Carpet Squares to Spare? Put Those Things to Work

If you've recently carpeted an area of your house, you may find that you have spare carpet tiles leftover from the remodel. However, these aren't just scraps to be thrown away. Like searching for spare boxes when you're in the middle of a move, extra carpet squares are something that you'll probably want to keep on hand. In fact, since they're able to perform various tasks around the house, many people actually seek them out by collecting them from neighbors or buying them from stores. But what are you going to do with these things? They take up valuable storage space, and since they can range in size they may feel in the way at times. If you don't have the extra space, then here are some ways to put carpet tiles to work for you.

Finish the Unfinished: You bought these carpet tiles, so if you have enough, don't let them go to waste. If you have an unfinished basement, this is the perfect chance to turn a storage room into something useful. Sometimes all it takes is laying down carpet over that concrete floor to turn a cold storeroom into a new workout space. Maybe make that downstairs laundry room a bit more comfortable to your feet. Or warm your workshop by putting down some comfy flooring.

Interior Accents: Carpet tiles make for great rugs and doormats. Exploiting your surplus always saves you money, but the best part about reusing these leftovers is that since they already match certain parts of your home, they can make for a perfect complimentary accent in other areas of the house.

Protect your Floors: Carpet squares are most often used as a temporary cover to guard your original flooring. For instance, after installing a new living room floor, maybe you're now remodeling the kitchen, which means that contractors (or yourself) will be walking back and forth throughout your house for the next few days. These extra scraps can make for a great make-shift walkway so you won't have to worry about messing up the new carpet. And this doesn't just apply to contractors: put them under computer chairs, beneath furniture, or over other high-traffic areas of the house to protect your floors from everyday wear and tear.

Be Creative: Carpet tiles are tough and resilient, so make use of these qualities. Hang them on the wall and turn them into a bulletin board. If you have small pets, these scraps make for perfect sleeping rugs since they can endure messes and be easily discarded. Also, if you have clawing cats, what else would make for a better scratching-post?

Be Generous: If you absolutely have no use for them, then donate to people who do. Often schools are in dire need for these items. They use them for kids to sit on in class. Plus they're perfect for naptime and various art projects. In fact, since schools are always in need, they're often known for thoroughly exhausting every resource. So if you ever want some creative ideas about how to use a leftover product of any kind, a school may be able to give you some ideas.

Either way, it's still a good idea to always keep a few around for yourself: they make for easy replacements if your original carpeting ever becomes damaged. But if you need to get them out of the house and don't give them away, then make sure to recycle them or take them back to a carpet store so that they can dispense of them properly.