101 new uses for old junk

OK, that headline is a bit deceiving.

I’m working on a list of 101 ways you can repurpose old junk into new and useful ways. But right now, I’m only at about 50.

The plan is to distribute the list at some upcoming Down to Earth events. I’ll post it here in smaller, more digestible chunks, too.

I want your help in creating it, though. What object did you save from the trash and breathe new life into? What do-it-yourself project have you seen that you’ve always meant to, well, do yourself?

Here’s a sampling from what I’ve written so far:

-During wintertime, hang a pair of vintage ice skates on your front door or lean an old sled beside it.

-Frame meaningful objects as art, such as tickets to a concert from a first date or the menu of the restaurant where your spouse proposed.

-Use a vintage milk churn, either painted or left in its original state, to hold umbrellas in a foyer.

-Make a cupcake stand by stacking two cake stands on top of one another. Don’t have cake stand? Glue a wide-bottomed vase or candlestick (garage sales and thrift shops seem to have an endless supply) to the bottom of a regular plate with epoxy to create one.

-Screw a scrap of wood onto a wall and attach clothespins to it using either wood glue or a hot-glue gun. Use it in a guest room to hang a revolving display of photos (depending on who’s visiting) or in a child’s room to show off a young artist’s work, as you can see I did in the photo above. The wood can also be painted or covered in fabric to dress it up.

Your turn! Bring on the ideas! Leave a comment here or shoot me an e-mail with your submissions. In the end, we should have a nice collection of inspiration.