"Repurposing" things - what have YOU done? Or what do you have that needs a purpose?

GreyQueen

A pal who dismantles men's shirts for patchwork says there's a lot of interesting stuff on P interest to do with the leftovers, wonder if that is a resource you'd like to explore?


I will continue with my plant rack from the double divan later this week as sourced some more of that plastic mesh fencing for £1 from the bootsale last weekend. Not sure if I have enough old bike inner tubes in the shed to do more edging. If not, will swing by my friendly neighbourhood bike shop and ask for some cast-offs.

calleyw

GreyQueen wrote: »

A pal who dismantles men's shirts for patchwork says there's a lot of interesting stuff on P interest to do with the leftovers, wonder if that is a resource you'd like to explore?

GQ,


I have to say I am rather taken with pinterest. search for cardboard furniture it is stunning. Also I am attempting to use news papers to weave baskets. It does have to be rolled up in to tubes to start with but can be done while sat down watching tv. Can be news papers or magazines. Only got as far as making some tubes (no where near enough for a basket yet) and making a base. Wish me luck with the weaving part :rotfl::rotfl:


Yours


Calley x

[Deleted User]

re the shirt collars a soft case for holding the different controllers I have a dvd player, a tv player my Tivo box one and other one for the electric fire.thats four just in the sitting room I have hand made four different holders and embroidered on the front with bright red wool DVS,TV,TiVo and Fire,I drew the letter reasonably large with a sharpie black pen then chain stitched around the letters, as I was always picking up the wrong ones I have a large brass screwed in hook by my armchair which I loop them all onto so they are all in one place The hook was a left over from when my DD redecorated her sitting room and was changing her curtains into blinds instead.The held the tie back in place I love to find new uses for things and hate to bin something just because its become redundant

thriftwizard

Another great idea, thank you, JackieO! My Mum could really use a way to tell her controllers apart; at 93 she's sometimes baffled when her phone won't turn the TV off, for example! Mind you, she'd need to be wearing her glasses to tell them apart unless they were completely different colours, but that's another story...

So today I've made an iPad case from some collars and a little vintage-style pinny/apron for a 5-6 y.o. girl from the yoke, button & buttonhole plackets and the sleeves of one shirt. Next project will be shorts for a boy; I'm trying to leave the shirt backs & fronts intact for quilting. I'd already made a sewing-tidy from the cuffs & a jeans leg, and a number of small mending kits & one that will do nicely as a cable tidy from other cuffs. OH has put in a request for an oyster card holder too, which seems eminently do-able. The idea is maximum re-use for minimum effort...

[Deleted User]

I know how your Mum feels I would love someone to invent just one blooming controller that would be universal for all the different ones we seem to collect, as its always the one you need that disappeared down the back of the sofa .
My DD has two black leather sofas in her sitting room and ,yes her controllers for her gadgets are black as well so they are always hunting for the right ones ,she even has one that controls various temperatures around their house, yes I know ,no one seems to have heard of basic switches anymore There is always a cry in their house from one of the boys 'Muuum where's the zapper ?' It seems not long ago when it was modern to have one that was attached to the TV/Video by a wire at least you could find it then
Great to see things being used up,rather than binned and causing even more landfill sites

JackieO xx

PipneyJane

Sometimes you can miss the most obvious things. I was filling our water bottles on Saturday, when it occurred to me that they belong in this thread. Both our water bottles are 1.5L concentrated squash bottles (the square shaped bottle). We'll use them for a few years, until they become too crushed and then swap them with new ones.

We have also recycled bottles to store tap water in the fridge.

- Pip

Working_Mum

I am not exactly sure if this counts but I have a Scots Pine in my drive and I collect all of the fallen pine cones and use them for kindling!!

I collect all year and there is more than enough for me and a big bag each for about 8 friends!!

AndyCF

Oh I do save empty 'noodle pot' type containers on the rare-ish occasion I have one or two, if I am not recycling them I drill some holes in them and they make decent little plant pots for initial growing of cuttings.

Well they would do, but both the Fuchsia and Spirea seem to not be happy this year. :rotfl:

Same with the 2L / 3L fizzy drinks bottles too if needed.

EDIT... I've also found those small (about 3 inch diameter) plastic pots you get either an xmas pudding in or a sponge microwave pudding type affair in, they are quite handy for random oddments. I have a few with various screws and things in like that too.

[Deleted User]

I have two empty 2 pint plastic milk bottles with the screw tops that I snaffled from DD and when I buy a bag of washing soda I decant it into the bottles (washed,clean and dry inside first of course ) A bag of soda from Boots is about 60p odd and I use half washing soda and half Aldi's non bio liquid in my washing machine The £1.89 bottle now gives me around double the washes this way. The bottles I use for the soda crystals keep them dry, and I have marked in black sharpie on the front what it is.Stores neatly in my under the sink cupboard. I use UHT milk so that's why I had to get empty ones from DD

ScarletRibbons

I've turned a charity shop cardigan into a cushion cover, complete with buttons down the front.