National Spring Cleaning Week is coming up, and I’m sure many of us will be shocked at the amount of old and unusable items we’ve amassed in the past year! While the majority of these old items will likely be destined for the rubbish bin, it’s good to keep an eye out for things you can breathe new life into as crafts projects. By transforming old and supposedly unusable items into something that can be useful, you’re not only making unique gifts or additions to your home – you’re also saving money in the long run. Here are some examples of old and unusable items you can revive into creative and unique crafts.Framed jewelry
Image credit: Kevin and Amanda Who knew picture frames could be so chic and useful? Old and broken picture frames might just be what you need to easily organise dangly earrings that always seem to get all over the place.
Image credit: Little Things Simply take out the back of your picture frame and attach picture wires to the back with nails or a staple gun. also recommends using chicken wire for an automatic grid, or finding other uses for old frames if you don’t have a lot of jewellery. You can revive these frames for use as serving trays, shelves, or even as parts of 3D art.
Old ladder bookshelf
Image credit: DIY Enthusiasts
Heavier unusable items, like old ladders, can be repurposed into pieces of furniture. Rebuild them into unique wall shelving that you can use to store books or plants and photographs. The ladder’s rungs make the perfect dividers, and the entire thing works perfectly to add a refreshing look to any room.
Image credit: Your House and Garden
Meanwhile, explores some of the other ways you can give old ladders new life. This includes using more stable ladders as upright shelving or overhead décor.
Toilet roll organisers
Image credit: Twisted Sifter Toilet rolls are common household rubbish, yet surprisingly, one of the most versatile. One way to reuse a set of toilet paper rolls is to use them for storing wires and cables. If you’re feeling creative, recommends decorating them with Japanese washi tape and/or other materials to make them more cheerful. This not only lets you organise cables according to kind, but also prevents them tangling all around each other.
Image credit: Home Talk If you’ve got a lot of old rolls to work with, you can even try making ornate décor with cut up pieces of toilet rolls!
Outdoorsy wine glass holder
Image credit: Homedit For those with any broken garden rakes lying around, a great way to redirect them from a life of soil to a new life indoors is to turn them into wine glass holders. Just make sure to give the rake head a good scrub, and use some burlap or even natural cord to wrap around the handle.
Image credit: Ms. Effie’s Diary If you’re feeling particularly artistic, you can even use an old rake as décor. You can do so by hanging it on your wall in the same way except with flowers or twine instead of wine glasses. You can even get creative with your wreaths, like the project in a previous post on TwoMe, to create statement pieces for your home using the rake as a base.
DVD mosaic plates
Image credit: Upcycle That
Not a lot of people are aware that CDs and DVDs actually have a limited shelf life. While they are designed to last up to 200 years, reports that often inevitable environmental factors like heat, humidity, handling, and atmospheric pollution can shorten this lifespan to up to just under three years.
Image credit: Crème de la Craft
If you found yourself collecting a bunch of old CDs and DVDs that no longer work, transform them into crafts by breaking them into small pieces and installing as mosaic plates. These can go outdoors as birdbaths or as colourful storage in your living room. In addition, you can also apply the same technique to make gorgeous ornaments that you can use as décor around the house. Did you like these craft projects? You can also share your ideas in the comments section!
