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

YorksLass

jackieblack wrote: »

When my daughter recently wanted to buy a funnel for filling her bird seed holders more easily, I suggested she made one from an empty fizzy drink bottle - cut off about halfway down and turn the top part upside down - she was amazed and delighted with her ‘free’ funnel! Now, just to find a use for the bottom half... :think:

Make a few drainage holes in the bottom and use as a starter pot for seeds. The top half also makes a good cloche for small plants/seedlings until they're ready for planting out.

[Deleted User]

I snaffled several empty plastic milk bottles with screw lids ,washed them out and filled with washing soda crystals and wrote on the front in marker pen WASHINg SODA, The plastic bags I buy the soda in once opened us useless as it spills it all over the bottom of the cupboard plus if you don't decant it it will just harden into lumps .
I also a couple of years ago snaffled a old pair of jeans my DGS had out grown and cut the legs off and sewed the bottom of each leg up and at the top turned it over and ran an old trainer lace through the turned up bit to make a draw string and I keep the two jeans legs on the back of the spare room door and store left over christmas wrapping paper in them along with a pair of scissors and a roll of sellotape. Keeps about 4 rolls in each leg and they are easy to find when it comes to Christmas .I normally get the paper reduced after Christmas in the sales so win-win

Aldi were doing some really nice yogurt in small glass pots with push on lids awhile ago and I saved about 6 of them and they are all maked up with different things on the outside for the small things I pay for in cash throughout the month,gardener ,quiz night ,hairdresser,history club etc . I then draw the cash out at the beginning of the month and divide it into the separate pots and they are on the top shelf of the kitchen cabinet. Never have to think about the small bit of cash for bills as I make sure the exact amount is in there every month .

I have another pot that I keep 'road kill' cash found on my travels Its surprising how the odd pennies and five pence pieces add up.Plus there is always a small amount of cash in there to go into the charity envelopes that sometimes come through the door .

I like to try and find another use for odds and ends if I can Great thread this

JackieO xx

jackieblack

YorksLass wrote: »

Make a few drainage holes in the bottom and use as a starter pot for seeds. The top half also makes a good cloche for small plants/seedlings until they're ready for planting out.

Ooh... loving the mini cloche idea! :beer:

PipneyJane

horsechestnut wrote: »

The clear plastic punnets that strawberries etc come in are good for using on your dressing table for keeping small items together and of course everything can be easily seen.

Ooh, yes! I’d forgotten about this one. You know the plastic containers that mushrooms come in? The ones that hold about 750g? I use them as dividers in the drawers in the bathroom: soap goes into one “section”; those little bottles of shampoo that you get given in hotels go into another; there’s a third for body wash and another for hair conditioner, etc.

- Pip

YorksLass

PipneyJane wrote: »

You know the plastic containers that mushrooms come in? The ones that hold about 750g? I use them as dividers in the drawers in the bathroom: soap goes into one “section”; those little bottles of shampoo that you get given in hotels go into another; there’s a third for body wash and another for hair conditioner, etc. Pip

I've got a stash of these too and have some in my kitchen cupboards to store packets of casserole mixes, stir fry sachets etc - keeps them tidy and it's easier to find what I'm looking for. They're also useful to stand bottles of oil in so they don't make a mess of the shelves. Several in the bedroom drawers for socks, undies etc.

JackieO wrote: »

I snaffled several empty plastic milk bottles with screw lids ,washed them out and filled with washing soda crystals and wrote on the front in marker pen WASHINg SODA, The plastic bags I buy the soda in once opened us useless as it spills it all over the bottom of the cupboard plus if you don't decant it it will just harden into lumps .

Aldi were doing some really nice yogurt in small glass pots with push on lids awhile ago and I saved about 6 of them and they are all maked up with different things on the outside for the small things I pay for in cash throughout the month,gardener ,quiz night ,hairdresser,history club etc . I then draw the cash out at the beginning of the month and divide it into the separate pots and they are on the top shelf of the kitchen cabinet. Never have to think about the small bit of cash for bills as I make sure the exact amount is in there every month .

