Green Daily

They come at you with every fast food order and they are also attached to juice boxes; they are the disposable, plastic straw. The first drinking straws invented by Marvin Stone in 1888 were made out of paper and therefore biodegradable. Now, however, plastic straws get tossed aside and life on in landfills for many years. They are also a hazard to marine life. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to reuse them (or even avoid them in the first place).

1. Torture device. Many straws come wrapped in paper which can be torn into small pieces, moistened with your own saliva and placed inside the straw. The next step is to raise the straw to your mouth, aim it at your target and exhale sharply. Works great on younger brothers.
2. Snowflakes. Cut straws in 1/4 inch lengths and glue the sides together to create seasonal decorations. If you get started now, you can have an entire winter wonderland created by next December. Snowflakes aren't the only shapes that can be made, Starbucks' straws would be great for the creation of shamrocks!
3. Detangler. If there is a particular cord that continually gets tangled in your household, string drinking staws along the length to discourage knots. This also works for necklaces.
4. Paint. Dip the ends of a straw into a paint mixture, aim at paper and blow! This a great for firework themed art and for creating your own greeting cards or wrappng paper.
5. Music. Expiriment by poking holes into a straw to create your own wind instruement. Endless fun at restaurants if you want to be particularly annoying.