What have you repurposed lately?

**Darlene** · 01-12-2011, 02:50 PM

When we helped clean out our inlaws home I came across a nice wicker laundry basket but one of the handles broke so there it sat waiting for a new handle. Well instead of adding a handle to it I cut the jagged one flush added a pillow and an old flannel sheet and my cat is now laying in it happy as a clam. I let her find her way to it and as I sat here at the computer I could hear the crinkle of the wicker & knew we had a winner. She now has her own bed upstairs & down.

What are you doing with your unused things?

**sinopa27** · 01-12-2011, 03:07 PM

How sweet! I bet the cat is so comfortable. I had an old electric blanket and the wires went bad. So I spread it out for my dogs to lay on. They have their area to lay down

**The Muse** · 01-12-2011, 03:49 PM

I needed a sofa, but couldn't find one I liked for a decent price, so I bought an antique twin bed from the secondhand shop for $60, then bought a quilt and some pillows and now I have a super comfy daybed for much less than a sofa.

Not exactly repurposing from my own stash, but still giving new life on the cheap to something I needed.

It's the first place people sit when they come over, they're always saying how luxurious it feels to lounge on a daybed next to the fire.

**Judi Dial** · 01-12-2011, 04:49 PM

Covered, outside (under the new 2' of snow) is a wrought iron love seat, which after it gets the rust removed, is repainted black, and gets cushions added, will become our new "couch."

More recently, last night DH was rehanging the gridwall in our kitchen that was taken down when I put in the new rug. He had a hard time getting the hooks he had to support the metal grid. I thought about it and got him some of the baby crib hardware I'd put in a box, (the crib rails are holding up the baskets with our napkins, tablecloths, etc. in them. Anyway, it worked perfectly!

Judi

**Contrary Housewife** · 01-12-2011, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by Darlene

What are you doing with your unused things?

Taking them to Goodwill for others to repurpose. We just have too much crap.

**krbshappy71** · 01-12-2011, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by Darlene

When we helped clean out our inlaws home I came across a nice wicker laundry basket but one of the handles broke so there it sat waiting for a new handle. Well instead of adding a handle to it I cut the jagged one flush added a pillow and an old flannel sheet and my cat is now laying in it happy as a clam. I let her find her way to it and as I sat here at the computer I could hear the crinkle of the wicker & knew we had a winner. She now has her own bed upstairs & down.

What are you doing with your unused things?

Oh that's funny. I repurposed a wicker basket for my Lhasa about 2 weeks ago and she destroyed it. I've tried repurposing throw pillows for the dogs and they destroy those too. GRRR. (yes, they have proper things to chew)

**dcompton** · 01-12-2011, 09:31 PM

I bought one of those big tins of popcorn to bring in to work before the holidays. Today I tossed the remaining bits of popcorn out on the patio for the birds and squirrels and washed out the tin before I left for work. It will be dry when I get home, and tomorrow, it will become a trash can by one of the chairs where I crochet, or at need, an extra yarn bucket.

**madjen** · 01-12-2011, 10:33 PM

I found a basket that we already had and weren't exactly using to use for the Wii games and accessories.

**nuisance26** · 01-13-2011, 11:06 AM

~T-shirt scraps were turned into fabric envelopes for gifting CD's, DVD's and other small, boxy things. Super fast and practically free.

~

**Libby** · 01-13-2011, 11:11 AM

Still resorting to my empty tissue boxes (we go through a lot of tissues at this house) into drawer dividers. They work wonderfully and they're not too large nor too small to hold things. They're just the right size

**forHISglory** · 01-13-2011, 11:26 AM

I LOVE the thinking on this thread!
1. We drink a lot of tea, and have many different kinds of tea bags. I wanted a nice caddy for them, but they cost boocoo bucks. So found a bamboo silverware divider at Goodwill for 50c and using that as my caddy. I have about a dozen different kinds of teabags in it, plus the larger compartment holds the teabag squeezers!
2. I punch designs out of old greeting cards and use them to make new greeting cards or as embelllishments for my scrapbook pages. I'll punch out an assortment of hearts, squares, ovals, scalloped circles, etc.
3. And about the popcorn tins..... we use them for storing Christmas ornaments and lights.
4. I have gallon sized glass jars from restaurants. I think that salad dressing and pickles came in them. I sponge painted the lids to match my kitchen colors and now have a variety of pasta stored in them. They are lined up on the cabinet, and pretty and easy to use.

**Missy** · 01-13-2011, 11:48 AM

Turning a old wooden dairy delivery box (with a hinged lid) into a quail coop.

Took a old coffee type container metal with plastic lid (was for dry good storage - macaroni) into a secret cash stash. (there's also a few pieces of secret chocolate, hahahaha)

reclaimed sweater yarn to make into a project later on.

took m frosting container and washed it instead of tossing it out, I can use it on the table for the kids to put their pencils, etc in. or it can be used for water when the kids are painting.

**moasmom** · 01-13-2011, 12:13 PM

I had a bunch of lipstick samples of the same color (the kind with a tiny plastic bubble in a card). I liked the color, but it was a pain to get the lipstick out for regular use.

I ran out of blush , and had a brainstorm. I opened all the packets and scraped the lipstick into a larger container; now I use it as blush, applied with a sponge.

Kara

**HappyMama** · 01-13-2011, 12:24 PM

A French Empire sofa ( antique and 8 feet long)I got on craigslist, I stripped it to nothing and reupholstered it as well as recovering the buttons for it. It looks like one I saw for sale in a magazine for 3, 500....lol

**Ali Lee** · 01-13-2011, 01:26 PM

I cut off the stretchy top part of a pair of socks, made a slit with a pr of scissors for a thumb hole & slipped them on my hands-they get cold typing. I took a plastic onion bag, folded it, wrapped it with a rubber band & have been using it to scrub dishes. I'm eating rhubarb from a icing container. I use them to freeze garden produce. Just enuff for 2 people. I made taco seasoning yesterday, being stored in a peanut butter container. The boxes from 24 count family size tea bags, I use to hold "all like" spices in my cupboard. I buy small size rag rugs to use as cover ups on my end tables (which are trunks). A great big coaster for glasses & gr'kids. Just find them to match the colors of your room. I use dinner plates under plant pots & as a border in my flower gardens.