Here's an easy upcycling idea: Recycle a paint stirrer into a plant marker for the garden. Use a permanent marker to write the name of the plant at the top of the paint stirrer and stick it in the ground by the plant.
Stale loaves of bread, rolls and pastries can be revived quickly with just water and the oven. Spray water on the outside of your bread and place them inside a 350-degree prebaked oven for several minutes. Rolls will crisp up in just a few minutes; a whole loaf of bread will be bakery-fresh in about 20.
If you're traveling around the country and taking corded products with you -- hairdryers, flat irons, chargers -- recycle a cardboard toilet paper tube into a handy holder. Just wrap the cords and stuff them inside of the tube; it'll keep the cord neatly organized for your trip.