I fell in love with re-purposing about 3 years ago. I've seen a lot of awesome things over the years, but never really took the time to create any of them. This is going to be the year that I work on projects. I may use them myself, I may try to sell a few and I may simply just give them away. I don't know what my plan is, but I know I want to try a few of these. I will keep my eye out at thrift stores, yard sales and the Dollar Tree for items to use on each project. You could do any of these really easy on a cheap budget. Let's get started with 20 amazing ideas.....
I love the idea of unique vases or over-sized goblets and plates from yard sales being used to create display platters for desserts.
My mom did one similar to this and it was so cute. You can put fabric or scrapbook paper under the glass. The handles can be bought at Lowes or Home Depot and get whatever suits your needs. Paint a pretty frame and attach the handles with little screws, nails or simply hot glue and you have a beautiful tray.
I love this ideas for all those colored pencils we seem to accumulate. Only I do believe I would spray paint this a pretty color instead of just the galvanized metal.
A wonderful idea for old tins. If you use if for unwrapped food, I would recommend cutting a pretty paper doily to size and place it in the bottom of the pans before placing the food (simply cut your circle out and make 1 slit in the paper so it will go around the spindle. You could reuse it for showers and holidays and simply change out the paper to match the celebration. If you are going to use it for wrapped items like snack cakes or candy bars, you could spray paint it with a safe spray paint.
here is the same idea in rectangle instead of round. I love them both, but think I like the round the best. You can use wooden spindles from Hobby Lobby or any craft store. Or you can purchase wooden or glass candle sticks and use them.
I saved this idea, because I like the funnel for a ball of twine or in my case, I would love this over my craft table with a ball of jute. I do so much with jute and am forever trying to remember where I put it the last time I used it. Wouldn't ever lose it this way.
I love the old red handled utensils and see them frequently at local antique store for just a couple of bucks. The way I use recipes, I need to make one of these. I was just thinking the other day I needed a recipe holder to hold them up because I lay them down then can't find where I laid them while I'm baking. Again, I would paint the clothespin before I hot glued it on. I don't like plain.
I love tea cups. I love candles. But I never thought about making my own tea cup candles. Wax sure isn't that hard to melt and pour in a cup. I bet I could make these.
So if you combine my love of tea paraphernalia and my love of the above picture frame trays, you will understand why I want to do the DIY below. I love how they put the little frames on legs with door pulls.
You can do this with Mason jars or old candle jars after you have used up the candles. Just paint your lids and drill a little hole in the top of the lid and screw a drawer pull or knob on the top and you have an adorable jar for storage or for a candy dish. I see they are making bath salts in one. Allen used to make me bath salts with my favorite perfume scent, Rain. He would buy the oil in that scent and mix it with Epsom salt and a special coloring for bath salts. It was amazing.
This is cool and would take a little while to do. You would need great patience to get the rope wrapped just right....well guess that leaves me out. But it would be fun to try. A love basket. I would like to try it with a smaller basket for a trash can for my craft room.
Shadow box frames are so expensive, but you can sometimes pick up a drawer at a salvage place or even at a thrift store (I have seen them). And create your own shadow box frame. I love this.
Well, I showed you making trays from frames and I showed you making tiers from pans. What about combining the two and making tiers from frames? Love this one. You could use the vinyl peel off flooring as the mat in the frame. I love it.
I'm sure you see those yard sales that have a box of old books for .10 or .25 cents. What about buying some to make a fake birdhouse. Stack them together before you buy them to make sure the sizes are right and simply come home and hot glue them together. This one is all books about birds, but you could use anything. If you don't like the front, turn them around and use the back side out because those are usually a solid color. Cut out a black circle and glue it on and a little piece of dowel rod for the front. The eaves of the roof could probably be made from cutting up the back of a book (Gasp! Did I just suggest that?). It would make it sturdy enough to support the roof.
Some books you find, the spines are about to tear off and they are so abused and unwanted that they are falling apart and in a box marked FREE. Why not take a few of those and cut off the spine, punch a hole, insert a ribbon and make some unique bookmarks for your reading friends. I just remembered that McKay's where I trade books has a bin out front of some of these type of FREE books. I need to check it out.
I see globes for just a dollar or two a lot of times at yard sales and thrift stores. I never really needed a globe, but I do love the idea of the globe stand for my paper towels.
I also see a lot of pretty lamps really, really cheap but I never trust the electrical portions of a used lamp. Not sure why, but that just worries me. But I can't think of what would I do with one I was afraid to use. Well, now here's a great idea. Spray paint it and place a matching charger tray (you can pick them up at the Dollar Tree) or you can even spray paint the tray to match as well. Use a super bonding glue and attach the charger plate for a cute little side table on your porch.
I think this is my favorite one. I don't like drawer organizers from office supply. The little sections are so tiny it's hard to hold much or to get your fingers in to pick stuff up. I am going to do this definitely. And if I can't find an old cheap one, I think you can pick these up at Family Dollar or Walmart for just a few bucks.
Another cute idea for some old galvanized containers. I may have to do this for my porch to put some beautiful marigolds in. I love marigolds because they keep the bugs away and who wants bugs when you are trying to set on your porch. I just want a big galvanized tub full of flowers on the corner of the porch. Add to that my Boston ferns hanging around the porch and it will be gorgeous.
And last, but definitely a cute idea. A suet feeder for the birds made with thrift store coffee cups which you can pick up for about .25 cents each. Love this for hanging from the trees.
