7 New Uses for a Penny

Clever ways to repurpose an everyday item.
1. Curtain Straightener
Make an opening in the bottom hem, slide in a penny or two, and sew the hem back up to keep curtains hanging level and stick-straight.
2. Tread Checker
Insert a penny into a groove of a tire with Lincoln’s head pointing into the tire. If the groove covers part of his head, you’re safe to drive; if the head is in full view, it’s time for new wheels. (The distance between the rim of a penny and Lincoln’s head is 1/16 of an inch―the minimum suggested tread depth.)
3. Table Anchor
If you dine out and the table is unsteady, put a coin under the leg to restore balance.
4. Game Token
Misplaced the thimble? No problem. Sub in a cent.
5. Reader Tip: Makeshift Screwdriver
Use a penny to screw open a toy’s battery pack.
Caroline Brant, Collegeville, Pennsylvania
6. Reader Tip: Icebreaker
Hand out pennies at your next gathering and ask each guest to share a story that happened during the year his or her penny was minted. If the coin predates a friend, let the person improvise.
Rachel Harrison Massa, Stamford, Connecticut (for a lot of us if the date was before we were born I’d suggest seeing if a collector would buy it ;-)
7. Reader Tip: Birdbath Cleaner
To ward off algae, toss in a few pre-1982 coins; the high copper content retards growth.
Suzanne Wesley, Terre Haute, Indiana
http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/new-uses-for-old-things/new-uses-penny-00000000027632/index.html?xid=yahoobuzz-rs-012210&xid=yahoo