Trash to Treasures Thread

[downrightart]

I was curious as to what everyday items you have used before trashing them.

Thinking of my "what to do with old shirts" thread, I got to thinking about items I have tried to come up with what to use them for. Just off the top of my head, I have these items:

Tide detergent boxes
Altoids/Clover Valley tins
sauce jars

I have made a couple of gift boxes with the Tide detergent boxes. I did it at Christmas time one year.

I have many of the tins. I keep thinking I could use old buttons and glue them on it and also use them to give something small in them as a gift. No, I've not done anything yet. Any ideas?

The decorative sauce jars I have reused either for gifts of buttons. Or fixed those cookie in a jar with those.

It just seems silly to buy more things when we could make something out of these.

So, what are some items you have used as trash and made a product that can be reused? Lets hear them!

[kimber]

I wouldnt really call these items trash but the only example I can think of for myself is when I took some necklaces someone was going to throw out and made this



but I did buy the pendant on clearance..I think it was from blue moon at joannes...

im sure I have others things if I think about it ...I will take a look around and post if I do.

Ive seen someone take altoids tins and reuse them to sell their doggy breath mints..I also know a girl that ships her jewelry using altoid tins.

[downrightart]

That is beautiful Kimber! I love the colors. I didn't think about old jewelry. I wish I had kept all my mother's old jewelry. She gave it to my daughter to play dress up many moons ago, but I'm almost sure they were trashed.

[kimber]

thanks

I hate to see anything thrown out. The thought of your mothers jewelry being used for play jewelry even makes me feel..icky... but dont feel too badly.. I guess my aunt sold all my grandmothers good jewelry at a yard sale when she was very young. I guess back then it was every man for him/herself because the neighbors actually bought it and wouldnt give it back to my grandmother when she rang at their door asking for it back. I guess people didn't call the police on each other back then either..???..or my grandmother was just too embarressed to do anything about it ...

[UndrThTblNDrumng]

the tins would be cute to hold a little loose leaf tea as a present for someone. Mod Podge the outside and voila!

[downrightart]

Thanks for posting that UTTND.

Originally Posted by kimber

thanks

I hate to see anything thrown out. The thought of your mothers jewelry being used for play jewelry even makes me feel..icky... but dont feel too badly.. I guess my aunt sold all my grandmothers good jewelry at a yard sale when she was very young. I guess back then it was every man for him/herself because the neighbors actually bought it and wouldnt give it back to my grandmother when she rang at their door asking for it back. I guess people didn't call the police on each other back then either..???..or my grandmother was just too embarressed to do anything about it ...

Whoa! That's just too sad Kimber. Anyone that wouldn't give back the jewelry after that story is just selfish. I guess it doesn't matter about the era, there are always some without heart.

Well, most of my mother's stuff was costume jewelry. Still, I wish I had kept it.

[kimber]

I know. Even if you didn't like the jewelry you definitely could of made something out of it. I think about that stuff all the time.

I wish my mom had something pass on to me but she is very allergic to jewelry and never cared for it much anyways. I love love love to yard sale but thanks to ebay and the rest of the internet..its hard to find rare items at yard sales fleamarkets anymore

[DangerMouse]

I never know what to do with all the junk I have laying around stored.....
Until I actually need it! and then, of course, I usually can't FIND it.

DM

[gma2rjc]

It is truly sad that the neighbors wouldn't sell your grandmother's jewelry back to her.

A few months ago, I was telling DangerMouse that I was fixing my clothes hamper. It's made of PVC pipe and has 3 mesh bags to keep the clothes separated. I still had some PVC pipe left over from the last time I fixed it, but this time, the corner pieces were cracked too.

Well, I've never known anyone who has more of an imagination for repurposing things. DM said he could make me a clothes hamper from a couple of wooden louvered doors he had. I couldn't imagine it at the time, but I knew it would look nice, because all of the other projects he's made are beautiful.

Here are a few pictures of it. But... it's not exactly being used for a clothes hamper. I brought it home and thought it was too nice looking to throw dirty clothes in, so for now at least, it's being used as a cabinet to store some of my rubber stamps.



The knob on the left side of it is spring-loaded and can be pulled to open the door to pull the clothes out. Well, stamps.



The top (which is made out of wood flooring) lifts up and the chain holds it open just far enough so that it won't fall forward...



Barb

[DangerMouse]

Heck, is THAT what this thread's about??? Well geeze... 95% of my tricks and boxes are either recycled or reclaimed hardware, screws, odds and ends, and all the wood is free or darn close! I rarely need to go buy anything for them. Yes, even the magic mirrors are recycled from old doors that never got installed and the guy let them sit outdoors and rot! The wood just pulled apart and gave up the glass! However, since the mirror inserts were ok..... well, you know the rest. Po) EVERYTHING on the hamper (I wish you'd actually use it for what I DESIGNED it for, but whatever....) is recycled. The doors I had taken out of the old house closet because I hate them, but I still had them laying around, of course.... The flooring is rip and recycle cherry, even the casters were freebies from a rollaround thingy that was pitched or burned long ago. I threw together the same type hamper for us years ago and it's still doing just fine IN OUR BATHROOM!
Oh well, I just made it, I guess I can't tell Barb what to DO with it... heh heh

DM