What Trash Have You Turned Into Treasure?

Discussion in 'Hobbies & Crafts' started by Maggie Rose, Oct 3, 2020.

  1. Maggie Rose

    Maggie Rose Very Well-Known Member
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    For those of us who look at things and have a compulsion to save it or create something different with it, this threads for you. Do you often see someone discarding or clearing out things they consider as trash and your mind starts spinning with all of the things you think you could do with it? I'm like that. I hate to throw things away if I can use it. I will, but I hate to. I find it hard.

    Can you show me something you've saved from going to the landfill? Or something that just wasn't suited for its purpose anymore so you gave it another one? I apologize beforehand for the awful pictures.

    TRASH TO TREASURE FUN BabyGirl-ShabbyPetBed-1.jpg BabyGirl-ShabbyPetBed-2.jpg BabyGirl-ShabbyPetBed-3.jpg BabyGirl-ShabbyPetBed-4.jpg BabyGirl-ShabbyPetBed-Complete.jpg BabyGirl-ShabbyPetBed-Complete.jpg BabyGirl-ShabbyPetBed-Complete.jpg

    I'll start.

    My project was to create a SHABBY PET PED

    The item I started with was an old wobbly end table that was going in the trash. I liked the legs! That's really all it took.

    • So, save the legs and a couple of pieces of the trim. Turned the legs into bedposts.
    • found in my craft wood stash some plywood and some other scrap pieces to form a bed shape
    • used 2 cast iron shelf brackets (with roses on them) turned on edge to create the headboard
    • used 2 small wooden shelf brackets turned on edge to create a footboard
    • painted everything pink and white
    • added some acrylic made rose appliques to the headboard and footboard
    • buy 4 small casters to make it rollable
    • sewed a pillow roll, a bed skirt, a mattress pillow, and the hanging heart with her name 'Baby Girl (my last pup)
    I love my pups. I love crafting and I don't mind spoiling them just a bit. This shabby bed was made many years ago for my last Maltese. The bed is still in use today in my living room. So of course Bella thinks it's hers. It's held up now oh about 12-15 years.

    Ok, I started, your turn!
     
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    Last edited: Oct 3, 2020
  2. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
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    That is too cute. I haven't been inspired to create anything like that even though.
     
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  3. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I've done my share of craft stuff, but I can't recall off the top of my head salvaging something destined for the heap into anything useful. I'll have to ponder on it. I guess when I was younger I did a classic Cable Spool End Table. There's likely more.

    I do like that bed. How did you ever think of turning a table upside-down to get a 4 poster bed out of it? Did you do the bedding as well? (Oops. Never mind. I just reread your post.)
     
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  4. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
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    Just about everyday is “fix” or “make” day. I have found non-working lawnmowers and weed eaters, fixed them and now all my tenants have lawn mowers and weed eaters so they can mow their own lawns with no excuses.

    Since Thursdays in our neighborhood are collection days for stuff that has been placed on the side of the road, I look on Wednesday to see if there is anything that can repurposed or rejuvenated into something either we can use or maybe one of the tenants can find a use for.
    Unfortunately, I have such a large stash of unwanted items hanging around and messing up my shop that sometimes I think about putting it back on the side of the road but alas, even though I know that greed doth do damage to the soul, I am reluctant to separate myself from my “stuff” because I may want or need it in the future.....or so I rationalize.

    By the Bye @Maggie Rose, that bed would be envied by McGyver himself! The imagination and the ability to carry it through is a wonderful thing!
    You and @Von Jones will get along quite nicely I believe.
     
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  5. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    @Maggie Rose -- that dog bed is too cute; how creative! I'm not much of a crafty person so I don't have any projects to share.
     
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  6. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
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    I don't know what happened except I didn't finish my train of thought:oops:

    .
     
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  7. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
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    Ah but I do think you have much more to offer than you believe.
    Seems to me, that you have been able to pick up the shards that have gone asunder on these veritable tyrants of human mental evolution called, “computers” and have explained them in such a way that all may understand how the pieces actually fit together whilst not once using a hammer as I have the proclivity to imagine myself doing.
    I say that you’re quite crafty so good on you!!
     
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  8. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
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  9. Ed Wilson

    Ed Wilson Veteran Member
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    In a way, finding some items at a yard sale which might be trash to the seller can be treasure to you if they only cost $1.00. I have picked up a Panasonic radio in a wood case and a Waltham wall clock made in the USA with wood trim. Today it would have been plastic. Also a Sony phone which judging by its weight is above the cheapo stuff today. An English tea pot for $3.00.
     
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  10. Tony Page

    Tony Page Veteran Member
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    About 50 years ago we broke the glass globe on one of our living room table lamps. Rather than throw it out we made a Christmas lamp out of it, unfortunately the pictures I found do not have the lamp shade in it which was also decorated for Christmas.
    I took which was popular back then photo cubes and I put Christmas pictures of our kids and relatives in them. With a little Drilling, I stacked four cubes to fill the void of the globe.
    Photos below:
    20221121_132029.jpg

    20221121_132236.jpg
     
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  11. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    Many years ago when my ex-husband and I were expecting our first baby, we lived in a rent house. In the garage was an old chifferobe that had been left there when a previous tenant moved out. I asked the landlord if I might have it and she said yes. It was quite old and junky looking, so I set to work cleaning, painting, replacing knobs and decorating the large chest for use in the baby's room.

    It turned out really cute with a coat of fresh white paint, and I used it for several months after the baby was born. When he was about 7 months old we were moving to a different city and during the move, the landlord walked over (she lived across the street) and told me that I could not take the chifferobe. I was taken aback because it was junk until I refinished it, but I was young and did not want to argue with the hateful woman. So we left the chifferobe behind but I think I still have some pictures of it somewhere.
     
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  12. Tony Page

    Tony Page Veteran Member
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    That's a shame that was your craftsmanship you ever find the pictures I'd like to see it. The only reason I had the pictures of the Christmas lamp is they started doing some work in the house tearing the walls down we haven't gotten permission to remove the contents except for valuables, so the workers found a box of pictures and I went through them and found the pictures.
     
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  13. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    I'll have to dig out Brian's baby book; I'm pretty sure I took photos of his room. :D Since he was my first baby I pretty much took pictures of everything.
     
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  14. Tony Page

    Tony Page Veteran Member
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    I don't mean to put you through any trouble if there handy fine.
    I know my photos we never organized, so for me it would have been an impossible task.
     
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  15. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    Thats neat.
     
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