What have you re-purposed

[Gibs]

After Reading a few threads here about using what you have I was wondering what you have re purposed lately. What have you taken and changed or made new out of, or used in a different way??

Well I have been changing DD's bedroom so I re-purposed a lot of items....I re-painted an old vanity, I re-painted a shelf for her wall, some picture frames, the drawers of her bed, and her head board, and the doors of a pantry...there are pictures posted here on this site for anyone who wants to see them....

So what have you re-purposed, reused, recycled into something else lately?

[Laurie in Bradenton]

We repurpose old wire statalite dishes. They make great gazebo covers.
One covers our pond to keep the water from getting to hot. Has a stag horn fren hanging from it. Another supports a rangoon creeper. The 3rd has a light in it and covers a table for dining. All came from home that had upgraded to dish network and were no longer needed.

LAurie in Bradenton

[AmyBoz]

Lately, I've been re-purposing storage containers. I pulled a storage container from the basement, where I had been storing over 30 Schick Intuition razors I got for free YEARS ago, and I'm now down to about 10. Didn't need the big container anymore. So, I brought it out to the garage and it now holds painting things. Also, I had a small bookcase that I used in the basement for random things. I got rid of the random things and brought the bookcase out to the garage and it is now shelving for gas cans and oil cans for the snow blower, lawn mower, etc.

[hmcart]

I admit that I havent done a great job lately of repurposing things. I do have plans to turns some of the kids old word out flannel pj pants into cleaning clothes. Def will save on paper towels!

[mamamia]

Well not sure you'd call it re-purposing, but we recently got a delivery with different sized, one inch thick styrofoam boards. I'm going to make some of those fabric covered "french memo" boards with them. I have a piece that's about 9x12, and with that one I'm going to make a mini magnetic memo board for the fridge. I've got plenty of fabric scraps and ribbon, so my cost will be zero. Figuring on spraying with a fabric protector which I also have on hand. I'm bored , so hoping that this will be fun!

Another thing I thought about was making window cornices. I've seen it done, so if I have a couple with the right width, I'm gonna give it a shot too. There's SO many pieces, I just had to think of something to do with them.

Theresa

[frugalfranny]

Newspapers for weed barriers in my garden.

Also put shredded paper into a plant hole for a plant that likes water.....it will decompose. (I have very rocky ground)

Old shower liner for a 'wheelbarrow' while weeding. Easier to hit the shower curtain, (bigger) than to try to toss weeds into a wheelbarrow. Then I just drag it to the compost pile. Easier to dump than a wheelbarrow too.

ANY bag goes for dog poop bags......popcorn bags, bread sacks, anything!

[pollypurebred39]

turning a gift bag into a picture to hang in my son's room. Free frame. Total cost ZERO~


Turned an old glazed ceramic flower pot into a holder for bathroom cleaning brushes.
Total cost ZERO~

In the near future will use 2 old Tiki torches and make a curtain rod for our tropical bathroom redo.
Total cost minimal~

Turned an old candy dish into a caddy for kitchen brush, sos pads, ect.
Total cost ZERO~

[nuisance26]

~This week;
I'm working on a t-shirt quilt and two denim quilts from old jeans.
I'm using cracked plastic containers to hold my fresh summer produce.
I'm using a large washed out pb jar to hold dental flossers in the bathroom.
Using a leaky toddler cup as a toothbrush holder.
Using a vinyl tablecloth for a tarp.
Using bubble bath in my foaming soap dispenser.~

[Jamielane]

I wanted a new kitchen table. We had a long wooden table from IKEA that was nice but to long and getting really beat up. We never used it because it was to much trouble to climb over and around it to sit at it. Then we couldnt get in the fridge etc. . So dh says How about if I take it out to the garage and cut it in half ? I said your kidding right? He said well the chairs are fine and its just the size that we dont like right? I said yeah. He said I will cut it in half, reattach the legs, sand it and put a nice coat of varnish on it. I said it will never look right. It will look like you cut it in half. He said let me try, worst case scenario we still buy a new table. So he took it out there. Worked his magic and viola I cant even tell which side he cut. It is beautiful, serves the purpose wonderfully and the kids sit there all the time to eat or play games. If we need to we bring the other two chairs in and 4 people can still sit there but I only keep 2 inside daily. DH and I always eat in the livingroom on trays anyways. Then I was also able to bring in my cabinet pantry that has been in the garage and keep more food storage inside as well and it doesdnt interfere with the table or sitting there at all.

[onencgirl]

I got an old TV armoire for free from the curb. I painted it, changed out the hardware and now noone knows I use it in dining area to store can goods. It looks like a china cabinet. hehe

[Gibs]

Great ideas everyone!!

[dean]

Got an old solid wood door from a relative, and am using it now as our basement entrance door-free
Old scrap wood paneling that we tore out of our dining room has been changed into a wishing well for DD#2 wedding cards. free
Bathroom light Dh tore out of a bathroom remodel is now my over the kitchen sink light-free
Carpeting Dh tore out of a family room remodel is now the carpeting on my back porch-free
Old wringer washer is now a flower pot in my back yard-free
old door is now a bench on my back porch-free-(check it out in my album)

[shoiji]

I have taken apart some knitting to make new scarfs.

Made some cloth napkins out of a new sheet I was not using

[frugalfranny]

Hey, dean.....I am impressed!

bet you don't have to buy much huh??? way to go!!!

[Libby]

We repurpose old wire statalite dishes. They make great gazebo covers.
One covers our pond to keep the water from getting to hot. Has a stag horn fren hanging from it. Another supports a rangoon creeper. The 3rd has a light in it and covers a table for dining. All came from home that had upgraded to dish network and were no longer needed.

LAurie in Bradenton

Wow - do you have pics of that? This I'd love to see

I wanted a new kitchen table. We had a long wooden table from IKEA that was nice but to long and getting really beat up. We never used it because it was to much trouble to climb over and around it to sit at it. Then we couldnt get in the fridge etc. . So dh says How about if I take it out to the garage and cut it in half ? I said your kidding right? He said well the chairs are fine and its just the size that we dont like right? I said yeah. He said I will cut it in half, reattach the legs, sand it and put a nice coat of varnish on it. I said it will never look right. It will look like you cut it in half. He said let me try, worst case scenario we still buy a new table. So he took it out there. Worked his magic and viola I cant even tell which side he cut. It is beautiful, serves the purpose wonderfully and the kids sit there all the time to eat or play games. If we need to we bring the other two chairs in and 4 people can still sit there but I only keep 2 inside daily. DH and I always eat in the livingroom on trays anyways. Then I was also able to bring in my cabinet pantry that has been in the garage and keep more food storage inside as well and it doesdnt interfere with the table or sitting there at all.

Did you keep the other half of your table? You can buy used or make your own legs and make another table for later use should you have a need to entertain a larger group of people. Bonus if you make it so that it has detachable legs or are able to buy the fold down kind of legs for easier storage

I've repurposed my old medication bottles from the pharmacy (yes I've thoroughly washed them out): one holds sewing kit items; one holds misc buttons when you buy new clothes - you know, the emergency 'extra' button?; one holds cough lozenges (Fisherman's Friends comes in a paper pouch and I dont eat all of them in one short time frame); one holds alcohol wipes, polysporin, cotton swabs and bandaids - travel first aid kit....the possibilities are endless!