Repurposing!

Tony Page

Tony Page

Well-known member
Repurposing

At times, I've said, "It might come in handy someday" or " that's good to hold on to." My wife and daughter will remark . Why are you holding on to all this junk?" or " What are you going to do with it?" I've saved items from the smallest screw to a large 2x4. At the time I've saved them, I didn't have a clue what they might be used for, but just in case I did find a use, I collected them.

Saving this stuff but not being able to find it defeats its purpose. So I tried to organize my "fines" or at least put the same type of items together. An example of that would be I'd have a tub, let's say, for electrical stuff, and you might find outlets, electrical boxes, cover plate screws Etc. in it.

A few times, my wife had a beautiful bowl or plate that she was going to toss because they were chipped. I put them in the garden as bird baths or feeders. I remember way back when people were selling their ashtrays at garage sales for 10 cents a piece because back then smoking was being frowned upon. I bought about 10 of them. My wife said, "What are you going to do with them? Nobody in our family smokes anymore." That was the year my garden was infested with slugs. I use the ashtrays for beer bait to catch slugs.

That's just two ideas on repurposing things. Have you ever repurposed anything ? It would be interesting to hear.
 
Tony Page said:
Repurposing

At times, I've said, "It might come in handy someday" or " that's good to hold on to." My wife and daughter will remark . Why are you holding on to all this junk?" or " What are you going to do with it?" I've saved items from the smallest screw to a large 2x4. At the time I've saved them, I didn't have a clue what they might be used for, but just in case I did find a use, I collected them.

Saving this stuff but not being able to find it defeats its purpose. So I tried to organize my "fines" or at least put the same type of items together. An example of that would be I'd have a tub, let's say, for electrical stuff, and you might find outlets, electrical boxes, cover plate screws Etc. in it.

A few times, my wife had a beautiful bowl or plate that she was going to toss because they were chipped. I put them in the garden as bird baths or feeders. I remember way back when people were selling their ashtrays at garage sales for 10 cents a piece because back then smoking was being frowned upon. I bought about 10 of them. My wife said, "What are you going to do with them? Nobody in our family smokes anymore." That was the year my garden was infested with slugs. I use the ashtrays for beer bait to catch slugs.

That's just two ideas on repurposing things. Have you ever repurposed anything ? It would be interesting to hear.
Click to expand...
Tony, seems most of the things we keep for years then get rid of, we end up needing them.
We have lots of trees and tree limbs from hurricane Helene and other storms.
I found a way to use some, 'I use them for borders around our flower beds and small gardens. They look very neat to me and work great.
 
In the '70s I saw a article with a project to convert a glass bottle into an antique looking vase. I Repurposed a Heinz "Keg O’ Ketchup" octagonal bottle for this project. I changed the concept a little. The first thing you had to do was coat the bottle in white glue (Elmers). Then take a wrapping paper with an old fashion design and cover the bottle as tight as possible so it stuck to the bottle well. Some wrinkles are okay they made it even look older. I use Christmas wrap, my vase was to be a Christmas decoration. The paper could be soaked with glue. the only difference between mine and the original design was I cut out Christmas pictures of the family and glued them around the bottle. When it was completely dry the next phase was to paint it or coat it with this orange tinted lacquer. the lacquer gave it it's that old look. My wife covered the top of the bottle with Christmas ribbon.

After thinking about it it might have been shellac not lacquer.

This is how I remember putting it together remember this was over 50 years ago and I don't have the article to check it.

We got a lot of positive comments, and some requests to make them for others. unfortunately I didn't have the time. For me it was always on to the next idea.

This is what the bottle looked like before. I hope someday I find my photos to show you what it looked like after.

1770219614567.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Tony Page said:
In the '70s I saw a article with a project to convert a glass bottle into an antique looking vase. I Repurposed a Heinz "Keg O’ Ketchup" octagonal bottle for this project. I changed the concept a little. The first thing you had to do was coat the bottle in white glue (Elmers). Then take a wrapping paper with an old fashion design and cover the bottle as tight as possible so it stuck to the bottle well. Some wrinkles are okay they made it even look older. I use Christmas wrap, my vase was to be a Christmas decoration. The paper could be soaked with glue. the only difference between mine and the original design was I cut out Christmas pictures of the family and glued them around the bottle. When it was completely dry the next phase was to paint it or coat it with this orange tinted lacquer. the lacquer gave it it's that old look. My wife covered the top of the bottle with Christmas ribbon.

After thinking about it it might have been shellac not lacquer.

This is how I remember putting it together remember this was over 50 years ago and I don't have the article to check it.

We got a lot of positive comments, and some requests to make them for others. unfortunately I didn't have the time. For me it was always on to the next idea.

This is what the bottle looked like before. I hope someday I find my photos to show you what it looked like.

View attachment 745
Click to expand...

Long time since I heard the word 'shellac' isn't that what some called waxing the floors?

Neat trick with the ketchup bottle.:cool:
 
Tony Page said:
Repurposing

At times, I've said, "It might come in handy someday" or " that's good to hold on to." My wife and daughter will remark . Why are you holding on to all this junk?" or " What are you going to do with it?" I've saved items from the smallest screw to a large 2x4. At the time I've saved them, I didn't have a clue what they might be used for, but just in case I did find a use, I collected them.

Saving this stuff but not being able to find it defeats its purpose. So I tried to organize my "fines" or at least put the same type of items together. An example of that would be I'd have a tub, let's say, for electrical stuff, and you might find outlets, electrical boxes, cover plate screws Etc. in it.

