Ice cube trays have long been the go-to solution for keeping beverages cold and everyone well-hydrated on hot days. These plastic sectionals come in a variety of shapes and sizes, making it simple to customize your ice cubes for drinks. But modern technology has made them less essential than in times past. With automated ice dispensers, you might find you have some old, obsolete ice trays lying around. Instead of tossing them out, transform them into something new and useful for your home.

The built-in sectionals found in ice cube trays make them the perfect solution for home organization. Repurposing an ice cube tray is a practical way to keep everything from office supplies to jewelry well-organized and easy to find. Most ice cube trays are plastic, making them durable as well. Whether your plan is to organize a junk drawer or paint a masterpiece, an ice cube tray is just what’s needed to keep those projects right on schedule.

Organize office supplies
Maintaining a clean and organized desk is key to getting work done and not wasting time. Keep clutter at bay by using an ice cube tray to separate and store office supplies. This simple, budget-friendly solution comes with the added benefit of built-in sectionals that are ideal for paperclips, magnets, tape and more. The spaces in an ice cube tray are deep enough to allow pencils to stand upright and can even accommodate glue sticks and batteries too. Set the ice cube tray right on a desk, or settle it inside a drawer to hide it away when your supplies aren’t being used.

Organize hardware pieces
When it’s time to take on a household project, having the right supplies handy is important. There’s no need to search through a pile of screws and nails when an ice cube tray is all it takes to keep hardware pieces organized. Fill each section with hardware according to size to make it easy for you to find exactly what you need. You can even use the tray to store earplugs, bolts and beyond. Once the tray is full, its size makes it easy to store in a cabinet or on a garage shelf.

Organize craft supplies
Many people express their creativity in the form of crafts. While an extensive collection of craft supplies makes it easy to expand on inspiring ideas and projects, not being able to find what you need to create something is stressful. Make crafting a hassle-free experience by using an ice tray cube to organize and store your craft supplies. The ice cube containers are suitably sized to hold colorful paperclips, mini clothespins and other decorative accent items. Similarly, the tray could be used to hold folds of twine or thread.

Organize makeup
If applying makeup is part of your morning routine, it can also bring needless stress as you try to find all the wands, brushes, and blushes you need to feel ready for the day. Instead of struggling with a search, keep makeup in its place by putting it in an ice cube tray on your countertop. You can stack brushes together in a single ice cube sectional, making them easy to reach and extending their life when you store them bristles-up. Mascara, liquid liners, concealers, and lipsticks can each occupy an individual space in the tray to keep products organized and available in the mornings and for touch-ups throughout the day. 

Organize jewelry
Jewelry is lovely for adding a personal touch to an outfit, but earrings, necklaces and bracelets have a way of eventually winding up in a single, tangled pile. This combination can make it impossible to separate one from the other and can make trying to get out the door on time difficult. Keep jewelry separated by organizing it in an ice cube tray on a vanity or bathroom countertop. Each individual ice cube space is perfectly sized to hold a pair of earrings, lopped necklaces or folded-up and flexible bracelets. As an added benefit, an ice cube tray can double as a place to store keys, making it simple for you to clasp a necklace and get to work on time.

Organize the junk drawer
Just about every home has a drawer filled with miscellaneous items with nowhere else to go. Junk drawers can be filled with surprisingly helpful things but are often kept tightly closed due to the clutter inside. Turn a junk drawer into a more useful and manageable space by organizing those miscellaneous items in the confines of an ice cube tray. The tray's dimensions make it fit easily inside the junk drawer and to close once everything is positioned inside. The individual ice sections separate those one-off items like batteries, toothpicks, wine stoppers and breath mints that could come in handy at unexpected times.

Use it as a paint palette
There’s no need to be a professional artist to enjoy some recreational painting. There’s also no reason to go out and buy a palette when an ice cube tray can do the same thing. When it’s time to indulge creativity, fill each ice cube sectional with different hues of paint and get busy creating something magical. Most of these trays are plastic, which makes it easy for you to wash off the paint so your palette will be ready for use the next time.

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