One of the most pesky things that doesn’t seem like it has any use after it’s taken off a milk carton is the plastic pull tab. There have probably been a number of times you’ve wondered if there was any way to reuse or repurpose this little ring of plastic. The good news is that there are some creative ways to reuse these. These are actually a good craft item for children that can be made into a variety of different things. Take a look below to see the different ways that they can be given a second life.
On a side note, if, for whatever reason, you do decide to throw these small pieces of plastic into the garbage, please take the time to clip the ring so that the likelihood of it getting caught on a wild animal is greatly diminished.
Garden Marker
Plastic milk pull tabs make wonderful garden markers. You will need a permanent pen to write on the plastic and a pair of scissors. Simply cut the pull tab ring in the back so that it's easy to slip over any twine or metal bar on the plant cages, and then write what plant will be growing there.
Hairband Organizer
If you have hair bands seem to reside as far apart from each other as possible, using a milk pull tab can help keep them better organized. Simply clip the ring portion and slip the hair bands through it to keep them together. If you have two or more girls with the same hair bands, you can write their names on the milk tabs so each knows whose bands are whose.
Bracelet
For those who are a bit artistic, you can take the plastic pull tabs from your milk cartons and turn them into a [pull tab bracelet](http://ganoksin.com/blog/heatherskowoodjewelry/2008/12/16/recycled-materials-plastic-pull-tab-bracelet-from-milk-cartons/). For kids, you can add stickers, glue on beads or glitter so that they can customize the look to what they love.
Children’s Ring
The plastic pull ring from milk cartons are perfect for kids to make themselves a collection of rings. Clean and dry the pull tab, then let the child decorate it with her favorite stickers or pens. You can also glue on cut-outs or small beads as well. The loop of the tab can then be placed over the finger and the child has a simple, homemade ring to wear around the house.
Earrings
Another way to upcycle the plastic milk tabs that you have is to turn them into earrings. Add a few beads and a little creativity and you can repurpose them into a wonderful eco-friendly statement.
Necklace
For those of you who go through a lot of milk (and thus have a lot of the plastic milk carton pull tags), you might want to consider creating a pull tab necklace. Kids can decorate the pull tabs with glitter, beads or stickers to make it their own, or you could make a repurposing fashion statement and wear one out on the town.
Paperclip Organizer
You can use a milk pull tab to help keep large paperclips better organized. Simply slip them over the inside ring that you snip and you can keep them all in one place instead of having them migrate to the far corners of your desk drawer.
Vase Sleeve Decorations
Another way to use the plastic pull tabs from your milk cartons is to embellish other upcycle projects you're creating. For example, if you're knitting a vase sleeve out of plastic, the milk tabs can make an excellent finishing touch to the top of the sleeve.