10 Clever Uses for Coffee Filters

Even if you don’t drink coffee, it might still be a good idea to have some coffee filters around at home! Just check out all the neat alternative uses for coffee filters below…

Coffee filter hacks

After researching an entire post on coffee filter crafts, I quickly discovered that there were SO many other creative uses for coffee filters that I had never thought of.

I was already amazed at how people were using coffee filters to create beautiful flowers, wreaths, and other art pieces…then I discovered the homemade tea bags below and quickly fell down a rabbit hole of coffee filter hacks.

1. Homemade Tea Bags

Homemade coffee filter tea bags

Although there are tons of pre-made tea bags you can buy at the stores, if you ever buy loose tea and you want to make your own tea bags, all you need is a coffee filter and a few other supplies. These are surprisingly quick and easy to make too!

Get the full tutorial from The Make Your Own Zone.

2. Disposable Duster

Dusting screen with coffee filter

I don’t know about you, but electronics in my house always gather a ton of dust. And while reusable dust pads are nice, sometimes they just end up redistributing dust in other places! That’s why having a quick disposable dust pad is nice, and a coffee filter works great for this.

Because they’re soft, they won’t scratch anything up (like a computer screen), but their texture and material will pick up dust particles with ease. They go a long way too!

If your car often gets dusty, you can keep a few coffee filters in the glove box for quick wipe downs. Check out these other DIY car cleaning hacks for more ideas.

Thanks for the idea, Family Handyman!

3. Fun Crafts

Coffee filter crafts

Coffee filters are super cheap so that already makes them a great craft supply candidate, but what’s really cool is the way they react to colors. You can make some really unique tie-dye designs with them!

If you want some inspiration and more ideas, check out these 28 Creative Coffee Filter Crafts & Art Projects.

4. Plug Plant Holes

Soil on coffee filter in flowerpot

If you have a flowerpot with large drainage holes in the bottom and want to stop soil from falling through, a coffee filter is the perfect quick fix.

Thanks for the idea, Craftaholics Anonymous!

5. DIY Dryer Sheets

Coffee filter in fabric softener

If you don’t have any dryer sheets on hand but you have fabric softener and coffee filters, you have everything needed to make your very own dryer sheets! Just soak the coffee filters in fabric softener, let them dry, then they’re ready for use.

Thanks for the idea, Morning Chores!

6. Air Freshener Sachets

Coffee filter air fresheners

This coffee filter hack is SO clever! First off, just look at how pretty those homemade sachets look. I can almost smell them through the screen too.

The main thing in the sachets is baking soda, which naturally sucks bad smells out of the air. You then add ingredients like cinnamon, ginger, lavender, or anything else you think might smell good, tie it up, and bam! A homemade air freshener that you can use to freshen up your car, drawers, shoes, anything really.

Thanks for the idea, Pop Sugar!

PS: These would make for some awesome and easy homemade gifts.

7. Disposable Snack Bowl

Coffee filter with food in it

This one’s a bit silly, but then again, you never know when a quick disposable bowl will come in handy! As a bonus, the coffee filter will absorb some of the excess grease and liquid from the food which makes snacking a bit cleaner.

Thanks for the idea, Just One Mom Trying!

8. Strain Stocks and Sauces

Straining stock with a coffee filter

Simple but effective! Coffee filters make for perfect strainers and they allow for a quick and easy cleanup too. Some people will even strain used cooking oil through coffee filters to be reused again. Now that’s frugal!

Thanks for the idea, Cuisine at Home.

9. Camera Flash Diffuser

Canon camera with a coffee filter over the flash

This is a creative coffee filter hack for all of the photographers out there. If you need to make the flash on your camera a little softer, you can make a custom fitting coffee filter diffuser!

Thanks for the idea, Instructables!

10. Coffee Filter Uses Around the Kitchen

To over-deliver a little bit, we’ve got 5 more coffee filter uses for you, all related to the kitchen!

  • Cover microwave splatter – Put a coffee filter over a bowl before you microwave it to stop splatters in their tracks.
  • Clean up spills – Have some small spillage? Save the paper towel and use a cheap coffee filter to clean it up.
  • Butter pans – Coffee filters don’t leave behind specks of cloth like some paper towels do, so they’re perfect for this.
  • Stop icecream or popsicle drips – Having some homemade ice cream or popsicles? Use a coffee filter to protect your hands from drips.
  • Protect dishware – Put coffee filters between plates, pots, or pans to protect them from scratches.

Where to Buy Coffee Filters for Cheap

If you want to get the best price per filter, your best bet is probably Dollar Tree or another dollar store. They typically have bulk packs and different sizes, all for very affordable prices.

Your next best bet is Amazon. As you can probably guess, they have a huge selection of bulk packs available with some 500+ packs for under $10. You’ll pay a bit more for the convenience of online shopping, but that may be worth it to you (especially if you have Prime)!

That being said, we do have some resources to help you save some money online! Check these posts out:

Know of any other uses for coffee filters?

If you do, share them below! There are already a ton of great ideas above but I’m sure there are other clever ways to use coffee filters that haven’t yet made the list.

Also, coffee filters aren’t the only things with awesome alternative uses. Check out these other household hacks:

Uses for coffee filters

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