April 13, 2013

8 Fantastic Uses for Old Things

Spring is here and that means many families are clearing out all sorts of odds and ends around the house. Before you get rid of your clutter, check out our list of awesome uses for old things!

Shutter Organizer
Mail, keys, and other miscellaneous notes can clutter the entry way of any home. Conquer this entryway clutter by hanging a vintage shutter for a convenient and attractive mail sorter. Place mail and other papers between the slots or hang memos with clothespins. The days of frantically searching for your keys are over – attach hooks to the outer edges for easy hanging.

Clipboard Picture Frame

Crafty Clipping
Children are always proud of their artwork, and the refrigerator is not big enough to hold all of their masterpieces. Take old clipboards and place them like picture frames in the playroom. When someone comes to you with their next big craft, clip their creation in place and admire! Clipboards also can be used for 8×10 photos, adding an unexpected and playful touch to empty wall space.

Vintage Vases
Many beautiful antique pieces get passed down through generations, but it is likely that the majority of these collectibles haven’t seen much use as of recently. Bring out old water pitchers and reuse them as spectacular centerpieces and flower vases. These historic treasures are a fantastic conversation starter!

Pitcher Vase

Can Containers
Recycle your tuna cans (after thoroughly being washed out…) into junk drawer organizers! These storables can be used for paperclips, thumbtacks, keys, batteries… and anything else that may be rolling around aimlessly in your drawers.

First-Place Office Supplies
Using old trophies is a creative way to organize your pencils, scissors, and other utensils while displaying some of your great accomplishments.

Vertical Laundry Rack
As kids grow up, many parents simply toss out old cribs. Repurpose an old crib railing into a space-saving clothes drying rack. Place the railing against one of your laundry room walls and you have an inexpensive, easy-to-put-away hanger that looks much more trendy than a scanty clothes line.

Workshop Storage
Don’t throw away those old mason jars just yet! These can be easily recycled into convenient containers for all of your small workshop hardware. Place different sized nails, screws, nuts, and bolts all in different jars. Attach the lids of the mason jars to the bottom of a garage shelf, and twist the jars into place. Now you have hanging organization that is a space saver for your countertops AND you can take the entire jar with you when using a specific type of hardware.

Mason Jars

Gardener’s Toy Box
Do you have an extra 3-tier hanging produce basket lying around? These make for perfect gardening storage! Place your gloves in the top, any seeds or planting bowls in the middle, and larger utensils in the bottom. The metal baskets are perfect for damp gloves, as they provide breathing room so you will never have to worry about soggy (or moldy) gloves again.

We hope this has inspired you to take on a DIY project of your own and reuse some of your old household items!

Check out our related Blog Post: Spring Cleaning

Interested in some larger repurposing projects? See some of the best restored houses in the Greater Seattle Area: www.bellevueseattlehomes.com