Junk Items That Can Create Amazing Looks For Your Home
Photo by Nam Quach on Unsplash
Upcycling and creating your own furniture is still all the rage. After all, what’s better than creating a bespoke piece of furniture for your home and doing it for far less money?
Often, you can find a great item for cheap or free in your local area to work your upcycling magic on, but if you aren’t afraid of a little DIY then you can create furniture completely from scratch. It’s all about knowing what’s junk and what could be a gem.
If you’re having a clearout or a look around your local reclamation sites, keep your eyes open for these items.
Pieces of Wood
Discarded pieces of wood can come in really handy, from creating new tabletops to shelves and crates, you have lots of choices. Most wood can be stained or painted any colour you want to fit in with your style and existing decor. Scaffolding boards in particular are a great find as they can be used individually for shelving or combined with some great legs to create tables and coffee tables.
Scaffolding Pipes
It’s not just scaffolding boards that are a DIY furniture maker’s dream. Scaffolding pipes can also be used to create some interesting pieces. You can use them for handrails or buy some key clamps which so that you can create frames for tables and stools. They make a really unique look for your home and can be spray painted or left with their original wear for the authentic, industrial look.
Old Suitcases
Vintage trunks and suitcases are very popular at the moment. In fact, there’s a market for new items which are designed to look like they were made a long time ago. If you take a look online, you can see some of the great things people have created with these old trunks and suitcases. For example, you can use a large trunk as a coffee table, convert it to a small bookcase or even put legs on it and convert it into a drinks cabinet. Fix cases of differing sizes together to make an interesting end table or storage chest.
Vases
That cracked or chintzy old vase can be given a new lease of life in your home. You can spray or repaint them to give them a completely new look, turn them into planters or even add a light fitting to them and convert them into lamps.
Wine & Spirit Bottles
If you look along the rows in any shop that sells alcohol, you’ll see the huge differences in the shapes and styles of the bottles. Some of them are works of art in themselves. Don’t throw them away once they’re empty. There are lots of creative ways to use them around your home.
Vintage style win bottles can be used as candle holders for the old fashioned style of long, tapered candles. The dribbling way that runs down them only makes them look better.
Spirit bottles have a load of uses too. If it’s a vintage or iconic brand, leave the labels on or soak them off. You can then use the bottles as soap dispensers (just purchase a low-cost collar and dispenser head online).
With some of the larger spirit bottles, you can use them as lamps, whether by putting a string of battery-powered fairy lights inside or converting the entire thing into a table lamp complete with shades.
Other uses include painting them to create unique looking vases or drinks bottles that look great on any dining table.
Fabrics
If you’re handy with a sewing machine, then you should never throw out nice fabrics or clothes with great patterns. You can create cushions, runners, napkins, blinds and headboards with those pieces you might otherwise have thrown away. So the next time you’re having a clear-out, really think about any uses for those odd curtains or clothes that need repairing or you’ve grown out of.
Wellingtons
If it’s time for a new pair of rain boots, you may want to donate your old ones if they are in good condition. If they are a bit worn, there are still a few things you can do with them. For example, many people have created cute little planters for their gardens or balconies. If they are already a cute colour, you don’t have to do anything other than filling it with some soil and plants or herbs of choice. You can also paint them with a different colour or pattern to brighten them up a bit.
Takeaways
With some imagination and a few DIY skills, you can turn almost anything into a unique item for your home.