I have another pot that I keep 'road kill' cash found on my travels Its surprising how the odd pennies and five pence pieces add up.Plus there is always a small amount of cash in there to go into the charity envelopes that sometimes come through the door .JackieO x

Good idea for the washing soda storage. If you cut them on the diagonal (make sure you keep the handle bit) they make cheap scoops too for things like soap powder, compost etc.

Snap, on the system for separating cash out for all the small payments we need each month.

Tigsteroonie

JackieO wrote: »

I also a couple of years ago snaffled a old pair of jeans my DGS had out grown and cut the legs off and sewed the bottom of each leg up and at the top turned it over and ran an old trainer lace through the turned up bit to make a draw string and I keep the two jeans legs on the back of the spare room door and store left over christmas wrapping paper in them along with a pair of scissors and a roll of sellotape.

Hadn't thought of trouser legs - thank you for the idea!

FreeBear

Found part of a wok set at a local charity shop. They wanted 50p for the spun aluminium lid, so I gave them a whole £1... Made a hole in the middle, and it now hangs as a lamp shade in the hall.

caronc

The base of my much missed late dog's bed is currently full of pea plants.:) "Bags for life" with a few holes popped in make great spud/other veg growing sacks. What was an outdoor dog run is now a log store and now defunct glass recyling crates (the system changed) are bases for raised pots (actually cheap builders buckets with holes drilled in the base) in my veg patch. Surplus decking planks strengthen an old garden bench whose seat broke and is now covered with flower pots. I could go on but suffice to say a lot of my garden is put together from stuff that was used for something else first:D.

Owain_Moneysaver

These shelves were two and a bit bi-fold doors thrown out by a neighbour:



The bench is one door, and the shelves are the second door ripped lengthwise. Upright is offcut of a third door (remainder used elsewhere).

Covered in cork tiles, and gloss varnish from Poundland. Loadsastorage in the hobbies room!

Before using them for this purpose, the doors were a temporary dining/office table when I had a lot of paperwork to sort out, so they are now on their third use.

GreyQueen

Things made from wombled umbrella tops; stuff sacks for therm-a-rest, a cover for a tea cosy, stuff sacks for other bits of camping equipment, lightweight shoppers, bunting.


A double divan bed base, the kind made in two halves, minus its fabric. One half on top of the other, with wire fencing tacked over the top for a handy potting bench/ place to start plants away from the slugs.


Four engineering bricks, currently in process of being cleaned, padded and covered for bed risers. Bricks dug up on the allotment so entirely free, just sweat equity.


An attractive double duvet cover, purchased this afto and already washed and dried. Will be made into a pair of sheets for my camp bed plus a matching pillowslip and carry bag. Will probably be enough cloth for the little cover for the rack I use as a bedside table when camping (I can rough it but I'm too old to have anything to prove, so I tend towards the glamping end of camping ).



Sheer net curtains; with re-used nylon zips, made into laundry bags to protect delicates.


Those little mesh bags which come with laundry tablets. Useful to contain small amounts of things when travelling. Put a soap bar in one and hang on the garden tap, keeps the soap handy and allows it to dry.


Those plastic covered wire racks with the fold down legs which go into cupboards to create an extra layer of storage; I have one hanging upside down from 4 cuphooks screwed under a kitchen wall cabinet. It keeps the tea caddies off the v.small counter but handy by the stove.


........ I could go on but you'd probably rather I didn't. I am a habitual womble and have just acquired two wonderful tins of paint from beside out communal bins, both with their prices still on and unused - about £20 worth and the project they'll be used for is already planned.


Now all I need is one 8 ft planed plank, a couple of shelf brackets, about 10 large cork notice boards, some blackboard paint and various other fixings and doings and that allotment shed will be seriously pimptastic.:):p:cool: