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

bit_by_bit

Fab thread that is perfect for me. Nothing in the last few weeks but I repurpose bottles all over the allotment. I sue them scoops, pointed down into the ground for localised watering, on top of canes and suchlike.

Also last week: I have a corkscew hazel that thows off a lot of straight branches every year. I use them like canes and ususally get a few years of use out of them.

Looking forward to contributing to this thread ona regular basis.

As for net curtains. i sort stuff at my local CS and rarely see them come through.

Aril

I have snaffled some pretty paper from my craft stash and stuck it onto cardboard from the cereal box to make two mounts to go in the picture frames I bought from a charity shop. Have used them to frame two small pictures I've had saved for several months.
Arilx

bit_by_bit

More recycling with cardboard (as unwaxed as possible) torn into small pieces and added to the compost. I got this idea from the Machynlleth Centre for Alternative Technology years ago. the compost always comes out lovely as it rots away.

GreyQueen

Oooh, I love the CAT, have been there a few times over the years, thanks for the reminder, I really ought to get out to Wales again and tie it in with a visit to CAT.


I have material in several piles around my sitting-room, all from things which were bought from chazzers for pennies, laundered and then dismantled into their component parts for sewing projects. Love love love making things............:D

parsniphead

I've been going through DS's clothes today. I have them going back to newborn and he is 8 now. Well eight bin bags later and the house feels lighter but all the t shirts have been saved and I'm going to make him a memory puff quilt for his bed. I've made a small one before so it should be ok even with my dodgy hands.

I thought I would need to get a piece of fabric for the back but the after my huge decluttering realise I'm unindated with fleece blankets so one of those will do. I have some bias binding already so I just need to find some more stuffing. I may see what's inside the old, tatty duvet before I start buying cheap pillows.

With any luck the whole project will cost just the electricity unless I get my hand crank sewing machine fixed. I'm getting tight.:rotfl:

jackieblack

Have just stumbled upon another ‘repurpose’

Sorting out a distant corner of my back porch (an inaccessible ‘dead’ zone that has been desperate for a good clear out for some time ) I discovered an ancient pair of wellies that belonged to my daughter, who moved away 2 years ago and plainly hasn’t needed/missed. One has been folded over and has split, leaving an odd ‘good’ welly. It’s rather jolly - blue with multi coloured polka dots - I put it down in front of the open door and realised that the grippy sole provided enough friction to keep the door open, even in the current blustery wind. So now I have a new door stop for my porch door - if it needs more weight I will use an old plastic bottle/contain that will fit down the leg part and fill it with some clay cat litter that my grandkittens won’t use in the litter trays (I was given two bags and have been wondering how to dispose of it).

I have also been sorting out some old clothes this week, stuff that I haven’t worn for a while. I found a couple of pairs of cropped cotton trousers that I hadn’t worn because the colour had faded so I bought some navy blue dye and now have two ‘new’ pairs of navy trousers - I have also dyed a canvas bag and the shoe/laundry bags I made from an old pillowcase and a string shopping bag (just out of curiosity to see how successful it would be). So one pack of dye has been used 3 times, the colour just getting slightly lighter each time

Gem-gem

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 .
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

JackieO I love what you do with the legs of trousers. Ingenious.
I will be stealing that idea.

Gem-gem

Fridge / freezer - door remover - used as a cupboard in the shed to store bottles of alcohol.
Mushroom boxes - saved and place plant pots in. Also been using them to collect berries in.
Old brush cotton sheet - cut up into rounds, doubled up, Sean together and turned into make-up remover pads.
Old kilner jar - store washable makeup pads in.
Jam jars - homemade jam / store harvested seeds in / store small things in.
Cake cover - place over beetroot plant pots to stop the birds from eating them.
Next year I will use the old net curtains - cover the cabbages. I have been watching the cabbage white butterflies fold their wings to get to my cabbages. Thanks for that idea.
T-shirts - cleaning cloths.
I also reuse ribbons for presents.
Birthday cards - labels / make other cards with.
Tins - pencil pots
Reuse tissue paper for wrapping presents.
Newspaper - wrapping food scraps in.

purpleivy

I have some tiny plastic pots with lids. I recently made some really concentrated chicken stock that I have frozen . It doesn't take as much room in the freezer as the wishy washy stuff!

thriftwizard

I use my mother's old small chest freezer (which would possibly be lethal if plugged in, such was the rust underneath) to store oats & rice in, which I generally buy by the sack. Our 20-year-old 5' one is nearly dead now, and once replaced will be used to store flour & chicken feed; vermin can gnaw through plastic feed bins in one night, but for some reason they don't seem to go for stuff kept in old freezers. They are always being requested on our local Freecycle/Freegle groups for keeping horse & pony feed in.