1. Blue your Blooms
Some flowering plants, like hydrangeas, change color depending on the pH level of the soil. Adding coffee grounds will reduce the pH level and give you bright blue flowers.
2. Keep the Slugs Away
Unlike worms, slugs, snails and other bugs don't like the acidity of coffee and won't cross the ground if it's sprinkled with java.
3. Grow Your Own Mushrooms
You can grow the funnest fungi around with just some coffee grounds and mushroom spores. Learn how here.
4. Increase Your Carrot and Radish Harvest
Mixing coffee grounds with the seeds before you plant carrots and radishes will keep pests and bugs away and increase your harvest.
5. Bring on the Worms
Worms might not be the best pets, but they are great for your garden; they turn the soil and fertilize it with their own body processes. Worms are attracted to coffee grounds, so adding it to your garden beds will attract more of these helpful creatures.
6. Enhance Your Compost Pile
Coffee grounds will add much-needed nitrogen to your compost bin. Just pour them in get decomposing.
7. Keep Cats Out
Tired of your neighbors cats traipsing through your flowers? Just sprinkle some coffee grounds and orange peel where you don't want them to walk.
8. Freshen Your Flower Vases
Using a coffee/soil mix for your flower vase not only looks cool and lengthens your cut flowers' life, it also acts as an air freshener in the room. Directions here.
9. Make Some Play-Dough Dirt
It's edible (though probably not delicious) and is great for playing with fake snakes and worms. Get the instructions here.
10. Build a Better Pin Cushion
Filling your pin cushion with coffee grounds will prevent your pins from rusting. Plus, it's like a sachet of good smells every time you use it.
Pro Tip: Make sure to dry them thoroughly first by spreading them on a cookie sheet and placing them in the freezer for an hour or two.
11. Make a Roach Trap
All you need is coffee grounds, a can and some double-sided tape. Get the instructions here.
12. Scour Your Pans
A few coffee grounds on a rag can help scrapeaway caked-on dirt. Just make sure not to use it on ceramic or other dishes that stain easily.
13. Clean Your Fireplace
If you want to sweep up the ashes from your fireplace, add some damp coffee grounds to the pile and sweep away. It will eliminate that dusty cloud.
14. Clean Your Hands After Chopping Garlic
Keep a little cup of coffee grounds near or under your sink, and rub a handful of them on your hands after chopping garlic or onions or other smelly things. The grounds will absorb the odor.
15. Make Garbage Disposal Cleaners
With this recipe, you can make these little cleaners that help your garbage disposal stay sharp and smelling fresh.
16. Unclog Your Drain
With coffee grounds, boiling water and a little dish soap, you can unclog your bathroom and kitchen drains. See how here.
17. Get Odors Out of Your Fridge and Freezer
Instead of baking soda, use a box of used coffee grounds to absorb smells in your fridge.
18. Get Scratches Out of Furniture
Use oil and coffee grounds or instant coffee to mask scratches in many shades of wood. Get the details here.
19. Make Wood Look Weathered
This technique makes new wood look antique. Get the full instructions here.
20. Tenderize Your Meat
Using coffee as a spice for a meat rub will tenderize it and add a smokey flavor. Get a recipe here.
23. Make a Coffee Candle
All you need is a coffee cup with grounds, and some leftover wax ends from other candles. Directions here.
24. Make an Air Freshener
Perfect for your house or car. All you need is some coffee grounds and panty hose. See how to do it here.
25. Make Your Own Fossils
Don't wait millions of years for your seashells to fossilize. Make your own instant-fossils with coffee grounds and flour. Perfect for toy-dinosaur footprints. Directions here.
26. Make “Treasure Stones”
Hide a treat inside, then bake tiny stones for little ones to excavate. See how here.
Family Fun / Via spoonful.com
27. Paint a Picture
Coffee grounds and water (aka second-round-coffee) make an excellent non-toxic paint.
28. Make a Flea Bath
Add some coffee grounds to your dog's shampoo to create a natural flea-repellant.
29. Strip Buildup from Your Hair
The abrasive texture of coffee grounds will help strip oils and buildup from your hair. Pile them on in the shower or, for a much less messy strategy, just add some grounds to your shampoo or conditioner. (Best for brunettes as coffee can also darken hair.)
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30. Remove Dark Circles from Under Your Eyes
Just like coffee wakes YOU up in the morning, it can also wake up your face by reducing puffiness and tightening skin. See how it works here.
31. Make a Deodorizing Soap
You can DIY this masculine (aka non-floral) soap out of recycled hotel soaps and coffee. It's a great (& nearly free) homemade gift for anyone on your list. See how here.
32. Make a Luxurious Salt Scrub
This rub will leave your whole body feeling soft and rejuvenated. See how to make it here.
33. Make a Mocha Frappuccino Mask
This delicious-smelling morning mask will wake you up and exfoliate your face. Get the recipe here.
34. “Salt” Your Walk
Coffee grounds make great gravel to help keep roads and sidewalks from being slippery, and the acid helps melt the ice quicker.
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