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

thriftwizard

I re-purposed a 6' piece of 2 x 1 wood this week. It had been the batten for a big Roman blind, which turned up with a roll of matching fabric. I dismantled the blind, sold the fabric (and the roll too) and had previously used some of the dowelling rods to make drop-spindles for a "do" at a local museum. This week I was hunting for something to make into a small twining loom - I have a big one, and have a lot of fun ripping up old sheets & blankets & making rugs & bathmats, but wanted something smaller for other people to learn on.

Anyway, the blind batten was sawn into four 18" pieces, which have duly been bolted together, & beech pegs inserted into two sides. I had to buy the eye-bolts & a threaded rod from a certain DiY warehouse to complete the assembly, but it works; I've already made a chair-pad on it! Next project will be to make a 12" one, but I'll need to hunt up some more 2 x 1 for that.

So I've re-purposed the wood into a loom that will allow me to re-purpose even more old sheets & duvets into colourful, characterful rugs!

Artytarty

Great thread!
Impressive work Thriftwizard, you must have loads of creative energy to do so much!
Some wonderful ideas from glass to sticky back plastic for me too.
I like to think I am an "out of the box" person but those hadn't occurred to me at all, so thanks again.

Floss

My daughter-in-law "acquired" jars from my preserving stash when I moved house for their plastic-free fridge storage.

I cut all ribbons off clothes so they don't stick out / get caught in zips etc... they all live in a very old Terry's chocolates box & when I am trying to colour-match for an outfit or accessories I find the coloured ribbons, tie them together & stash in my purse for any shopping trips.

I have a nice (£10 s/h from Facebook) pine tv/video cabinet that was too narrow for my new TV...it is now a bedside cabinet in my spare room with its shelves being used for chazzer baskets containing my hair dryer, styling stuff & straighteners (also easy to move if I have guests!)

My old allotment had a broken cool-box (inside layer was cracked) as keep-safe & dry storage - the lid was quite snug & no rodents could get in.

In the past I've used an old port crate and a Lloyd loom linen bin as bedside units, used fine mesh bed canopy/ mozzie nets as a cover for my cherry tree & blueberry bushes on my allotment and 20+ years ago my then husband would bring broken pallets home & chop them for firewood.

GreyQueen

My allotment has a rack made of the framing from a double divan bed base, fabric removed, one of the doubles that split into two.


The halves are standing up on their short ends and lashed together with string. Slats for the basis of 'shelves' on this bookcase-like construction, and the whole thing is covered with plastic mesh fencing, a mixture of wombled from a derelict plot I took on and a £1 part-roll from a bootsale.


The edges of the 'shelves' are covered with tacked down old bicycle inner tubes, to stop the cut ends sticking out and catching you. A couple of old concrete slabs weight down the base.


This freebie structure is a vertical plant nursery, designed to thwart the slugs. I may wrap it in plastic to start plants off before the frost risk has gone over.

Savvy_Sue

Working_Mum wrote: »

I was given two old wooden chests of drawers by a friend sturdy and good quality - I painted the frames, sides and top and had a go at wallpapering the drawer fronts.

I now have two bedside cabinets for my spare room which make it look modern and used (rather than all folorn!!). Hopefully the link works!!

https://imgur.com/gallery/u29Bey8

I was dead impressed by those!

This is a small thing, but I seem to have accumulated a lot of medium sized cosmetic bags over the years, and for me they make good knitting bags. I use circular needles for knitting, and do a lot of 'small' projects - so most recently there was a pair of gloves in one, a snood in another, and the back of a cardigan in a slightly larger man's washbag. Easy for me to grab the 'right' bag when I'm on my way out through the door.

As the cardigan progresses, the finished (or semi-finished - I like to get the fronts and backs to the decreasing stage before I start shaping!) pieces will be moved out of the wash bag and into the bag with the remaining wool ...

ouraggie

I have just cut up an old faded bathmat and have made myself 3 lovely mitts to use for washing the car.
They are pink so they even match my car-washing bucket!


I have 3 more "past-it" bathmats and several old towels. Just need to think of a way to repurpose them.

sillyvixen

I was getting rid of an old rectangular planter (originally sent via interflora with a plant arrangement from a friend when I was in hospital 15 years ago). I have since removed it from the charity bag., and planted it with salad leaf seeds to grow on the window sill for work lunches in the spring.

They are growing and I am look Inc forward to a cheap salad base for lunches in the future.

Katieowl

sillyvixen said:

I was getting rid of an old rectangular planter (originally sent via interflora with a plant arrangement from a friend when I was in hospital 15 years ago). I have since removed it from the charity bag., and planted it with salad leaf seeds to grow on the window sill for work lunches in the spring.

They are growing and I am look Inc forward to a cheap salad base for lunches in the future.

Those A4ish blue plastic mushroom trays are great for growing salad leaves. Line them with old potting compost bags and poke some drainage holes in the plastic.

bloomfelt

Just wondering if anybody has found a use for hard coffee jar lids. I normally try and buy the refill pouches but had to get a jar under current circumstances and the lid isn't recyclable so was wondering if it could be used for anything

Savvy_Sue

In happier days, I knew people who would put a lump of florist's foam in there for small flower arrangements. 

Saucer for small flowerpots (very small!)?

Pot for paperclips, knick-knacks, bits and pieces. 

Throw small change into it at the end of every day, count up and spend / save at regular intervals.