6 Pistachio Shell Uses That Will Make You Keep Those Shells
Pistachio Shell Uses
I love to eat pistachios and can eat a whole pack of it by myself. Mountains of pistachio shells would usually pile up on the table as I wolf down the nuts while watching k-drama. Seeing it does make me wonder, if there is any pistachio shell uses that would be beneficial to me.
With my thinking cap and a curious heart of a child, I’ve set myself on a journey of discovery on alternative uses of pistachio shells. Here’s what I found out.
1. Keep snails and slugs away from your plants
If you love gardening like I do, chances are you have a bed of herbs and vegetables laying on your backyard. These fresh produce are lovely addition to your cooking. But, they are prone to be a target of slugs and garden snails.
You can use pistachio shells to deter the slugs and snails away. These garden pests prefer to cross on easy terrains. So, putting the shells around the perimeter of your garden bed creates a barrier. The pistachio shells make it rough for them to get over.
If you have a huge garden bed, you will need more pistachio shells. Spread it thick so those slugs and snails will have second thoughts of snacking on your garden!
Source: desperategardener
2. Use as fire starter
Friends that love camping would probably know this trick. Other than coconut husk, charcoal and sawdust, you also can use pistachio shells to start your camp fire. It’s the perfect cheap home made fire starter that pistachio lovers would need.
This makes pistachio a great snack to bring for camps doesn’t it?
Instead of using the shells by itself, stuff them inside the cutout of a paper egg carton. This will help to get the fire going better. Plus, the uneven surface of the pistachio shells allows air ventilation that keeps the fire going.
If you’re crafty, you can also make little cups of soy wax candles with pistachio shells in them. They make the cutest fire pit lighters that will make your camping much more fun.
Source: lovetheoutdoors
3. Create a lamp shade with pistachio shells
It’s time to get creative! You can make a cheap lamp shade for your table with pistachio shells. It looks impressive too!
First, you need to blow a balloon up to the size of the lamp shade that you want. Then, use hot glue to build your pistachio shells around it.
Finally, poke the balloon and invert it. Voila! You now have a pistachio lamp shade! Now, place it on top of a table light bulb and enjoy the warm glow.
4. Make garden compost
Garden compost is usually made out of kitchen scraps from plants. You can add pistachio shells into it as well. The pistachio shells add bulk to the compost that helps with drainage and increase its water retention as well. This will be beneficial for your garden plants for growth and health.
Like walnuts, pistachio shells are To improve the composting process of the pistachio shells, you need to crush it first. You might also need to rinse it with water to remove the saltiness if any.
Salt dehydrates the plant. It increases water stress by reducing the amount of water that the roots can absorb.
Source: sfgate
5. Create a pistachio flower craft
This is one of the most impressive pistachio shell uses in the list! It’s a pot of orchid that looks realistic!
The flower part is mainly constructed using pistachio shells. Acrylic paint is used to give it the color that suits the orchid itself.
There’s a lot of attention given to the making of this DIY craft. In fact, it is modelled after the phalaenopsis orchid.
Orchid tends to have a reputation of being difficult to grow. With this pistachio shell orchid, you don’t have to worry about that!
You can also create other types of flowers using pistachio shells such as cherry blossom, lavender and mini tulips bouquet.
6. Craft a tea light candle holder
Tea light candle is often a festive decorative item that we would usually have to decorate the home with. It makes nice accessory to the setting for Valentine’s night. Christmas is another awesome time to use tea light candle and light up the house.
However, one downside is that tea light candle often looks plain. They come with a silver round casing. It surely deserves the upgrade that these pistachio shells can bring.
This simple DIY tea light candle holder will require the use of a round base. Put the tea light candle on the cardboard. Draw the circle at the base. Now, you have a guideline for your pistachio shells.
Glue the pistachio shells accordingly around the drawn circle. Hot glue gun is perfect for this. Once you’re done gluing, spray it with metallic color.
I’ll be honest with you guys, metallic color of gold or silver is the best option. No other color will make it look that classy!
The final shape will look like a lotus flower. One extra idea that you can try is to attach foam base under it. Then, put it on the water and watch it float!
There’s a lot more variation of pistachio shell uses such as turning them into bowls and flower vases. Some even crafted them into ornaments. I’m pretty sure there are a lot more ideas where that come from. However, these are the most practical ones for me so I archived them here.
Know any other impressive pistachio shell uses? Share them in the comments!
