If you are like many people, your turkey baster has probably already made its way back to the very back of the kitchen utensils drawer. It seems for your average family, the turkey baster probably gets used less than 5 times a year. For many people, it’s probably literally one time a year on--you guessed it--Thanksgiving. However, I learned a cool trick from a friend who uses her turkey baster to suck up the grease after browning ground beef. That can be such a tricky job when you are tilting the pan, and trying to scoop it out with a spoon without spilling and/or getting burned. The turkey baster makes it incredibly easy!

Here are 11 awesome ways to use a turkey baster that you probably haven’t thought of.

1. DEGREASE MEAT. I’ll be honest—I have never even cooked the Thanksgiving turkey so this is actually the reason I initially bought a turkey baster :) And it works beautifully. And it lowers the likelihood of searing grease spills. Get one for this reason and this reason alone, if nothing else!

2. SEPARATE EGGS. You can easily separate the yolk from the egg whites by first, unscrewing the bulb of the turkey baster; next, squeeze it to slurp the egg yolk away from the whites. Squeeze again to release into a separate bowl.

3. WINE STOPPER. You can use a turkey baster as a make-shift wine stopper by dropping the thin end of a turkey baster into the bottleneck.

4. BEST ENTERTAINMENT FOR KIDS.  Turkey basters are a fantastic screen-free way to keep kids busy and having fun for hours! Give the kids pom-poms and a turkey baster. Watch them race the balls across the floor by squeezing puffs of air out of the basters.

5. USE FOR SMALL TOUCH-UP PAINT JOB. If you have a small paint job like touching up a little spot, use a turkey baster to transfer a small amount of paint from the pail to a disposable cup. You’ll have the exact portion you need and avoid drips.

6. CHANGE BRAKE FLUID. If you do this job yourself, you should start by removing the old, dirty fluid from the master cylinder reservoir. Use a turkey baster to do this in a quick and mess-free fashion. (*It is highly recommended that you keep this turkey baster in the garage--not in the kitchen.)

7. WIND YARN. To wind a ball of yarn with a turkey baster, remove the bulb from the turkey baster. Thread yarn through the baster, and secure to the thin end of the baster with a piece of tape. Wrap the yarn horizontally around the wide end of the baster. After there is about an inch of wrapped yarn, begin winding diagonally to create a crisscross pattern. Continue until a ball is formed. Tuck the end of the yarn into the ball. Remove tape from the other end. Slide the ball off the baster.

8. FEED FISH. Use an extra turkey baster (not the same one you use for the Thanksgiving turkey!) to directly feed pet fish that struggle to compete for their share of food. The tool is also handy for feeding invertebrates such as clams, corals, and anemones

9. CREATE ARTWORK. Fill turkey basters with paint for creative crafts with little ones (or just for grown-ups for a fun, creative time!). Create colorful paper plates or cover blank canvases with splats of paint.

Or to make a beautifully colored glass bottle, use a baster to transfer paint into a clear glass bottle. Roll the bottle until the paint is evenly distrubuted. Dry upside down. Use the painted bottles as bright vases.

10. FILL MUFFIN TINS. This is an absolutely brilliant way to add an equal amount of batter to each muffin cup and in a mess-free way. Turkey basters are also handy for drawing creative pancake shapes in the griddle.

11. INJECT PASTRIES. Fill a baster with your favorite jelly, custard or pudding mix. Inject into homemade pastries for delicious, gooey treats.

What do you use your turkey baster besides turkey, of course? Do you use it already for anything of these things? Please share any tips or thoughts in the comments below :)