We’re now officially more patriotic than even the Americans, judging by all the mirror flag socks and window flags seen on our roads, but don’t let these nation-building tools face a future of seagulls picking at them on a landfill. So what do you do with your vuvuzela once the dust has settled on 2010…
Words Julia Housdon and Simon Lewis, Photographs richard aaron Don’t wear out your mirror flag sock… REUSE The greatest icon of 2010! We considered turning them into bikinis or using them as face-masks when clearing out the attic, but our best advice is to hold onto them and reuse for special occasions, as daily use will allow the elements to beat the life out of them… if jealous shoppers don’t pinch them first. REUSE Got an old rear-view mirror lying around in your garage? Then you can display your mirror flag on that (either in your garage, pub or study) between those ‘special occasions’. REUSE Snap a few handfuls of them up cheap when shops and vendors are off-loading their stock – you might re-sell at a tidy profit in a few years when nostalgia kicks in. READER ENTRIES No entries to date.
Re-fly the flag Big flags or small flags – all of them can be changed into something trendy, chic or fun with a little bit of effort and ingenuity. REUSE A spare flag made from good-quality material can be used to upholster a seat cover. REUSE Need an outfit in a hurry? Take a large flag and, with a couple of zaps through the sewing machine, you’ve got a patriotic party dress. Use extra strong safety pins instead of sewing it in place and then you can return it to the flagpole the next day. REUSE If you can get your hands on a whole lot of flags from all the competing nations then why not create a colourful and fun quilt (just sew it onto a warm backing fabric) for your child’s room or for the couch for cold winter evenings! REUSE Bought too many flags in the excitement and now you’ve got leftovers destined for mothballs? Sew them up into easy pillow-cases and rest easy. REUSE If you’re keeping your flag for the next big sporting event, fold it up carefully and then pack it in a draw with eco mothballs so that you aren’t left waving half a flag next time! READER ENTRIES No entries to date.
What to do with your vuvuzela after 2010 REUSE Use it to call the kids in for supper when you finally buy that idyllic house in the country away from big-city life. REUSE Take four unwanted vuvuzelas, pour cement into them (blocking off the top and bottom to allow it to set)… and you’ve got the legs for a vuvuzela coffee table, although you’ll need to add some DIY creativity to keep it stable and practical. REUSE Tie a freezer bag around the mouthpiece and wrap an elastic band tight around it to block it off: congratulations, you’ve just created a giant use-once champagne flute to celebrate the end of 2010 in style. REUSE Secure the lid of a 500ml yoghurt tub to the bottom of the vuvuzela with glue and you’ve got a piggy bank (you might need to chop a bit off the top to make enough space for dropping in your R5 coins!)… REUSE… or it can be a vuvuzela time-capsule in which you can preserve all your tickets and other mementos for future generations to one day discover and recycle themselves! REUSE If you want to keep it as a decorative memento, get your friends at the match or watching on TV to sign it. REUSE If all else fails, donate it to a pre-school – no kid ever got bored of blowing a trumpet loud. READER ENTRIES No entries to date.
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