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23 Amazing Ways to Reuse Bubble Wrap® and Other Cushioning Material Around Your House

We haven't been able to stop popping Bubble Wrap® since 1957. With Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day January 29, it's time to celebrate the many uses for Bubble Wrap® and other cushioning material.

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Whack on Bubble Wrap®Family Handyman

Whack on Bubble Wrap®

To a kid who’s not quite ready to drive nails, nothing feels better than whap, crackle and pop. Supply a kid-size hammer or a rubber mallet. Try out these other extraordinary uses for things you already own.

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bubble wrap on windowsungju kim/Shutterstock

Bubble Wrap® windows in winter to save on heat

Bubble Wrap® can be used to wrap up windows during winter to help your home retain heat just like plastic film. Depending on the size of your windows, Bubble Wrap® might be a cost-effective tool versus regular plastic film.

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Add to handles for better grip

For people who have a hard time gripping some objects, Bubble Wrap® can help with that.

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Asya Babushkina/Shutterstock

Grow strawberry plants

Keep your strawberries off the ground with some Bubble Wrap®. Wrap the Bubble Wrap® around the plant as a collar to keep the berries from falling to the ground. Check out some more great tips to reuse common household items.

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deer on lawnLux Blue/Shutterstock

Keep deer out of the garden

Finding solutions for keeping deer out of the garden has become like trying to find ways to keep squirrels out of bird feeders. But according to some folk tales, when deer step on Bubble Wrap® it will spook them.

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Juta/Shutterstock

Relieve stress

In 2012, Sealed Air Corporation (the maker of Bubble Wrap®) conducted a survey and found that just over one minute of popping bubbles provides the stress relief equivalent to a 33-minute massage.

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dfh17sep038_160161059_01-1200x1200 compost pile dirt garden egg shells lettuce soil fertilizerMarina Lohrbach/Shutterstock

Compost cover

A Bubble Wrap® compost cover can promote decomposition for a compost pile and keep out unwanted items. Here are some more tips to help you get started composting.

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Blister prevention

Bubble Wrap® can help prevent blisters if you place some on the handle of a rake or a broom.

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shutterstock_351393956 mittens wipe away snow on car windowrodimov/Shutterstock

Frost deterrent

Save yourself some time in the morning dealing with a frosty windshield by placing some Bubble Wrap® under your windshield wipers. The Bubble Wrap® will help insulate the windshield. Also, use this clever trick to defrost your windshield in under a minute.

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Christopher Elwell/Shutterstock

Wallpaper

The inventors of Bubble Wrap®, Al Fielding and Marc Chavannes, originally tried to create a textured wallpaper in 1957, and though they originally failed, it has proven an effective protector of walls. Bubble Wrap® can serve as a sweet door stopper and help prevent any holes in the wall from the handle flying through. Find out some more things you didn’t know were invented by accident.

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fridge organizationAndrey_Popov/Shutterstock

Cushion food in the fridge

Don’t let food go bad from rolling around in the fridge. Add some Bubble Wrap® to the bottom of the crisper to keep fragile fruits from spoiling.

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via amazon.com

Bubble calendar

A bubble calendar can be a fun way to check off the days of the month—or the perfect punctuation to a tough day. Bubble calendars can be found at Amazon, or you can create your own.

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via amazon.com

Winterize your pipes

In the colder months, wrap it around pipes and outdoor spouts and tie it with string to help prevent bursting.

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Stop sweaty toilets

Bubble Wrap® keeps condensation under control. Bubble Wrap® can work to insulate the toilet and prevent it from sweating.

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FH08JUN_DORMAT_01Family Handyman

Home security

Place some Bubble Wrap® under a doormat as low-tech home security measure—or just as a fun way to stomp out any frustration when you get home from work.

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Bubble Wrap® your steering wheel

Change the feel of a steering wheel and provide some stress relief in rush hour with a Bubble Wrap® steering wheel. The cushioning can be great for those with troubled hands. Pop them after someone sneaks in during a traffic backup. Find out some more car hacks to make driving better.

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Make stakes less dangerous

Whether you’re working in the yard putting up stakes or you have stakes standing in your yard for the long-term, protect others from potential injury by wrapping them in Bubble Wrap®. The wrap will also signal others to watch out for the stakes.

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Keep chisels sharp

Keep some Bubble Wrap® in the workshop to also protect sharp-edged chisels. The Bubble Wrap®  will keep them sharper longer and protect you from injury when fumbling around for them.

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michaeljung/Shutterstock

Dust protector

A primary use of Bubble Wrap® is to protect items for shipping and transporting, but it can also protect against dust collecting on your furniture if you are gone from home for an extended period of time.

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Stocksnapper/Shutterstock

Take it to the thrift store

Thrifters and antiquers would be wise to carry around some Bubble Wrap® when they go shopping because those delicate items at the stores will need protection on the way home.

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cutting a piece of bubble wrapFamily Handyman

DIY craft projects

Bubble Wrap® can entertain kids with an array of projects besides popping it. The Chaos and the Clutter outlines 101 crafty things to make with Bubble Wrap®, like a Bubble Wrap® runway and sheep. Do you know about these reusable versions of things you use every day?

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jan_ta_r/Shutterstock

Make car seats comfy

Cover a car seat in double layer of Bubble Wrap® for a long car ride to make it a little more comfortable.

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via amazon.com

Rain coat

Make a fashion statement with a Bubble Wrap® jacket. It doubles as a rain coat, but be careful of people trying to poke you. Now, try out these household vinegar uses you never knew about.

The Family Handyman
Originally Published on The Family Handyman