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99 clever ways to re-use your throw-aways
Last week, I came home with some wonderful things from my local flea market: a dented metal colander, a flour sifter with a broken handle, a Brownie Hawkeye camera that hadn't worked since the 1950s and a beat up drawer from an old dresser.
"What are you going to do with that junk?" my ever-so-practical husband asked when I proudly showed him my finds.
Unruffled, I confidently replied "I'm going to turn the colander and flour sifter into a lamp for the kitchen, transform the the camera into a photo holder for the family room and convert the drawer into an ottoman for our bedroom."
My husband knows me well. He walked off, shaking his head and muttering something about the hair-brained schemes of a crazy woman.
On the other hand, when I told my best friend about my projects, she exclaimed, "You must be the world's most imaginative person!!!"
No, I'm not crazy. And no, I'm not the world's most imaginative person. I can't claim that I developed these ideas myself. In fact, I had help from a delightful book called
Trash to Treasure: The Year's Best Creative Crafts, Volume 6.
This 160-page hardcover, which is published by Leisure Arts, shows you how to turn broken furniture, unusable small appliances and tattered fabrics into unique handmade gifts and whimsical home decor. In fact, it's loaded with projects--99 of them, to be exact--which give new life to unwanted items.
I must admit, I wasn't a big fan of recycled decor before discovering this book. I don't care for furniture with peeling paint or threadbare curtains whose original color has faded beyond recognition. I lived with that so-called 'style' during college, when I didn't have the money (or time) to decorate my tiny apartment! My tastes have matured since then. I want my home to uncluttered and simple, yet sprinkled with touches of unexpected whimsy. The projects in this book fit that description perfectly!
Each project includes a list of materials, step-by-step instructions and a large full-color photo illustrating what the finished project should look like. Most of the projects can be completed by anyone with basic knowledge of painting, crafting and sewing.
The book is divided into six sections: 1) Second Chances; 2) Creative Touches; 3) Soft and Simple; 4) A Fresh Approach; 5) Patterns; and 6) General Instructions.
Let's take a peek into each of these chapters.
Second Chances
According to its introduction, this chapter shows the reader how to "bring the breath of creativity into your home with new room accessories crafted from timeworn discards." Hand-me-down chests, discarded headboards and unused chairs become useful pieces of furniture once again. Thirteen items are transformed in this section, including a young child's desk made from an end table and a small bookshelf; a windowbench created from two ladderback chairs; and a Victorian-style settee built with the head- and foot- boards of a twin sized bed. My favorite project in this section was the bathroom organizer, which was made with a baby's changing table.
(Now I know what to do with my son's outgrown changing table!)
Creative Touches
Whereas Chapter 1 focused on furniture makeovers, Chapter 2's emphasis is on creating conversation pieces with throwaway objects like clothespins, corks, coffee cans, glass doorknobs and tin canister lids. This section is the largest in the book, with 45 different projects. There are many, many GREAT ideas in this chapter! In it, the reader learns how to turn five coffee cans and some corrugated cardboard into a contemporary floor lamp; how to create a trash can out of a metal mailbox; and how to make a CD holder from two child-size shoeboxes.
This section truly sparked my imagination. In fact, it's where I found instructions for the kitchen lamp, photo tree and ottoman mentioned earlier in this article.
Soft and simple
Chapter 3 urges the reader to “Show the softer side of your accessories with unique creations guaranteed to spread handmade warmth throughout the home.”
Flea market handkerchiefs and doilies become sweet-smelling sachets, prom dresses live on as gorgeous satin and lace throw pillows, a vinyl tablecloth and castoff buttons become scalloped shelf edging. This section includes 16 projects for every room in the house. You'll even learn how to turn woven placemats into a throw rug and outdated men's suits into a handsome wall collage!
A fresh approach
I would love to decorate my backyard with whimsical statues, sculptures, pedestals and planters, but cringe at the obnoxious prices at my local garden center. Fortunately, this chapter showed me that I don't have to mortgage my home to decorate my backyard! Instead, I can use copper pipe and window screens to create an adorable dancing dragonfly sculpture. Or I could dot my flower garden with ever-blooming posies made from coffee and beverage cans. And no one will guess that my plant pedestals are made from plastic bowls, wooden platters and cardboard mailing tubes! The 25 projects in this section show you how to look at everyday items in a new way and turn them into clever creations that add a distinct personality to your yard and garden.
Patterns
In this section you will find 10 full-sized patterns for the projects found throughout the book. These simple patterns can be traced or photocopied and then transferred to your project.
General Instructions
The book wraps up with this short, yet informative chapter. In it you will find tidbits of advice to help you successfully complete the projects. It includes a primer on adhesives, instructions on dying fabric with coffee, making appliques, stenciling, painting techniques and a guide to basic embroidery stitches.
My final thoughts on the book:
I am very impressed with this book. In fact, I know that the book will quickly become dog-eared with use, as I plan to use it many times to create gifts for my friends, family and myself! Buy it, then stow it in your car so you can refer to it whenever you stop at a garage sale or trek to the flea market!
For more information or to purchase this book, type Trash to
Treasure in the search box below:
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Other
books you might like:
Trash to Treasure: The Recycler's Guide
It's in the Bag!: Tasty Gifts in Crafty Sacks
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