by Heather Dodding

Created on: March 13, 2009   Last Updated: March 16, 2009

Over the years, we collect stuff. Lots of stuff that will be used once and will never see the light of day again. CDs and books happen to be a great and wonderful idea at the time, but what happens when we buy and then discover it really wasn't that great of a buy? We try to return it, but the store doesn't want it back. We try to pawn it off on our friends, but of course they know us too well to be swindled with more useless clutter. We try to throw it out, but that would be bad for the environment. Try as we might, this stuff is stuck with us. We throw it in boxes to keep it out of sight and away from our already limited house-space. What can we do? What can I do?

We love to read the imaginative stories or collect the information that will help us understand the world around us in books.

CDs are a peculiar thing. They are round, with a hole in the center; one side is "shiny", the other side has pictures and/or writing. We have learnt to look at a CD as an item to hold information and only useful with a device that can read that information on it. We have to look beyond that way of thinking; try to look at what else it can be used for.

Decorating your room or home can be something to look forward to with a little help from old CDs and books. These ideas will work even with your scratched CDs and books that have aged and are unrecognizable. You could create a mobile with your CDs, to make it a little more intriguing, add some pictures or quotes from some of your old books. Decorate a bedroom or a den wall with CDs. Do the same thing with pages from a book, you can draw around it to give it a little more life and this can be a great stress relief.

So decorating isn't your thing. What about for everyday use? Glue CDs together for extra sturdy coasters. Do you have a chair or a table that has a shorter leg? Use a book to even it out. Sometimes kids can't reach the table while sitting on their chair and don't want to use a hard plastic booster seat. Use an old pillow case and a thick phone book or catalogue with socks that have lost their other half as a soft booster seat.

There are many more ideas on how to reuse CDs and books. Just search the Internet for crafts on CDs and books. If you really want these items out of your house, then consider these ideas. If you have children's books in your unwanted pile, call up a local school. Sometimes schools don't have a lot of funding for new books and donations may be appreciated. Look for book drop-offs at stores. Ask your public library if they are looking for used books; they sometimes sell books to support local charities or for buying newer books. Start a yard sale and include other items you have accumulated over the years. Make a really good deal with your CDs and books. Sometimes these items don't go very fast, but if it's good deal, they can become more enticing. If this doesn't work too well, then try your luck on an on-line auction site.

Even after a CD becomes scratched or a book starts to fall apart, you can still use it, even if it isn't how it was intended. When you find another use for these items or give it to someone who is looking for them, it is always a better option than putting it in the trash.

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