TOP 8 Alternative Uses for Coffee Filters

As homemaker, mother of three children, and four furry pets, and essentially multitasker extraoridinaire, I've learned my own tricks and picked up valuable tips from other soccer moms, about the alternative uses for the versatile---COFFEE FILTERS!

So in David Letterman style, I'll list the Top 8 in reverse order:

8. Use for sewing projects. Coffee filters make a great backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.

 7. Make sachets. Tie lavender or other dried flowers and herbs in a coffee filter to make great-smelling bundles you can store in drawers and closets.

 6. Diffuse the flash on your camera. Place a coffee filter over your flash to soften the brightness. You can also try putting coffee filters over lights or lamps to lessen the harshness of direct light when taking indoor photos.

5. Make a bouquet garnish. Tie up bay leaves, parsley, or other herbs in a coffee filter. Drop it in your stew or soup pot, and easily remove it when you're done cooking. Recipes often suggest cheesecloth for this process, but a coffee filter is an easy-to-find alternative.

4. Wipe off smudges. In a pinch, you can use to clean eyeglasses, camera lenses, televisions, and computer monitors.

3. Line flower pots. Place a filter at the bottom of the pot to prevent soil from leaking out of the drainage hole.

2. Save a bottle of wine. Broke the cork? No problem! Just place a filter over a pitcher and carefully pour the wine into it.

1. Clean windows and mirrors. Coffee filters are lint-free so they don't leave behind any residue.