As I mention on the About Us page of this blog, one of my biggest passions is creativity. Specifically, I am interested in taking everyday objects, concepts, art forms and ideas and turning them into something new – filtered through the lens of imagination.
I get a little bit of joy from creating something new out of the familiar, whether that something is a physical object, an illustration or a piece of code. The way I see it… finding a new purpose for something, adding your own unique touch, then putting it out there into the world – that’s what creativity is all about.
And so that brings me to the subject of repurposing.
The literal definition of repurposing is “to give a new purpose or use to“, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
What better form of creativity can there be than literally taking something you’ve had lying around the house (and might no longer have a use for) and turning it into something “new” and fresh, that you DO have a use for? That’s an act of creation if I ever saw one!
Repurposing and I have a long relationship
The concept of repurposing and I go WAY back. My Dad must be the original repurposing expert because he has been finding new uses for old and/or discarded items since I can remember. My father is a retired middle school History teacher and a massive History buff, but his real passion is for antiques and collecting old things. My three brothers, my sister and I grew up with little money to spare, so we were always encouraged – or perhaps forced, out of necessity – to become experts in frugality and repurposing.
My childhood all happened up in the woods of New Hampshire, and at times it felt like something out of the Waltons.* My grandmother (or my “Meme,” as they say in the French vernacular; my family is French-Canadian) lived with us; so – along with my Mom – it was the eight of us crammed into one house (with one bathroom… and wow, it was fun getting ready for school in the morning.)
*this was a television show that aired in North America (and other places too, I’m sure) during the 1970s that featured a poor and large, but loving family who lived out in the woods.
A teacher’s salary back in the 1980s didn’t stretch very far with 5 kids, so my parents had to conserve and reuse whenever they could. One of my Dad’s favorite hobbies was finding (and occasionally paying for) old pieces of furniture, which he would fix up to later sell at a local flea market. That was a good way to make a little extra cash.
But sometimes he would go too far in his miserly habits (as I viewed them through my then teenage lens). To give you one example from my childhood: I vividly recall scenes where my father would use some paper towels, rinse them out, then hang them up to dry. And then he would reuse them later.
Not even kidding. True story.
My Dad took repurposing to the extreme, I tell you. Back when I was growing up most people had to drive to the dump to drop off their garbage (whereas nowadays most garbage gets picked up in front of people’s homes).
But not us… no, my Dad did the opposite. He would find all kinds of treasures at the dump, like old furniture, lamps, discarded dishes, books… old wire… nearly anything held the possibility of becoming useful treasures, according to him. I think we were the only family in the state that actually went to the town dump and came back home with a car-load of stuff.
I mean literally crammed up the the ceiling of our little hatchback car.
Looking back at it now, I realize that I had a really strange childhood.
…and speaking of dumps (and things associated with them), I vividly recall being picked up for a date one time by a dude who showed up in a massive green dump truck. This was during my later teens years… I think I was 19 at the time. (and quite embarrassed at that!)
At any rate – growing up as a New Hampshire hick does have its good points, one of them being that it helped me to learn to think with a creative and flexible mindset about how to make the most out of what we had.
That often involved repurposing things instead of throwing them away and simply replacing them. We just didn’t have the money to allow for that.
As I have learned through the years, there are SO many ways to apply your creativity to make the most of the things you already own. Below I have listed out a few of my favorites (and I’ll be adding to this list from time to time)!
Repurposing Common Everyday Items
#1: Teacups
#2: Clay/Terracotta Flower Pots
#3: Glass Bottles
#4: Fruit Holder Wire Rack
#5: Toilet Paper Rolls (or Paper Towel Rolls)
Object #1: Teacups
Being a fan of tea, I am also quite fond of teacups. They can be both beautiful and versatile. A few ways to repurpose this item are the following:
Turn them into candles.
Teacups aside, give the following article a read, for no-nonsense, clear and simple instructions on how to create your own candle.
Spread out your jewelry in an elegant display.
Create an unusual but classy cake stand or cookie display.
Turn a teacup upside-down onto a large plate and put a fancy (smaller) plate on top of it, then add fancy biscuits, chocolates, etc.
A few more ideas for repurposing teacups:
- Use them as planters for small plants (herbs are a good choice).
- Tie them to a Christmas tree with pretty ribbon to use as ornaments.
- Turn them into a chic lamp or chandelier.
Object #2: Flower Pots
I adore flowers and enjoy gardening, but sticking a plant into them isn’t the ONLY thing you can do with flower pots. With some paint, glue, ribbon, etc. and a healthy dose of ingenuity, you might be surprised at how versatile clay pots can be. Use them as stacked planters, bird baths, storage bins, candle holders and for whatever else you can think of!
Here are a few ideas for repurposing clay flower pots.
Object #3: Glass Bottles
Old bottles, especially ones that are made of glass, hold so many possibilities for what you can do with them. For a few examples:
paint them to turn them into works of art.
Use them as elegant – or more simple and basic – soap dispensers.
Simply pour in some liquid soap then add a soap dispenser top to your bottle, which you can purchase in most department stores:
Use them as vases for displaying a beautiful bouquet of flowers
If you’d like to go a more fancy route, try some of these ideas from Country Living. You can add a little more pizzazz to your glass bottles, by adding things like glitter and lace to them.
Object #4: Fruit Holder Wire Rack
My husband bought me one of these handy-dandy wire stand thing-ies recently, with the intention that I would use it as a fruit rack. But because we don’t have enough counter space in our kitchen, I thought up a few alternate uses for it so it didn’t just sit there gathering dust.
Take a look at a few ideas for other ways to use this item.
In addition to sometimes being a necessity in life, repurposing, upcycling and simply reusing everyday objects can also be a lot of fun! It can be a great opportunity to really stretch your mind, to add more flexibility and creativity to your thought process. The creative possibilities are endless to those who have the right mindset!
Please share this article if you liked it, and we would love to hear about your repurposing projects in the comments. : )
