Burak Demir/iStock
DCL
If you're not into using nail clippers or biting your nails, which I have to advise against given the vast colonies of germs dwelling beneath your nails, then the most efficient way to keep your nails looking good is through the use of a nail file. But nail files don't last forever. If you file your nails frequently, they'll eventually become dull and you'll be left to figure out what to do with that seemingly useless file on your nightstand.
Here are five ideas for reusing your nail files:
1. Makeup Nail files can help you get the most use of your makeup. When I wear makeup, my foundation use is usually limited to a bit of concealer stick spread under my eyes. The tricky thing about concealer sticks is that there's always leftover makeup at the bottom of the sticks that is impossible to get to. Unless, of course, you use something handy like a nail file to dig it out. Do this and you'll get an extra week or two out of not only your concealer stick, but your lipstick, too.
2. Smoothing Rough Edges From plastic beads to a chip on the wooden headstock of your new used guitar, nail files can do wonders for smoothing out rough edges on these kinds of items. Handy, right?
3. Sharpening While fingernails may not be able to be reshaped by your file any longer, that doesn't mean that your nail file has to retire from the sharpening business. Try sharpening your sewing machine needles, knives, and other blades and see if your old file has still got some sharpening life in it.
4. Scrap-booking Filing along the edges of the card stock you use for scrap-booking can give your paper a neat distressed look that might just be perfect for your project.
5. Erasers Use your old nail file to rub off dirty parts of your erasers. Too often, erasers get dirty and do more smearing than they do erasing. This can be avoided by filing off the used parts of the eraser.
