We asked our Birmingham mom readers on Facebook for their ideas on new uses for old things. We got some great ideas and are happy to share them here with you!
- Trish uses old lunchboxes to store toys with small parts and pieces
- Jamie had some great ideas. She said “I used an old frame I bought at a yard sale to make a wipe off board for my pantry. Cleaned it, painted it, and had Home Depot cut wipe off board (which is surprisingly cheap) to size for me.” – great idea! She also said she wanted to try another project soon, “I saw a picture recently of herbs growing in tin cans. It was pretty cute. I’m thinking of saving some and letting my kids paint them for me.” She also said “I’ve also used scrapbook paper behind pictures in a frame that is too big for the picture. I have a ton of scrapbook papers that I’ve accumulated, so it is cheaper for me than buying matting. Cute prints, too. In a pinch I’ve even used the kids construction paper. No one can tell unless they look at it up close.” And she had some great ideas for taking care of ornaments as well as ideas for the garden, “I use ratty old towels to wrap around my Christmas decorations instead of buying bubble wrap. We also sometimes use old newspapers instead of landscaping fabric to keep down weeds in our flower beds.”
- Rendi said “I used the old antique window with 6 differnt panes as picture frames! So cute and you have 6 8×10 frames in one!”
- Kimberly had this to share, “Host a Clothes Swap. It is a great way to refresh your wardrobe and a wonderful excuse to catch up with the girls.” She also had some great ideas for the sports-minded family, “Cover outdated throw pillows with old jerseys that no longer fit and you can’t quite bring yourself to throw away. This would look great in a little boys bedroom or even a man cave. Total cost: FREE.” We love it!
But our favorite idea that Kimberly shared was this one – “My favorite was my son’s old twin bed that we transformed into a modern sofa for our outdoor living room. Total cost was less that $40.00 for fabric and paint.”
We are so impressed with all of your suggestions. But we are floored by Kimberly’s sofa redesign and she was gracious enough to share instructions and photos. Enjoy!
Twin Bed to Modern Sofa:
1. I used a simple twin bed and removed one of the siderails to create a daybed.
2. We painted the bed with 2 coats of outdoor paint (Black Raisin by Olympic).
1. I used a simple twin bed and removed one of the siderails to create a daybed.
2. We painted the bed with 2 coats of outdoor paint (Black Raisin by Olympic).
3. We then recycled an old, scratchy blanket and wrapped the mattress and bunkie board with it and secured to the bottom of the wood with a staple gun.
4. The entire wrapped mattress/board was then covered with fabric and stapled. Easy breezy!!
4. The entire wrapped mattress/board was then covered with fabric and stapled. Easy breezy!!
I purchased the outdoor fabric from a local internet company www.fabricguru.com for $4.99/yard. If you have never used them, they are highly suggested in this mommy’s book! We were lucky that we also had a bed length bolster pillow laying around also. I am pretty sure that one could be made easily by someone with sewing skills
Awesome ideas! That “sofa” ROCKS!
love,love,love the sofa! Awesome idea!