Repurpose: 10 Things You Can Reimagine Rather than Toss
Save money and be kind to our planet at the same time by upcycling items you are planning to throw away.
Table of Contents
Old ladders
Transform old ladders that might be a safety hazard into shelves to display books or small pieces of art. Just add a few pieces of remnant wood across a rung to give you the depth you need. You can also use ladders to hang quilts or other pretty blankets on when they aren’t in use for cozy couch snuggles.
Candle jars and tin cans
These receptacles make great vases. Simply give them a wash before adding water and colorful flowers to decorate your home. They can also be used as storage containers for various smaller household items such as paperclips, rubber bands and cotton balls.
Unused books
That set of encyclopedias from the ‘90s can be put to good use as the base of a decorative side table. This takes some DIY skills and tools but can add a lot of personality to a room. Find out how to bring this project to life at goodhousekeeping.com.
Tissue boxes and toilet paper rolls
Chances are you have these materials ready go right now! Everyday materials can be useful again when you turn them into desk caddies. Cut the top off of the tissue box and place the rolls inside to hold pencils, markers, scissors and other supplies. Make it pretty with wrapping paper or paint.
Spare bricks
Add soil and seeds to the holes in bricks you have lying around to make simple planters for herbs or succulents. It’s a low maintenance way to start a garden at home even if you have limited outdoor space. This green trick works with large or small bricks.
Dated wood furniture
Old things can look brand new with a little sanding and a coat of paint. You can also change the functionality — make a small dresser a portable kitchen island by adding wheels or remove the doors of an armoire to transform it into bookshelves.
Peanut butter or jelly jars
Get crafty and give these containers a second life after lunch time when you craft them into glitter globes. Just affix a small figurine to the lid and then add glitter and water to the jar. Screw the lid back on, shake it up and voila.
Cardboard boxes
Help make your kids’ fort- or castle-building dreams come true. Save large boxes to make a play space for your child to crawl through or use smaller ones to create a home for your child’s toys. Use paint to make it really special.
Old kiddie swimming pools
A lot of people invested in small backyard pools during lockdown. Now is the time to pull it out of storage for some more fun. Instead of filling it with water, turn the pool into a ball pit, sand box or mini garden. Let the family vote on what to convert it into and be involved in the transformation.
Milk jugs
When your family finishes drinking all the milk, save the container for use around the house. Poke holes into the cap to turn the jug into a watering can for your garden. Cut holes in the sides, fill it with bird seed and hang it from a tree in your yard for a DIY bird feeder. Need a giant ice pack? Milk jugs come in handy for that as well.
-Tali Benjamin
