Most people only think about their computer printers in regard to printing out documents, photos, or relevant information such as airline boarding passes. Home computer printers are incredibly underutilized. This is because most people don’t even realize the incredible variety of uses. There are other useful, entertaining, and funny things to print from your computer.

Sure, it may take some extra ink cartridges and investment in printer paper, however, for just a minimal expense, you can design and print your own business cards, holiday labels, activity pages, birthday cards, games, and arts and crafts projects.

Here are just a few examples of creative, useful, and funny things to print from the internet on your home printer.

10. Coloring pages for kids

Children love their crayons and coloring books! If your kids are seeking unique or themed coloring pages with their favorite superheroes, storybook characters, animals, or holiday themes, log onto the internet and download pages from sites such as Freecoloring.org. These coloring pages will provide hours of entertainment for kids everywhere!

9. Mazes and kids’ activity pages

In addition to coloring book pages, children adore activity sheets with word searches, mazes, crossword puzzles, dot-to-dots, hidden pictures, etc. Websites such as MazeGenerator.com offer mazes and activity sheets for kids.

8. Holiday gift tags and labels

Rather than spending a fortune on over-priced holiday gift tags, design, personalize and print your own using down-loadable templates. Some websites also offer you the option to upload your own artwork to incorporate into gift tags.

7. Sudoku puzzles

A new website called Sudoku Generator.com makes it easy to print out your own sudoku puzzles. This can be downloaded as PDF files, printed, and then worked out with pencil and paper. The difficulty factor of these puzzles ranges from easy, medium, and hard to very hard. These puzzles may be just the thing to print out if you need a way to pass the time. You can carry them around during a long airplane flight or even on a rainy day at home.

6. Gift boxes

Many websites offer instructions and patterns for origami or folded paper creations. Rather than buying fancy gift boxes for holiday or birthday gifts, make your own gift box by downloading a PDF origami pattern, and printing it on decorative paper.

5. Greeting cards

Greeting Cards, Birthday Cards: Instead of buying Hallmark birthday cards, holiday cards, Father’s or Mother’s day cards, create your own! Many websites offer endearing and funny, templates and designs you can download for free, or create your own personalized designs and text. Even upload your own original artwork. Friends and family are sure to appreciate these customized cards!

4. Fake parking tickets

If you want to play a funny practical joke on someone, there are many online sites that offer printable fake parking tickets. These gag gifts are sure to entertain! Choose from a variety of traffic offenses such as “driving a gas guzzling vehicle” “being a rude parker” or “over the hill parking permit”. To give your friends or co-workers a real scare, print these novelties on orange paper, and leave them tucked onto the windshield of the unsuspecting driver!

3. Printable coupons

Many merchants, retail stores, and restaurants offer coupons and promotional discounts that can be easily printed from the internet right onto your home printer! Rather than sifting and clipping through the Sunday newspaper for money-saving coupons, use search engines to search for the exact coupon or retailer you want!

2. Sheet music

Musicians and music lovers will certainly appreciate the websites that offer downloadable sheet music for popular songs. Do you know someone who loves to write their own music? Simply download PDF files of blank sheet music!

1. Joke of the day

Thousands of websites offer funny jokes of the day, cartoons of the day, or comical stories sure to inspire laughter. If you work in an office, joke of the day pages may be just the thing to print out to share with co-workers or colleagues to brighten spirits and improve workplace morale!