This awesome tip comes from my reader Wendy…
When it comes to saving money on household items, I’m like alot of other Moms out there–I get very creative and try to find new, and sometimes, weird ways to accomplish my goal! They say that necessity is the mother of invention, and I guess you could say how I came up with the idea of using coffee filters to serve my kids their “finger foods” & snacks! I had spent all morning cleaning my house and, when I was done, whipped up a fast lunch of hot dogs for the kids & hubby. There I was in my gleaming, clean kitchen–no dirty dishes in sight–and was hesitant to sully the efforts of my morning’s hard work by serving up hot dogs on “real” plates. With no paper plates, and (thanks to an over-zealous 8 yr old attempting to clean up a koolaid spill the night before) no napkins/paper towels…I was looking around for ANYTHING to serve lunch on, other than clean dishes! While rustling around in the cupboards, I found a box of coffee filters that were left over from a broken coffee pot, and EUREKA!!! The hot dogs fit perfectly in the filters, and although I got weird looks–mostly from my husband–from everyone, they had their lunch, and I had my clean kitchen! (No hot dogs, hands, floors, or dishes were harmed through this experiment…lol.) I continue to use them when serving the kids lunch or snacks–especially if they are going outside to eat, or when on the go. They’re inexpensive and come in packs of 100 most of the time, so it’s a great substitute for paper plates and economical to boot!
Christie says
That is a great idea. I also read to use coffee filters for cleaning (windows, countertops, mirrors, etc…) because they are lint-free! It works beautifully. Great finds at Dollar stores.
Heather says
That is a great idea! I will have to try that.
Nickalli says
We also use these as “toppers” in the microwave so that nothing splatters as it’s being heated.
Judy Seller-Clevenger says
Thank you for this great idea! I have tons of filters that I don’t use any longer. They would be great for filling tacos, too!
megan says
I was a school teacher for 9 years and did this in my classroom. The kids thought it was a lot of fun!
Kathy says
I believe coffee filters can go in your composter, too, if you have one!
Debbie says
We just got a new coffee machine and no longer need filters so I was wondering what I could do with all the filters I have….This is a great idea! Thanks!
Ginny says
Coffee filters can be composted so this is a very green alternative (if you’re in to that sort of thing.) :)
Tim says
We’ve been doing this neat little trick for years! My folks would use coffee filters to hide our Easter egg nests around the house. The filters helped keep all the candy in the nest, and even more importantly all that plastic grass which normally gets everywhere!
Kelley says
Sounds like a great idea. I’m going to give it a try!
Kristen D. says
I love this idea! I’m going to keep my eyes open for some cheapo-coffee filters :D
Mary Ellen says
I have served popcorn before but I love the idea to replace plates and paper towels. You can believe i will do this tonight.
Amy Dunham says
They do make the small 4-cup filters that can be used for smaller snacks. And, these are handy to have for crafts… while camping you can collect nuts, twigs and stuff in them…. you can use water color paints and spray bottles and make tie-dyed coffee filters that if you clip together in the middle, make a butterfly.
Karen says
We did this when I had to use up a big bag of filters from Sams, when we got a new coffee pot that didn’t take the round coffee filters.
Michelle says
I absolutely love this idea! We are going camping next week and you better believe that I am taking coffee filters!!! Awesome idea. Thanks for sharing!
Joyce@Joyful Creations at Home says
I have thought about doing this before and then always forget about it. Might be great to leave them out where I can see them and the kids can grab them easy. I’m thinking cupcake holders might work well for smaller portion sizes…say for nuts and goldfish. maybe not as economical, though.
Andrea says
kids teachers do this for school snacks!!