A few times, my wife had a beautiful bowl or plate that she was going to toss because they were chipped. I put them in the garden as bird baths or feeders. I remember way back when people were selling their ashtrays at garage sales for 10 cents a piece because back then smoking was being frowned upon. I bought about 10 of them. My wife said, "What are you going to do with them? Nobody in our family smokes anymore." That was the year my garden was infested with slugs. I use the ashtrays for beer bait to catch slugs.

That's just two ideas on repurposing things. Have you ever repurposed anything ? It would be interesting to hear.
Click to expand...
Repurposing? You're speaking my language, Tony!

I have a collection of old diaper pins from my kids baby days, and those pins are still put to use for all sorts of things today. Things like closing a top where a button is missing, working as a fixer-upper for a pair of sweat pants where the drawstring snapped, and whatever else this homemaker deems as being fit for a temporary fix.

One of the old plastic diaper pails I used for my kids has served as being the greatest kitchen garbage pail I have ever owned! Large and able to contain the messiest of messes!

And then there's the dozen and half old flannelette baby diapers I use as general purpose household cleaning/dusting cloths! The best window washing cloths known to mankind! Kitchen spills, windows, dusting, they do it all!

Not so much repurposing when it comes to this one, but Ziploc bags are washed and dried and reused again and again, until they can no longer be reused, and then and only then are they sent on their last and final journey.

Open chip bags are held closed with a wooden clothespin or two!
 
Tony Page said:
In the '70s I saw a article with a project to convert a glass bottle into an antique looking vase. I Repurposed a Heinz "Keg O’ Ketchup" octagonal bottle for this project. I changed the concept a little. The first thing you had to do was coat the bottle in white glue (Elmers). Then take a wrapping paper with an old fashion design and cover the bottle as tight as possible so it stuck to the bottle well. Some wrinkles are okay they made it even look older. I use Christmas wrap, my vase was to be a Christmas decoration. The paper could be soaked with glue. the only difference between mine and the original design was I cut out Christmas pictures of the family and glued them around the bottle. When it was completely dry the next phase was to paint it or coat it with this orange tinted lacquer. the lacquer gave it it's that old look. My wife covered the top of the bottle with Christmas ribbon.

After thinking about it it might have been shellac not lacquer.

This is how I remember putting it together remember this was over 50 years ago and I don't have the article to check it.

We got a lot of positive comments, and some requests to make them for others. unfortunately I didn't have the time. For me it was always on to the next idea.

This is what the bottle looked like before. I hope someday I find my photos to show you what it looked like after.

View attachment 745
Click to expand...

That makes me think of the candle-in-a-wine-bottle decor in the 70s.

1770236444429.png
 
Madge Bumstead said:
Repurposing? You're speaking my language, Tony!

I have a collection of old diaper pins from my kids baby days, and those pins are still put to use for all sorts of things today. Things like closing a top where a button is missing, working as a fixer-upper for a pair of sweat pants where the drawstring snapped, and whatever else this homemaker deems as being fit for a temporary fix.

One of the old plastic diaper pails I used for my kids has served as being the greatest kitchen garbage pail I have ever owned! Large and able to contain the messiest of messes!

And then there's the dozen and half old flannelette baby diapers I use as general purpose household cleaning/dusting cloths! The best window washing cloths known to mankind! Kitchen spills, windows, dusting, they do it all!

Not so much repurposing when it comes to this one, but Ziploc bags are washed and dried and reused again and again, until they can no longer be reused, and then and only then are they sent on their last and final journey.

Open chip bags are held closed with a wooden clothespin or two!
Click to expand...
LOL, Madge I still use clothes pin to close chip. cookie bags, .bread and saltine pack.
Also use one sometimes to close sheer curtains.
 
Beth Gallagher said:
That makes me think of the candle-in-a-wine-bottle decor in the 70s.

View attachment 746
Click to expand...
Oh, man, if you didn't have one of those on the table you just weren't "cool". You could buy special candles that melted down fast and produced copious multi-colored drippings.

I bought a bottle of cheap Chianti just to do that and ended up pouring the wine down the drain as it was terrible and nobody would drink it.
 
I use Rx bottles for paper clips, safety pins and old used hearing aid batteries. I re use pie pans (someone else made or bought them ) hold potato peelings, cooked bacon. Those are the ones that come to mind at the moment. Oh coffee canisters, hold ole bacon grease -and other cooking oils. I freeze until trash day.
 
My favorite re-purposing item is shoe organizers. I use them all around the house and not for shoes. They hold small hand tools and batteries for some; assorted scarves, perfumes, hair tools, craft items and supplies. Whatever stays put and is handy when I need it goes in a shoe organizer some place around the house, upstairs, downstairs.
 
Marie Mallory said:
LOL, Madge I still use clothes pin to close chip. cookie bags, .bread and saltine pack.
Also use one sometimes to close sheer curtains.
Click to expand...
It's crazy, Marie, because I'm from the school of... do it right or don't do it at all, yet I love the simplistic solve of closing a chip bag with a wooden clothespin. It it perfect? No, but it works and nothing could be more easy.

Oh boy, saltine crackers (soda crackers), something I haven't had in decades! Thanks for the walk down memory lane, Marie!
 
Madge Bumstead said:
It's crazy, Marie, because I'm from the school of... do it right or don't do it at all, yet I love the simplistic solve of closing a chip bag with a wooden clothespin. It it perfect? No, but it works and nothing could be more easy.

Oh boy, saltine crackers (soda crackers), something I haven't had in decades! Thanks for the walk down memory lane, Marie!
Click to expand...

Madge I was going to write 'soda crackers' but not sure many would know what I was talking about.
 
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