TheReuseSite.com
Don't throw it away; reuse it!
Don't throw it away; reuse it!
For the Home
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| FLOOR TILE This project was very satisfying and turned out quite well, but if I'd known the work that was going to go into it when I started, I don't know that I would have started. I got the pattern on line (I searched for free stained glass patterns) and modified it using broken tiles. Cutting the tiles was the hardest for me, but I didn't exactly have the right tools for the job (as usual, I tried to use what I already had) and I did a lot of improvising with the pattern. We left a 14" square and tiled the entryway around it, then I went back and carefully put all the tiles onto a bed of thin set. Not bad, if I do say so myself! |
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HALL TREE I needed a hall tree for one of our houses to fill an empty spot. I've seen pictures in magazines of hall trees made out of old doors. I found an old door in a dumpster and asked the owner if I could have it. He gave me a funny look but gave it to me. I found a picture of a similar project and just copied it. The seat is made of old pine boards from a demolished staircase, the legs from an old bench. Originally, I had a wood box fastened to the back so it was sturdy enough to be freestanding, but have since taken that off. A couple coat hooks, a little paint, and we have a place to take off our boots! |
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| PILLOW SHAMS I was in a beautiful store that had high-end wool coverlets, pillows, quilts and throws. I wanted a set of bear and moose shams for my bed but the $50 price tag for each just about choked me! I went to the thrift store, bought a bag of wool skirts for about $20 total and reused the fabric to make my own shams. I bought white faux sheepskin for the back and created my own moose and bear appliques. The result was better than I had hoped for. These can be machine washed on the gentle cycle and line dried. The possibilities to use wool skirts are endless. The fabric is quite often very high quality and the fuller the skirt, the more fabric you have to work with. I attempted to make a wool rag rug that didn't quite lay flat out of the remnents. Perhaps I will post a picture of that too... |
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| JAMIE KNIFE We call this the Jamie Knife because it was made by our good friend Jamie Wade. He makes these knives out of steel saw blades, files, or whatever he has. The handle is deer antler and the sheath is leather he buys at a place that sells leftovers and scraps. Nothing is wasted and this knife is gorgeous! It is balanced perfectly and sharpens razor sharp. We use this every camping trip. Keep up the good work, Jamie!! |
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CABINET FROM DOOR This project was great fun. I bought a set of bi-fold doors at a garage sale for $5. With 1x12 pine boards I already had (and a couple I bought), I constructed a simple box. The back is tongue and groove wainscotting I found in the discount bin because the box was damaged. My husband made feet and the top for me. I stained the body with green stain I already had, and the door I faux painted and painted the pictures on. I originally used this in a bathroom when I had no storage. Now I use it to hold my everyday dishes. The other door I used to make a hutch for a desk. Didn't work out so good and it got burned. But I have used this cabinet for years. |
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| MEDIA DRESSER This was a fun project to do and a great way to reuse and recycle an old piece of furniture. I found a $3 dresser at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore that was missing a top drawer. It was very ugly, but I brought it home, removed the "apron" on the bottom and used fence post finials I got at the home improvement store for "bun" feet. I used a leftover piece of luan plywood for a media shelf where the top drawer was missing. I epoxied rocks to long bolts for drawer pulls, painted the whole thing to match my house and I have a media dresser that holds tons of movies, video games and blankets! |
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TILE TOPPED TABLE I had a lot of left over tile from my fish tile project, so my daughter and I broke some of them up, mixed up some thin set and had fun designingand making this table top. I bought the glass stars at a discount store and they add some pizazz. The table was a $15 purchase from a dollar store that was looking pretty shabby. The "new" tile top extended the life of the table. This works great as a side table indoors or out. |
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BRICK WALL I'm very proud to include this on my site. My oldest sister, Abby built this brick wall in her sun room in her house. She is quite possibly the most resourceful person
I know. While digging the foundation of their house, she came across the remains of an old house that had burned years earlier. She has salvaged the bricks and debris. She built this wall and included pieces of old iron and horseshoes into the design. Now, I want her to come build one into my house! |
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| REFINISHED CABINET Michelle from Ottawa sent me pictures of this cabinet she inherited and refinished. What a gorgeous job she did! I could see something like this being tucked into a dining room to hold china, glassware, or as a bar. Or it could hold a small TV and movies I've seen people take old kitchen cabinets and put them together, molding and paint added so it looks like a built-in or a freestanding piece of furniture. Great job Michelle! |
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FOR THE HOME
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GARDENS
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CAMPING
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ODDS & ENDS
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HOW CAN I REUSE:
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