Today we have another of the “odd” talks for you, Practical and Unusual Uses for Styrofoam Coolers.

As you know for most of our other talks, we try to be as environmentally friendly as possible. We are always on the lookout for new ways to recycle, upscale, and reuse everyday items. We try to use everything and leave little to throw away.

Styrofoam coolers are not usually considered eco-friendly. But anything can be better if you can find a way to reuse it or recycle it. Anytime you can up-scale instead of just throwing something away, you are helping reduce trash.

We order often from Misfit Market, we did a talk on them a good while back. Each order comes in a cooler to keep the fruits and veg cool and safe.

We also get coolers from Jeffers when we order large batches of farm animal supplies from them.  Some of these orders come in styrofoam coolers. We have a vet friend who orders vaccines and vetting supplies weekly and each order comes with a styrofoam cooler.

You see where we are going with this. Finding styrofoam coolers to use is easy to do around here. We almost always have a stash on hand for when we need one for some project or another.

So today we look at the Practical and Unusual Uses for Styrofoam Coolers. You may be surprised but there are quite a few ways to use these coolers other than just to keep things cool. We want to share some of the ways we have reused coolers to take advantage of their unique qualities.

1. Keeping things cold

The obvious use of styrofoam coolers is to keep things cold. On a hot summer day, a cooler filled with ice and drinks is welcome at just about any outdoor event.

We use styrofoam coolers for road trips, to keep our sandwich makings cool. Keep your bread from getting squished flat.

Styrofoam coolers are also great for keeping chocolate from melting in the car or at the beach.  Coolers also keep the sand out of your food.

2. Keeping things HOT

But did you know, styrofoam coolers are great for keeping things hot also? If you cook a nice hot meal and need to keep it hot for a bit until everyone is ready to eat, put it in a cooler. The cooler is made to insulate and keep things the temp they are. This is true for both hot and cold.

When we cook for church get-togethers or family eatings, we use coolers to keep foods both hot and cold. More than once, we have made up a large batch of biscuits or rolls and put them into a styrofoam cooler. The food was just as hot when we were ready for it as it was when it was freshly cooked. This will work for pies, casseroles, and pretty much any cooked food that you want to keep warm.

3. Stray Cat Hotels

Styrofoam coolers are great for making outside houses for stray cats. Cut a hole in one side like a door. Do not make the hole too large or the cooler will not be able to keep its’ heat. Fill the cooler with blankets, hay, or towels. Put the cooler out where stray cats are found. The cats will thank you for the warm hotel. You can even hook up a heat light outside the cooler and point it into the door for extra warmth. Be careful not to get the heat light too close to the cooler or the styrofoam will melt. It may take the stray cats a couple of days to get used to the new house and trust it. But they will come around to its’ charms when it gets cold and they find it is cozy and warm.

4. Hydroponic Gardening

Styrofoam coolers are also used in hydroponic gardening. As styrofoam floats, this makes a good platform to hold the plant pots. You can use the cooler top as is. Just cut holes the right size for the pots and drop a pot into the hole. The styrofoam will float on top of the water, while the bottom of the pot is submerged.

If you want to use the whole cooler, cut the sides off each other and off the bottom and you have 5 more flat pieces. If you have a steady hand you can use a box cutter or knife. You can make it “look pretty” if you want by shaving off the lumpy parts, but the look does not affect the use.

If your platforms need cleaning, a little water and a soft brush should do the trick. Of course, do not use bleach or heavy cleaners. The bleach and cleaners will not only contaminate the water and kill your plants but they will also eat the styrofoam.

The flat pieces of styrofoam for packing boxes such as t.v. or fridge crates also can be used for hydroponics platforms and no cutting is required.

5. Wildlife Homes and Birdhouses

Styrofoam coolers can also be made into turtle houses, birdhouses, toad abodes, fairy homes, gnome houses, and many other kinds of crafty decor.

A little paint, some craft paper, or cute contact paper and you are ready to make a trendy new house for someone. If you are going to leave the new house outside it is best to use paint or contact paper, regular paper will not hold up in the weather. But the cooler will be fine outside. Over time, the styrofoam may degrade in the sun but it will be a while before you have to worry about that.

Add some colorful marbles, small rocks, twigs, or some other “accent” and you have a cute house ready for your garden. Put it on the ground for toads, turtles, gnomes, and fairies. A little bit of moss, hay, or pine straw and the new owners will be happy and comfy.

Punch a hole on either side below the top and run a sting or wire through it. Now you can hang your birdhouse in a tree. Stuff a bit of hay in the cooler and the birds will move right it. Yes, most coolers are a bit large for many birds. But some birds are thankful for whatever they can get and they will use your handy cooler birdhouse.

6. Craft Projects

You can use a styrofoam cooler for many other craft projects, your imagination is pretty much the limit. Styrofoam coolers come in many sizes and shapes so you should be able to make many different-sized projects with leftover coolers.

7. Storage Boxes

You may be surprised to find that styrofoam coolers also make for great storage boxes. Most styrofoam coolers are made with heavy, solid sides and a fitting top. This makes coolers great for storing fragile items that do not need to be crushed or knocked around. The styrofoam also acts as a buffer in case the box is dropped. Your fragile items have a better chase of coming out in one piece in a cooler.

Though mice, rats, and squirrels can eat through styrofoam, it does take them a while to get through a heavy styrofoam cooler.

You may not yet know this about us but we make SteamPunk top hats and Bowler Hats. We use styrofoam coolers to store our top hats. The coolers keep the hats safe and dust free.

You do, of course, need to get a big enough cooler so your hat is not squished down. But a cooler is a very safe place for your SteamPunk Top Hat or Bowler Hat to sleep between uses.

8. Fish Transport

Many pet stores and fish wholesale places use styrofoam coolers to transport their live fish and other water pets. The cooler keeps the live pets from being smushed, sloshed, or otherwise knocked around in transit. The cooler also keeps the fish at a nice cool temp while on the go.

9. Use your imagination

We are sure there are many other ways a styrofoam cooler can be re-used rather than thrown away. These are the ways we most often use our leftover styrofoam coolers. Think about what need you have and see if you can plug in a Styrofoam Cooler in to cover that need.

Yes, Styrofoam Coolers will break down in the sun. They can be broken, punched holes in, and generally messed up. But they are good enough for short-term needs and if properly handled they will last a long time. They can be cleaned and reused many times for many different projects.

We hope you have enjoyed this talk on Practical and Unusual Uses for Styrofoam Coolers. If you have a cooler or two sitting around, see what you can make with it before you toss them into the trash. You may surprise yourself with what you can make for yourself with a cooler and not have to buy.  Not a big thing but again, one step to being more self-sufficient and earth friendly.

Thank you for visiting and please come again for another edition of Out Standing in the Field.