Finding new uses for old milk jugs -- caps, too

How do you reuse plastic milk jugs?

Many people recycle them, but a large percentage are still hitting landfills. So it's important to reuse them when possible and recycle instead of simply throwing them away. I'm looking for more ideas on how to reuse milk-jug caps, too. If you have creative suggestions, let me know. Here are a few to get you thinking:

Save with old milk jugs: If you live in a cold climate, fill the milk jugs with water and freeze them outside in the wintertime. Fill up any extra space in your refrigerator or freezer with these blocks of ice, and your appliance won't have to work so hard to cool all that airspace. There have to be some perks to living in a deep freeze. Sometimes the old ways are still the best.

- Greg, Canada

Makeshift cloche: In spring, I reuse plastic milk jugs in the garden. In order to get a short jump on the growing season, I plant heat-loving vegetables as early as possible. I can get a two-week jump on the season by placing a plastic milk jug over each of the plants. Just cut off the bottom, and place over the plant. I leave the cap off for better air circulation. You then have a mini-greenhouse! Remove as the temperature warms, and clean/stack/store in an out-of-the-way place. Often, I can get several seasons out of these milk jugs.

- Kelly, e-mail

Frugal holiday decor: I repurpose plastic gallon milk jugs in several ways. I use them for driveway luminaries at Christmas. I leave the handle and top intact and the bottom bowl intact, cutting into the side and making a large opening. I fill partially with sand, and use a tea lite. Also, since I make my own laundry detergent, I use cleaned gallon milk jugs to hold the homemade liquid detergent.

- L. Zeh, e-mail

Baby-food-jar photo holder: Cut the photo to the height of the jar, roll photo a little to go in, put in upside down, let unroll, paint lid if wanted, and place with lid down. This looks great with a grouping with different-sized jars. Add a candle in a jar in the middle of all the photo jars!

- Cindy, Michigan

Perfectly shaped tortillas: A great method for getting lovely, consistently round tortillas without a tortilla press is with a round pizza pan. Grease the pan, grease one hand, and press lightly as you slowly (or quickly) spin the pizza pan. You can use fingertips, the ball or palm of your hand or whatever technique is most effective for you. I was able to get tortillas of a consistent thickness and roundness. Learned it from my Honduran tia (aunt).

- Stevi, e-mail

Handy shaker: I use empty spice bottles with the shaker top to store toothpicks in vehicles, on the table or anywhere I might need toothpicks. It's so easy to just take off the lid and shake the bottle and out pops a toothpick.

- Louise, Canada

• Send tips, comments, questions to sara@frugalvillage.com.