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20 Clever Uses for Everyday Items

Make everyday home items extraordinary. From old suitcases to picture frames, the pros at REAL SIMPLE will show you how.

Keep chair cushions from sliding with velcro
Eric Roth

Velcro Strips

Stop seat cushions from sliding off kitchen chairs by placing strips of Velcro on the chair and on the cushion.

Stool into girl's nightstand
Mark Lund, by Amanda Armstrong and Sarah Newell

Kitchen Stool

Convert a kitchen stool into an enchanting nightstand. Wrap a tutu around the edge of the seat and secure it with double-sided tape. It’s an encore performance for an outgrown costume!

Magnets made from old brooches
Kana Okada, by Ashley Tate

Jewelry

Dress up your refrigerator with brooches. Instead of tossing out seldom worn or broken brooches, remove the pins with a wire cutter, glue a magnet to the back of each, and then use them to mount postcards, children’s artwork, or this week’s grocery list.

Prevent tabletop scratches by attaching a felt cirlce to the bottom of a vase
Dominique Vorillon

Felt Circles

Hush a banging cabinet door by sticking a circle on a corner on the inside of the door.

dish towel placemats
Antonis Achilleos, by Pilar Guzman

Dish Towels

Use dish towels as placemats. Let a colorful dish towel span the center of your table, and you’ll get two placemats for the price of an easy wash-and-dry staple.

linens stored in old suitcases
Beatriz da Costa, by Melinda Page and Ashley Tate

Suitcases

Store table linens in old suitcases. Pack seasonal dishcloths, napkins, and tablecloths together for easy-access table settings. You’ll free up space in your linen closet -- and get rid of extra baggage.

Store sets of napkins clipped together and they’ll always be ready to set the scene at dinnertime.
Monica Buck

Binder Clips

Restoring order in the linen closet. Store sets of napkins clipped together and they'll always be ready to set the scene at dinnertime.

calendar gift wrap
James Baigrie, by Melinda Page and Ashley Tate

Used Calendars

Turn old calendar pages into gift wrap. Personalize a birthday present by taking a page from that month and circling the special day.

Hooks made from old silverware
Lucas Allen

Mismatched Silverware

Make hooks out of old silverware. Leave spoon-bending tricks to psychics and magicians. For a more amazing feat, breathe new life into mismatched and old flatware by turning it into -- ta-da! -- useful hooks.

Use as an adhesive remover that banishes old stickers from mirrors, glass, and bumpers.
Laurey W. Glenn

Mayonnaise

Use as an adhesive remover that banishes old stickers from mirrors, glass, and bumpers. Apply a generous helping to persistent adhesives and coax off with a flexible putty knife.

picture frame drink tray
Andrew McCaul

Picture Frame

Serve drinks on a picture frame. Serving cocktails? Place a double of your favorite photo (so as not to ruin the original in case of condensation) under the glass and set out the drinks for a picture-perfect evening.

Using a bucket as a table
Yunhee Kim, by Melinda Page and Ashley Tate

Galvanized Bucket

Use a bucket as an outdoor side table. Top a bucket with a tray for an instant side table for your lawn chairs.

Instead of installing a typical metal rack to hold your towels, enlist a ladder made of bamboo (or some other wood that can withstand humidity) to do the job.
IPC Images

Ladder

Instead of installing a typical metal rack to hold your towels, enlist a ladder made of bamboo (or some other wood that can withstand humidity) to do the job. No tools required.

wine glass candleholders
  Formula Z/S, by Melinda Page and Elizabeth Wells

Wine Glasses

Use wine glasses as candleholders. To cast romantic shadows at the dinner table, place a votive candle in a thick-walled glass, anchored in a bed of sand or small pebbles (it makes wax cleanup a snap).

Display art from coat rack
Kate Sears, by Lisa Smith, Sharon Tanenbaum, and Ashley Tate

Coat Rack

Display photos and art on a coat rack over the mantel or in a hallway. Use ribbons or strings of different lengths to hang the arrangement from the pegs for an easy and creative change of scenery.

Serving as an attractive, low-maintenance pot for succulents. Plant shallow-rooted varieties in the container with soil. The lack of drainage will keep the soil moist, so you’ll need to water even less frequently than usual.
Beatriz Da Costa

Birdbath

Serving as an attractive, low-maintenance pot for succulents. Plant shallow-rooted varieties in the container with soil. The lack of drainage will keep the soil moist, so you'll need to water even less frequently than usual.

A Twister game mat makes a spot-on tablecloth for a child's birthday party: Sticky spills and icing wash right off.
James Baigrie

Twister Mat

A Twister game mat makes a spot-on tablecloth for a child's birthday party: Sticky spills and icing wash right off.

Pick up interesting cardboard coasters at restaurants and bars you visit along your travels. Punch a hole near the edge, thread some ribbon through, and voil: homemade gift tag.
Thayer Allyson Gowdy

Cardboard Coasters

Pick up interesting cardboard coasters at restaurants and bars you visit along your travels. Punch a hole near the edge, thread some ribbon through, and voilà: homemade gift tag.

Who says a towel rack has to be the dedicated realm of, well, towels? Mounted over the kitchen sink, it can also hold a collection of cleansers.
Aya Brackett

Towel Rack

Who says a towel rack has to be the dedicated realm of, well, towels? Mounted over the kitchen sink, it can also hold a collection of cleansers.

Make a headboard: Wrap a sheet over a piece of plywood, staple in back, and prop up as a headboard for a quick decor update.
Laurey W. Glenn, Robbie Caponetto

A Sheet

Make a headboard: Wrap a sheet over a piece of plywood, staple in back, and prop up as a headboard for a quick decor update.

Printed From:
http://www.myhomeideas.com/how-to/household-basics/10-new-uses-old-things