What have you made from something else?

[kally]

What creative uses have you come up with for things that originally had different uses.

Example:

We had this little round 3 level brass shelf in the bathroom that stood on the floor and held bits and pieces. Each shelf was glass and it was covered in dust all the time. I took it apart and was just going to through it out when dh had an idea.

We stuck it in the garden, popped it's feet in the soil and placed a big dish in place of the top shelf and voila, we have a bird bath or water dish for birds. We can place it far enough away from branches and walls that the cats can't reach it.

Your turn to shine.

[Kathy WI]

One end table in our living room is a concrete bird bath with a round piece of glass on it.

[catherine]

I made cookies for a Valentine's Day party that I overcooked. They didn't look burnt but were as hard as a rock and completely inedible. So I drilled holes in them and hung them with ribbon as decorations.

Also, I have a chair that has really worn upholstery but I don't want to invest in new covers, so I took an old lace tablecloth and use it as a slipcover. It's in the bedroom so it adds a little romance.

[bae]

We were travelling last week, and we all forgot dental floss, but needed some. I disassembled some 550 parachute cord that I had handy in my pack (for lashing, shoelace replacement, etc.), and the inner strands made quite decent floss.

[catherine]

We were travelling last week, and we all forgot dental floss, but needed some. I disassembled some 550 parachute cord that I had handy in my pack (for lashing, shoelace replacement, etc.), and the inner strands made quite decent floss.

Holy cow--I don't think I'm THAT committed to flossing! I'd just brush, and wait til I got home, but glad it worked for you!

[bae]

Holy cow--I don't think I'm THAT committed to flossing! I'd just brush, and wait til I got home, but glad it worked for you!

Well, sometimes it is essential if something gets caught where it shouldn't be, to avoid the nasty pain several hours later.

[kally]

I have seen people using their own hair for flossing. I guess when you wanna floss; ya wanna floss.

[Float On]

Made a mirror from a stove pipe grate. Repurpose a lot of clothes into new clothes. Have a table cloth that I intend to make into a skirt next.

[Juds]

I upcycle clothing into bags, purses, totes, backpacks and different clothing. Everyone uses old fabrics for quilting and other crafts, so I am no different there. One of my friends asked me to make her a purse from a suit jacket that had belonged to her father. She likes it so much that she refuses to use it, just in case it gets dirty or something happens to it.

In exchange for making the purse, she gave me several old denim overalls, some vintage tablecloths and other linens, and a small box of fabric samples that she got from the garment district in NY in the 70s. So, I made her a denim purse and she has since embroidered the heck out of it. Really lovely. I also make frames and boxes from old furniture and metal junk. I made a birdbath from stacked and epoxied terracotta flower pots.

Oh, and last summer I made some old, broken furniture into a lovely bonfire in the neighbor's fire pit.

[danna]

Recently made pull type drawers for the bottom shelves of my cupboards from heavy duty boxes from the grocery store. My old back won't let me bend to reach for the lost items at the back of these shelves anymore and this has solved the problem very cheaply.
I have made cushion covers from skirts (with detail/or buttons down the front)
Old cotton shower curtain/other curtains/tablecloths into tea towels, napkins
A lovely heavy plastic flower vase into a toilet brush holder...
all I can think of for now