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Make an instant colanderYour pot of linguine is almost done when you realize you forgot to replace your broken colander. No need to panic. Just grab a clean aluminum pie pan and a small nail, and start poking holes. When you're done, bend the pan to fit comfortably over a deep bowl. Rinse your new colander clean, place it over the bowl, and carefully pour out your pasta.
Rein in splatters when fryingWhy risk burning yourself or anyone else with oil splat-tars from a hot frying pan? A safer way to fry is to poke a few holes in the bottom of an aluminum pie pan and place it upside down over the food in your frying pan. Use a pair of tongs or a fork to lift the pie pan and don't forget to wear a cooking glove.
Create a centerpieceHere's how to make a quick centerpiece for your table: Secure a pillar candle or a few votive candles to an aluminum pie pan by melting some wax from the bottom of the candles onto the pan. Add a thin layer of water or sand, and put in several rose petals or seashells.
Contain the mess from kids' projectsGlitter is notorious for turning up in the corners and crevices of your home long after your youngster's masterpiece has been mailed off to Grandma. But you can minimize some messes by using an aluminum pie pan to encase projects involving glitter, beads, spray paint, feathers ...well, you get the picture.
Make trays for craft suppliesBring some order to your children's -- or your own -- inventory of crayons, beads, buttons, sequins, pipe cleaners, and such by sorting them in aluminum pie pans. To secure materials when storing the pans, cover each pan with a layer of plastic wrap.
Keep bugs out of pet dishesUse an aluminum pie pan filled with about a half-inch of water to create a metal moat around your pet's food dish. It should keep those marauding ants and roaches at bay.
Train your dogIf Rover has a tendency to leap up on the sofa or kitchen counter, leave a few aluminum pie pans along the counter edges or the sofa back when you're not home. The resulting noise will give him a good scare when he jumps and hits them.
Keep squirrels and birds off your fruit treesAre furry and feathered fiends stealing the fruit off your trees? There's nothing better to scare off those pesky intruders than a few dangling aluminum pie pans. String them up in pairs (to make some noise), and you won't have to worry about finding any half-eaten apples or peaches come harvest time.
Make a mini-dustpanIf you need a spare dustpan for your workplace or bathroom, an aluminum pie pan can fit the bill quite nicely. Simply cut one in half, and you're ready to go.
Use as a drip catcher under paint canNext time you have something that needs painting, place an aluminum pie pan under the paint can as a ready-made drip catcher. You'll save a lot of time cleaning up, and you can just toss the pan in the trash when you're done. Even better, rinse it off and recycle it for future paint jobs.
Store sanding disks and moreSince they're highly resistant to corrosion, aluminum pie pans are especially well suited for storing sanding disks, hacksaw blades, and other hardware accessories in your workshop. Cut a pan in half and attach it (with staples or duct tape around the edges) open side up to a pegboard. Now get organized!
Use as an impromptu ashtrayNo ashtray on hand when you host a smoker in your home? No sweat. An aluminum pie pan -- or even a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil folded into a square with the sides turned up -- should suffice.
Protect fingers during cookoutsThere's nothing like a cookout in the great outdoors. Whether you're planning a day trip or a longer excursion, be sure to pack a few aluminum pie pans. Put a small hole in the middle of each pan, then push them up the sticks used for roasting hot dogs or marshmallows. The pans deflect the heat of the fire, protecting your hands and your children's hands.
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