Get Crafty with Pecan Shells

How many of you have tons of pecan shells laying around their home because the pecan is one of your favorite snacks? Well, instead of throwing out those pecan shells, why not get crafty and utilize the entire pecan and not waste a single part?

There are several ways you can utilize pecan shells leftover from snacking. From crafts to cooking to using them as a fuel source, there really is no limit on what you can do with this versatile nut.

Clean and Green Energy

Did you know that pecan shells actually make a good biofuel source? You can use your pecan shells as kindling for a fire. They burn well, are relatively inexpensive, and are considered a renewable biofuel source. Remember this next time you purchase your four pound bag of in-shell pecans.

Beauty Product Additive

This is a beauty hack that has been in circulation for years, so you might have already heard about it. If not, let us refresh your memory. Simply place your pecan shells in a food processor or even a coffee grinder. You want to get them to grind down and make a coarse paste. You can then add these small shell particles to your soaps or facial cleansers.

The ground down pecan shells make for a natural exfoliant and can help eliminate those dead skin cells threatening to clog your pores. It also helps immensely with dry and flaky skin.

Pecan Shell Mulch

When the cooler weather starts to set in each year, you can gather all of your leftover pecan shells and crush them into smaller pieces. Those pieces can then be added to the soil in your yard or garden to act as a mulch. This pecan shell mulch helps to retain soil moisture and can even deter slugs.

Pecan Crafts

Finally, you can also get the kids involved and get crafty with your leftover pecan shells. You can paint them, use their shape to create a small animal figure like a bullfrog, or you can glue them together to create a beautiful fall wreath for the door.

So, what do you plan on doing with your leftover pecan shells? Before throwing them in the trash, consider all of the uses of this very versatile nut. You will be glad you did.