A mom on TikTok shared a hack for making your curtains look fuller and livelier by using an everyday household item that typically gets tossed in the trash.
The scoop
On TikTok, Jennifer Valentyne (@jennifervalentyne) demonstrated her simple hack to pump up curtains using empty toilet paper rolls.
@jennifervalentyne Toilet Paper Curtain Roll #Hack ♬ I Can't Believe You're In Love With Me - Artie Shaw
Simply slide a roll on the rod behind the curtain, then slide two rings on, and repeat until the curtain is fully on the rod. It gives the curtains a fuller appearance, adding dimension to your windows and overall home decor.
How it's helping
Repurposing something that might otherwise be thrown away can be a money saver, making the most of the initial product you bought and reducing your spending on new stuff. Stores do sell curtain rod spacers and fluffers, all made out of plastic, for at least $10-$20.
By not buying new products, especially those made of plastic, you're reducing the use of energy and resources to make a new product, when something exists that works just as well. Manufacturing plastic produces a lot of pollution, and when plastic is discarded, it takes years to break down in landfills and also releases microplastics, which have been accumulating in the soil and water all around us, leading to ongoing research into potential health concerns.
Keeping items like toilet paper rolls out of landfills also reduces pollution. While cardboard is highly recyclable, it depends on whether it's soiled, coated, and properly sorted. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, of the 110 million metric tons of paper and cardboard tossed in the U.S. in 2019, only 38% was recycled.
Luckily, toilet paper rolls are incredibly versatile. People have used them to start their annual garden planting, as storage for yarn for crafting, and as toys for cats, among hundreds of other uses.
What everyone's saying
People in the comments enjoyed the simple concept presented by Valentyne.
"That is actually a really good hack," wrote one person, with another declaring it to be awesome.
A third called it an "excellent idea."
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The cost 💰 Some people pointed out the hack might not work if you plan on pulling your curtains all the way across the window, but as one person noted, the idea was "genius, would work for me as I don't pull them across."
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