw it into a chicken soup instead of rice. Or you could put some into a whole wheat bread recipe for a little extra texture.

[SteveinMN]

In college, they served bulgur as a breakfast cereal -- add milk, sugar/sweetener, nuts, dried fruits, cinnamon... whatever you would do to oatmeal.

[sweetana3]

I would also be tempted to make a fried rice type of dish with veggies, little meat, egg, etc. I think it would be great.

[katieb12]

I know many libraries/librarians who won't make discards available to the public. Taxpayers often object to throwing away "perfectly good" books, no matter that the books are yellowed, smelly, dusty, outdated, and/or haven't been checked out in years. It's unfortunate. We're so desperate for space that we throw away a ton every year, and probably SOMEONE would want them.

Any ideas for using up the short ends of little golf pencils? We have about a thousand of them at the library. I'm thinking maybe donate them to the artists' warehouse (SCRAP)?
And old books no one wants? We send 100s to recycling - seems a shame.