Cool Things With Styrofoam

Don't throw out those Styrofoam packing chips the next time you get a parcel! Here are five inspired ways to put Styrofoam to good use around the house.

- Use Styrofoam to Keep Nail Polish Nice

Is it time for a mani/pedi? When applying nail polish, a styrofoam pellet or a small chunk cut from a block of foam packaging placed between each finger or toe will help spread them apart and keep the polish unblemished until it can dry.

- Use Styrofoam to Hold Treats for Shipping and Freezing

To prepare a quantity of snow cones or ice-cream cones in advance, cut a foam block from an old Styrofoam cooler to size so it will fit flat in your freezer. Cut holes just large enough and close enough to hold cones so they won’t touch, fall over, or poke through the bottom. Fill the cones and slip them into the waiting holes. Then pop the whole thing into the freezer ready for serving at a moment’s notice.

- Use Styrofoam to Make a Floating Tray for the Pool

Styrofoam is nearly unsinkable. Use the scraps from an old foam cooler to make a drink holder or tray that will float in your pool.

- Use Styrofoam to Make Your Own Shipping Pellets

You’d like to use foam to ship some fragile things, but all you’ve got is sheets or blocks of foam, not pellets. No problem! Just break up what you have into pieces small enough to fit in a blender and pulse it on and off to shred the foam into perfect packing material.

- Use Styrofoam to Make a Kickboard

A sharp kitchen knife is all you need to cut a panel of foam into a kickboard for your swimming pool.