Common household items turned into useful yard tools

Before I mow, I usually go around and pick up fallen twigs and other debris. Inevitably, I miss some and have to stop and pick it up. To solve the problem, I attached a wastebasket to my mower. Now when wrappers, cans and sticks suddenly appear, I can stuff them into my basket and keep moving. — Jared Reiners.

Check out more useful yard tool hacks.

Oiling chain saws and other small gas-powered tools can be downright messy. Pour some oil into a clean squirt- top water bottle. The squirt top makes it easier to control the flow of oil, so it doesn’t spill all over the tool and work area. Make sure to label the bottle so nobody drinks from it. — Donna Meigs.

Here are some home improvement hacks you’ll wish you knew sooner.

When I’m working outside and have messy work shoes, I will step into plastic grocery bags and tie the handle loops around my ankles to hold them on. This keeps me from dragging in mud and such when I need to come inside for just a minute or two. It also keeps me out of trouble with my wife! — Lance Wiist.

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With a big, cheap plastic tarp you can drag leaves, branches or mulch around your yard.

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Make changing the oil in your lawnmower and outdoor machines less messy with this handy hint: Cut off a piece of an empty cereal box and fold it into a trough. Then tip the machine and use the trough to guide the oil into the waste pan. The glossy coating on the cereal box keeps the oil from soaking through.

The next time you hit up a salad bar for lunch, save the plastic clamshell container. It can be reused as a mini greenhouse for starting seeds in the spring.

When you’re finished with your lunch, wash the container thoroughly. Use an awl and hammer to punch a few small holes in the top part of the container for airflow. Then fill the bottom half with potting mix or your own special seed-starting soil. Plant your seeds, spreading them out in the container as suggested on the seed packet. Give the seeds a small drink of water and close the lid. Place the container in a sunny spot, and patiently wait for your seeds to sprout!

Here are 32 more cheapskate handy hints for the outdoors.

An inverted tomato cage makes a great drying rack for rollers, brushes, pads, rags and whatever is wet after painting clean-up. The stuff dries quickly outdoors, and there’s room for everything! — Tom Anderson.

Plus: The best-kept secrets of professional painters.

If you have a dehumidifier, you have a free supply of water that’s perfect for houseplants. Dehumidifiers remove moisture from the air and create “condensate” that’s free from chemicals and minerals found in tap water. Just don’t drink it – it could contain microbes and trace amounts of metals that are harmful to humans. — J.A. Kemble.

Keep cold water within reach when mowing the lawn on hot days. Simply attach an empty (and clean) tin can to the handle of your walk-behind mower using zip ties. Be sure to select a can that is large enough to fit your water bottle!

Don’t miss our guide to mower maintenance.

Use a small garbage bin to not only protect your speaker from rain and other outdoor elements, but also to amplify your tunes! Turn the bin on its side and simply place the speaker inside.