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I LOVE listening to others when they share their creative ideas so I hope you can share some with us!
Over the years, I learned that you can re-purpose household items instead of throwing them out. Whether you re-purposed something because it would look cool or simply because it would save some money, doesn't matter. Let's hear your creative ideas!
Okaaaaaay, I'll go first.
Recently, I bought some awesome looking black iron bathroom towel bars and TP holder. I couldn't find any cabinet hardware that I really liked that didn't cost $10-12 each knob so I decided to spray paint what I had.
I used sandpaper to scuff off the glossy finish, primed them and sprayed them with a "Hammered Black" spray paint. They look pretty good. In fact, they turned out so well that I spray painted the toilet handle to match.
I also have a re-purposed antique oil heater that is now a lamp. It doesn't put off much light but it sure looks neat.
Last project: Took 4 styrofoam planter pots and made side tables for dd's room. Sprayed them black and glued a pair together for each table. Took the wood for the top and routered edges and glued to the new "base". Total cost $25.00
Over the years, I learned that you can re-purpose household items instead of throwing them out.
While the word "repurpose" makes the ex-journalist in me want to curl up and cry , I took a small record cabinet and used it to display Fiesta dishes by propping them on their ends inside the slots.
Another record cabinet holds the phone book, tissues, note paper, etc., in the kitchen.
An old china cabinet -- which I no longer need, but I bought it for $35 at an auction about 25 years ago and I can't bear to part with it! -- holds my sweaters.
We do have the obligatory Mateus wine bottle turned into a lamp. It's in the den and everyone who sees it cracks up laughing.
I don't throw anything away. You never know when it might come in handy.
I have taken an old wooden 3 drawer dresser and turned it into china cabinet/hutch. I simply removed the bottom 2 drawers and removed the knobs and drawer fronts. Then I put them together with glue and small screws. I then covered the sides with that really thin plywood that is used on cabinets (I can't think of what they call it right off) to hide the seams where the drawers were joined. I also put on some screen moulding on the fronts. I then screwed them onto the top of the dresser flush with the back. The drawers made shelves and the rest of the dresser top gave more area for putting things. Finally I made shelves where the drawers used to be then made doors to hide the shelves. I just used moulding for the door frames and then hung fabric curtain panels using small curtain rods on the backside of the frames both top and bottom. I also added some bunt feet to the bottom of the dresser to give it a little more height. The remaining top drawer was where I could put placemats and silverwear. I painted the whole thing out in gloss black paint and the fabric was an ivory, olive and black large floral print. I later found a couple of old ladder back chairs with rush type seats that were falling apart. I took and added some supports and made a solid seat with plywood which I covered with foam and the same fabric I used on the hutch doors. I also painted them out in gloss black.
Some gal saw the trio and offered to buy them off of me. She paid me over $100 for the set. I probably had all of about $25 -$30 put into them. It wasn't my intentions to sell the set, but how could I refuse such a profit?
Ever since I've been keeping my eyes open for good solid wooden dressers, which are becoming harder and harder to find.
Wysiwyg that slate screwed the wall looks awesome. Nice, different application without the grout really makes it look much more artistic letting each individual tile stand out on its own. Nice job!
Location: where nothin ever grows. no rain or rivers flow, TX
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Quote:
Originally Posted by T. Damon
Wysiwyg that slate screwed the wall looks awesome. Nice, different application without the grout really makes it look much more artistic letting each individual tile stand out on its own. Nice job!
I try to get one good one from home depot each time I visited and it took a while to collect some with character. gotta bring a wet rag to see them. my favorite slate tile is hanging by itself in another bathroom
Thanks!
I try to get one good one from home depot each time I visited and it took a while to collect some with character. gotta bring a wet rag to see them. my favorite slate tile is hanging by itself in another bathroom
Thanks!
...and I thought I was tile obsessive. I used slate to clad a faux chimney frame/box that I set a raised direct vent fireplace set within and actually laid out 70+ pieces of tile and by arranging and rearranging created a pattern where it looks like I have smoke above flames above burning and then cooling embers, and this is with the fireplace turned off. And they say you can't get a pattern from slate.
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, I took a small record cabinet and used it to display Fiesta dishes by propping them on their ends inside the slots. 
It's in the den and everyone who sees it cracks up laughing.
