Plastic mesh bath puffs may be great at exfoliating and cleansing your skin, but they also create a lot of waste when thrown in the garbage. Since many bath puffs are cheaply made, they begin to unravel after a short period of time or when put in the laundry. Instead of tossing that bath puff, you can come up with crafty and creative ways to give it a new life. Wash and dry the puff before turning it into a project.
Dish Scrubber
If you can crochet or knit, you can transform the plastic netting from the bath puff into a small pot scrubber. The rough mesh provides a great surface to use to scrub grease and grime from dirty dishes. Remove the string from the middle of the puff after it has been washed and dried. The puff should unravel into a long rope of netting. Use the netting as you would yarn to knit a 4-inch-square or larger scrubber. Depending on the size of the puff, you may be able to make several scrubbers from a single puff.
Sponge Paint Tool
Use an old, clean bath puff to add texture to walls with paint or as a child's craft tool. Cut the puff into strips of mesh. Bunch each strip up into a ball, then dip into a paint. Apply to the wall or a piece of paper to create a textured surface. Adjust the amount of plastic mesh you use or the level to which the mesh is bunched up to create different designs and patterns.
Cushioning
The next time you need to pack a suitcase or mail a package, toss your old bath puffs in to serve as protective cushions for whatever you are packing. The puffs are a lot less messy than crumbled newspaper or packing peanuts. If you prefer, you can unravel the puff and wrap it around a particularly fragile item to provide cushioning.
Funny Creatures
Bath puffs can play a starring role in children's craft time. Use clean bath puffs that are starting to show signs of wear and tear to make silly creatures. You can get as creative as you wish with the project. Try gluing old buttons to the puffs to serve as eyes or wrapping scraps of fabric around them to serve as a cute outfit. Look for items around the house to use to make an eco-friendly, 100 percent recycled project. If you have a lot of puffs, stack and glue them to create a giant bath puff monster.
Based in Pennsylvania, Emily Weller has been writing professionally since 2007, when she started writing theater reviews for OffOffOnline.com and Theater Talk's New Theater Corps blog. Her writing covers a wide range of topics, including theater, vegetarianism, sewing, crafts and home design/decor. Weller has a Master of Fine Arts in dramaturgy and theater criticism from CUNY Brooklyn College.
