We all have some old makeup brushes in our stash that have become too worn out or were never good to begin with, like those useless little brushes that come with palettes or gift sets. But throwing them away would be a waste. Just because those brushes aren’t useful to apply makeup, it doesn’t mean they’re not good for anything else. Here are 3 creative ways to put them to good use:
1. Clean all those nooks and crannies
Old makeup brushes are very useful to clean small objects such as computer keyboards, camera lenses, hi-fi sets and remote controls, as they can fit into all those hard-to-reach little nooks and crannies, easily removing all the dirt that has deposited there. Just be careful not to wet the brush when you use it on electronic equipment, such as computers, especially if they are turned on. If you’re cleaning your furniture instead, you can safely spray your brush with some furniture polish or vinegar.
2. Arts and crafts
If you have children, you could give them your old brushes for painting and other crafty projects. If your kids just want to have fun and experiment with art, old brushes will do very well. And if they discover a love for painting, you can always invest in better brushes later on. Besides, old brushes can work well to paint grass or add texture to a picture.
3. Messy glue projects
For some artsy or DIY projects, you may need to use glue, which can be pretty messy. Old eyeshadow and eyeliner brushes are very handy to apply it with precision on small areas, while larger face brushes can be used to apply it liberally on bigger surfaces.
Do you know of any other uses for your old makeup brushes?
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
These are some great ideas, especially the one where you use your old brushes to clean the laptop. I was looking for the perfect tool for a while now
I don’t know why I haven’t thought about old makeup brushes before. They fit so well between the keys. 
Tavia´s last [type] ..NARS Holiday 2013 Guy Bourdin Collection – Sneak Peek
Tavia, you’re welcome. They are the perfect tool for cleaning the laptop as they can fit in all the little nooks and crannies.
omg I love that first idea, genius! Never thought of this before, now I can rejoice that my old brushes will have a second life lol. Thanks for the tips, Gio
Makeup Morsels´s last [type] ..The Urban Decay Glinda Palette | Review & Swatches
Makeup Morsels, you’re welcome. It’s great when you find a way to recycle your old things, isn’t it?
I agree, the nooks and crannies (fun phrase
) idea is brilliant! I mostly use mine for arts and crafts. I use concealer brushes for painting sometimes.
Janessa, I knew you’d be using them for your artsy projects. You’re a very creative and talented lady.
Lol – this makes me laugh so much, as these are the sorts of things that my dear family find for my CURRENT makeup brushes!!!!
Viv, lol! Sorry, but that made me laugh too. You should hide your current brushes and leave only the old one lying around lol.
Great tips! I use mine to clean up my cuticles after painting my nails. Small ones work best.
eight´s last [type] ..Winners Clearance Haul: Guerlain and Betsey Johnson
Eight, I had never thought of that, how handy! Thanks for sharing.
I use a nail art dotting tool for messy glue projects. The glue can be easily removed, whereas brushes won’t survive a glue attack.
Mylanqolia, that’s a good point. I suppose that if the brush is really old, that won’t be too much of a problem. Otherwise, dotting tools would be a better option.