At Least 10 Uses For Newspapers

I use the majority of our newspapers from summer reading in the garden. I soak the sections in a pale of water, and then lay them out before I put mulch down. Worms love it, it helps keep moisture in and weeds OUT.

Other ideas, not all of them good, are here
There is a new way to make newspaper logs as well, other than wetting the sections and rolling them up - which doesn't burn well at all. It presses the paper into bricks. I've not tried it, as I had tried the log roller and it failed miserably. But I may now with the recycling business going belly up due to the depressed market here and overseas. Since we have a wood burner, I might as well see if this does any better, and can at least use a few of our off-season papers this way.

Some of the better ideas found on the first website
Clean the chalkboard.
Use to cover work books.
Shred newspaper to use as packing material, for storage or moving belongings.
Keep boots upright with a roll of newspaper
Stuff smelly shoes with newspaper to absorb odors.
Stuff newspaper into wet shoes and leave them to dry overnight
When painting window trim, wet sheets of paper and stick on windows, to reduce splatters on window glass.
Use as emergency toilet paper.
Wrap around ice cream containers to keep ice cream cool
Stuff inside your coat or under blankets to keep warm in an emergency
Line the shelf of a smelly fridge with newspaper overnight to absorb the odors.
Wrap fruit it in newspaper If you want it to ripen quickly
Use for messy cleanup jobs like cleaning the oven. Use sheets of crumpled newspaper to wipe up most of the gunk before wiping down with a soapy wet sponge.
Germinate seeds for the spring garden by spreading between damp sheets of newspaper.
Make garden seed starting pots
Crumpled newspaper makes mirrors and glass shine. Just spray the surface with glass cleaner and use them as you would regular paper towels.
Line the bottom of pet cages (litter boxes, birds, rabbit, hamster...etc)
Take newspapers to the local veterinarian or animal shelter for use in the cages.
Learn origami

At Least 10 Uses For Newspaper

From RealSimple.com
Use Newspaper to:
1. Deodorize food containers. Stuff a balled-up piece of newspaper into a lunch box or thermos, seal it, and let sit overnight.
2. Ripen tomatoes. Wrap them individually and leave them out at room temperature.
3. Pack delicate items.Wrap frames and figurines with several pieces of newspaper, then crumple the remaining sections to fill extra space in the box.
4. Wipe away tough streaks on glass. Use newspaper with cleaning fluid to clean mirrors and windows.
5. Preserve antique glass. Some older frames have finishes on the glass that can be damaged by cleaning solutions. Remove smudges by rubbing with newspaper dipped in a solution of one part white vinegar and one part warm water. Let air-dry.
6. Dry shoes. Place crumpled paper in them overnight.
7. Wrap gifts. Use the comics to wrap a child’s birthday gift, or try the wedding announcements for an engagement gift.
8. Create a home for slushy snow boots. During the winter, keep a pile of newspaper near the entryway. When your little snowmen and -women come home, they can toss their winter wear onto the newspaper instead of creating puddles on the floor.
9. Prepare a garden. In the fall, mow a patch of lawn to make room for a dedicated bed. Cover it with four layers of newspaper, then a four-inch layer of shredded leaves or bark mulch. Hose it down. Come spring, the compost blanket will have smothered the grass roots, and the bed will be primed for planting.
10. Keep the refrigerator vegetable drawer dry and free of smells. Line the bottom with newspaper.
Written by Rachel Hardage
April 2005

From ThisOldHouse.com
1. Patch a hole. To fix small holes in drywall, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva stuffs wadded newspaper in the breach as a backer for joint compound.

2. Eat odors. Work boots smelly? Stuff 'em with newsprint. The odor disappears.

3. Make animal bedding. It's warm and healthier than sawdust or straw, since it inherently resists bacteria and is nontoxic if eaten.

4. Get rolling. If the car's stuck in mud, sand, or snow, a hefty section of the thick Sunday edition, slipped under the drive wheel, lends enough traction to move you on.

5. Wrap presents. The sports section makes a great gift wrap for that new cordless drill Dad's getting on Father's Day.

6. Make a dry workshop funnel. After sorting through fasteners spilled out on a section, roll it up and let the hardware slide back into your coffee can storage.

7. Sprout something. TOH landscape contractor Roger Cook germinates seeds between two sections of damp newspaper, kept in a warm place.

8. Kindle a fire. Crumpled newspaper works, but rolling sheets diagonally and tying them in a lazy knot works better, suggests John Gulland, of Woodheat.org. The knot concentrates flames in a single area.

9. Enhance compost. Add it to an indoor worm bin to feed them?and the decomposition process. This Old House: All about worm bins

10. Soften a tomato. Ross Siragusa, of the California Tomato Growers Association, wraps slightly underdeveloped tomatoes