15 Brilliant Ways To Repurpose A Bottle Of Nail Polish Around The House

Nail polish is an inexpensive way to practice some self-care at home through a DIY manicure or adding a protective barrier to your nails. But what do you do when all those bottles acquired over time become expired and start losing their quality? The average nail polish lasts only two years once opened, but even with this timeframe, it can be difficult to go through an entire bottle if you're not using the same color each time. There are many ways to repurpose nail polish around the home to help keep those old bottles out of the trash, such as to stop fabric from fraying or to tighten loose screws.

Another great perk to these cost-effective repurposing projects is that you can truly customize the final look. Use your favorite colors to personalize your space, or opt for shades that blend in with your existing decor. No matter the way you choose to repurpose nail polish, whether for color coding cords or painting pretty pebbles, it's a versatile solution with many applications, and there's a good chance you already have some on hand!

People have licked envelopes as a means to seal them since the mid-1800s, but unfortunately for modern-day individuals, flavored glue strips are a thing of the past. This can make the process of mailing a letter unpleasant, especially if you're sending out large amounts, such as with invitations. Instead, grab an old bottle of clear polish and apply it to the adhesive strip, then secure the envelope shut. Allow it to completely dry before mailing. You can even use nail polish with a fun color for themed invitations as a way to really customize the final product.

Regardless of what you're organizing, using nail polish as a way to color code things is great for improving functionality in your everyday life. Some great ways to implement this include color-coding medicine bottles by applying a strip of nail polish to the cap, labeling cords and cable bundles, or organizing incoming mail into different categories. It may seem like a small change, but having things coded by color for easy identification can minimize your stress and make them easier to find overall. You can even choose a color for each member of your family for consistency.

It can be incredibly frustrating to put on one of your favorite pieces of clothing only to notice some of the fabric starting to fray. This is essentially when one of the threads unravels along the edge, which can lead to impacting issues for the piece over time. One way to stop fraying fabric from getting any worse is to apply a thin layer of clear nail polish over the edge to secure the threads in place. However, it's important to note that this nail polish repurposing hack is not suitable for thick or stiff fabric types.

Are you tired of struggling to find your remote in the dark, only to not be able to see the buttons once you've finally located it? Instead of spending a fortune on a remote with light-up buttons, try coating them in a thin layer of glow-in-the-dark nail polish for your very own DIY touch. This is a great way to repurpose nail polish for households with functioning remotes that have no reason to be upgraded otherwise. Make this a family-friendly hack by opting for water-based, nontoxic nail polish so kids can get in on the fun, too.

You can make loose screws a thing of the past with this nail polish hack. One inevitable part of crafting or building things with screws is the risk of it becoming loose over time. Screws can loosen for many reasons, ranging from normal wear and tear to even seasonal temperature changes. One way to easily keep screws in place is to apply a thick layer of clear nail polish directly to the threads. Make sure to let the polish dry completely before using it for any projects. This method is similar to using Loctite Threadlocker Blue 242.

While high-quality jewelry often withstands the test of time, fashion jewelry is susceptible to tarnishing and can turn our skin green after prolonged contact. Instead of avoiding these pieces altogether, one of the ways to repurpose nail polish is to use a clear coat variety and apply a layer of it to any decorative metal. The nail polish essentially creates a barrier and helps prevent the oxidation process that causes tarnishing to occur. Note that this hack is best suited for inexpensive pieces of jewelry or any decorative metal piece you don't want corroding.

Whether it's garden labels for plants or kitchen labels to keep spices organized, these functional little markers are susceptible to many types of damage. Most notably, fading after use or smudging from coming into contact with moisture. You can prevent this from happening if you keep nail polish on hand to seal your labels and keep them from fading. This hack is applicable to many home and garden areas, including tool sheds, planter pots, indoor gardens, and storage pantries. Amp this up by using colored polish for an extra organization trick.

Another one of the ways to repurpose nail polish that's kid-friendly and great to get the whole family involved is using it to create DIY water marble art. This can be used for a variety of different things, such as mugs, glass items like candle holders, and even glasses frames for a truly unique accessory. All you have to do is add drops of the polish to a large container of water and use a skewer to stir the colors. Dip your items into the design and allow them to fully dry before using.

Keeping up with the theme of kid-friendly nail polish repurposing projects is using the old paint to customize planter pots. This is a great hack for any type of planter, but especially those used outdoors that are subject to the weather. Even if the polish starts to fade from season to season, you didn't invest a lot of money into expensive paint. You can switch up the colors to make fun designs or use the old polish as a way to color code your planters to stay organized while gardening.

Whether it's on flooring or your favorite pair of shoes, it can be so difficult to repair scuffs once they happen on these materials. However, using nail polish in a similar shade is a great way to conceal these marks on items made of vinyl or leather until you can make more significant repairs. For flooring, use clear polish to fill in the area. Those with no old nail polish on hand can breathe a sigh of relief knowing polish remover also works as a scuff remover for materials like tile.

Add a truly whimsical touch to your garden by DIYing a magical fairy garden, complete with tiny doors and rocks painted with old nail polish. A fairy garden is a tiny garden, usually situated at the bottom of a tree or in a tucked-away space, that mimics the world where fairies would live. They're colorful and a great way to add your unique style to your garden outside of traditional decorations. Be sure to add things like butterflies and flowers to the rocks to make it as authentic as possible.

Do you hate fumbling through all of your keys to find the right one every time you need to use them? You don't have to spend a ton of extra money on fancy key covers or custom-cut ones from the hardware store. Instead, repurpose old nail polish by picking out your favorite colors to embellish the keys with. Use a different color to coordinate with different locks and make it easier to find the correct key, especially when you're shuffling through them late at night or in bad weather.

Sick of your boring glassware? Don't run out to the store to try and find a design that matches your style when you can grab an old bottle of nail polish and paint the glass yourself! There are really no rules when it comes to this project, but it may be helpful to use a paintbrush versus the one that comes with the polish. Once happy with the design, cover it with a clear coat of polish to lock in your art. Be sure to hand wash these items to help them stand the test of time.

Window and door screens are an excellent way to let fresh air in without having to invite bugs and insects into your home as well. However, even the smallest cut or hole in a screen can lead to unwanted critters finding their way inside. Patch up the opening by using a small amount of clear nail polish to fill the gap. This may not be an ideal long-term solution for large rips, but this is a great way to patch up tiny issues before they get worse.

Matches are an incredibly helpful item to keep on hand in the house, whether for lighting candles when the power goes out or for more eclectic uses like arts and crafts projects. One simple way to repurpose nail polish and help your matches thrive in any environment is to waterproof them. This can be achieved by coating the match in a thin layer of clear polish, which acts as a barrier against any damaging elements. These matches can last longer than standard options while working the same as a traditional match.