The Movers.com Blog

1. Hydration. You can moisten a paper towel and wrap it around the stem and roots of your plants, and then use bubble wrap to protect the plant and retain its moisture.

2. Use when camping. Next time you plan to rough it in the woods, make your sleeping arrangements a little more comfortable by putting your sleeping bag on top of a sheet of bubble wrap. Don’t worry about bursting the bubbles - when lying down, your weight will be evenly distributed, which will prevent the bubbles from popping.

3. Temporary broken glass storage. When you break a glass it may shatter into a million pieces and bubble wrap can hold the glass pieces until you can properly dispose of them.

4. Line your toolbox. Placing some bubble wrap on the bottom of your tool box will help to reduce scratches on your good tools. To take this a step further, you could even keep each tool individually wrapped until you need them.

5. Shipping food. Bubble wrap makes a great cushion at the bottom of containers used to send food. The plastic wrap is also good for sealing in freshness.

6. Decoration. Because of its unique raised texture, bubble wrap can be used to paint rooms. Simply dip the desired length and shape of bubble wrap into paint and apply to your wall. Try applying the bubble wrap in various directions to create a different visual affect.

7. Protect Christmas ornaments. Use bubble wrap to protect your Christmas ornaments for the eleven months of the year that they are in storage. Unlike paper, which can deteriorate after years of use, bubble wrap provides for more long-term protection for your valuable ornaments.

8. Play. Popping bubble wrap is so much fun that a Japanese company created an everlasting bubble wrap toy! There is an easier way to create this toy at home. Cut your bubble wrap into tiny squares, and then insert a rubber band through a hole in the corner. Bubble wrap also makes a great stress-relief toy and may make you feel more relaxed after several pops!

9. Lining. Popped bubble wrap tends to be easy to cut, which makes it a great material for lining under carpets and doormats. It can even be placed under moveable plastics, like toys or chairs for added sturdiness.

10. Insulate cold drinks. Bubble wrap can keep drinks or food that need to be refrigerated cold after removing from the fridge or freezer. This is a great idea for going on a picnic. Rather than getting icepacks or heavy bags of ice, simply wrap your items in bubble wrap for the car ride.

11. Protect fruits and vegetables. Line your refrigerator’s crisper drawer with bubble wrap. This will provide a soft surface for your produce, reducing the chance that they get bruised.

12. Coasters. Believe it or not, sturdy plastic wrap can come in a variety of colors and make great coasters, providing a buffer between your cold or warm cup and a table or delicate surface.

13. Keeping dry. Flattened bubble wrap be tied around boots or sneakers when traveling through high snow areas. This will not only keep out moisture, but provide extra insulation for your feet.

14. Wrap gifts. You can substitute bubble wrap for wrapping paper or tissue paper in a gift bag, especially when giving presents to young children. If they don’t like the actual gift, they will at least love playing with the bubble wrap.

15. Insulate your windows. If your home gets particularly cold during the winter months, you could try taping sheets of bubble wrap to your windows. The bubble wrap will help keep the heat inside and the cold air outside.

16. Temporary umbrella. If you forgot your umbrella and find yourself caught in the rain, then using bubble wrap will at least protect your head.

17. Recycle. Once you have used and reused your bubble wrap and are left with a bubble-less sheet of plastic, you can recycle it. Find out if your local recycling center will accept it. If you not, you can send it to a Sealed Air Corporation (the maker of bubble wrap) manufacturing facility, where it will be recycled and made into new bubble wrap!

18. Save until you need it again. After unpacking all of your boxes, put the bubble wrap in a drawer or closet. Next time you have to transport fragile objects or send them by mail, you’ll have this all-important packing material on hand.

How have you creatively reused bubble wrap?  Tell us about it with a comment below!