Vintage hat boxes as storage

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm". Emerson

I purchased this hat box at a department store in NYC named century 21; in lower Manhattan years ago, I have kept it to keep letters, small computer accessories, and now fabric and sewing notions. Hat boxes are a decorative way to store items neatly in plain sight. It's versatile and convenient to throw item in box and easily retrieve it, place them in a home office, livingroom corner or bedroom.

 

Decoupaged Glass Jar

I had decoupaged this glass jar over 15 years ago and I have kept it because I made it as a q-tip holder.  I took an ordinary spaghetti glass jar washed it out and soaked it in dish washing liquid for three days to get food odor out of it.  I had this art catalog that sold reproductions of famous paintings, it was a beautiful catalog so I cut out the images and used them for various projects such as decoupaging card board keepsake boxes and journals.  I took three images that were similar in size and dried the jar thoroughly then glued the images from the inside.  I painted the lid  a metallic copper brown color. 

Shoe lid as a coffee machine sliding tray

"This is the place" Brigham Young

         I have seen in mail order catalogs like Walter Drake these coffee machine sliding trays that sell for about 20.00. The sliding tray is designed to slide the coffee machine from under the cabinet to the front of the counter to allow the top lid of coffee machine to open.  

If the cabinet is in the way of the coffee machine opening its lid to add water or coffee grounds, then it's often moved towards the front of counter.  I found an inexpensive way to reuse a plastic shoe box lid as a sliding tray for that coffee machine or other small appliance that needs to be moved regularly.  

Shoe Lid as sliding tray

Use cover

Coffee Machine Tray

Slide back and forth

Slide coffee machine

Coffee Can Straw Dispenser

Coffee Can Straw Dispenser

Don't throw away those tin coffee cans especially if they have nice designs on them; use as planters or as a straw dispenser/holder. Use them to hold and organize cooking utensils. There are many uses for these aluminum cans besides recycling them.

 

Old Vintage WOOD shelf as Towel Rack

This old wood shelf was found in the house that my parents purchased in 2001.  It was rotted on the sides of the shelf.  The wood was oak color, faded and dusty.  The nails were hanging out of it, so I went to work on it immediately. I sanded and stained the wood with a dark stain.  I took some wood glue and long nails, and reattached the shelves and the two sides of the shelf together.  I  clamped the entire shelf. 



The next day I attached two hanging hooks on the back of the shelf, and then I used wood filler to fill in the rotted wood.  I restored the edges by using wood filler to rebuild bottom edges of shelf.  I stained the shelf with a dark mahogany finish. It has this unique character to it; a very restored look to it, I guess. It looks good enough to add to a small bathroom wall.



For a few years, I used it as a plant shelf and then a laundry room shelf. I decided to hang it on the wall in the bathroom as a towel rack over a towel bar hook.  It was very heavy to hang on the all, but worth having the extra towel storage in small bath room.

Old Microwave plate used as trivet lazy suzan

Old Microwave plate used as trivet lazy suzan

This microwave plate and its rolling plate holder have been recycled as a lazy suzan trivet plate. I placed it on the counter top next to the stove and I place my hot pots on it to protect the counter top. 
Since it spins its easy to move the pot or add other plates. I don't throw it out since the microwave stopped working and had to purchase a smaller one. The plate was too big so I had to reuse in another way. 

 

Styrofoam as a Painting aid

My recent purchase of a small microwave included two large Styrofoams.  Instead, of throwing it out; I used them to hold some lawn stakes that I painted. It's great for painting items up right, instead of flat on a horizontal surface.  I used it to add and mix paints sort of like a D.I.Y artists palette. It's great for reuse a few times more; afterwards reuse Styrofoam to hold and stabilize large planters or to hold dry painted twigs in vases.