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I love the continuing repurposing thread and have several things on my list to look for in thrift stores and garage sales. I check for them everyday on Craigslist.
But here, share your favorite vintage item you have repurposed...one that has meaning or is so esthetically pleasing to you that it gives you pleasure each time you look at it.
I have an oblong brass flower planter (about 24" long) that I keep my bottles of adhesives and paints in. It is dented in a couple of places that gives it a patina I enjoy. Each time I look at it, I remember my plant craze days. I don't keep plants anymore....I always hated to see them die.
We are all creative here....I think this will be a fun thread.
Mine is a chipped Mary Englebreit coffee mug that I hold some of my colored pencils in. I've seen pictures of her personal studio and hope that some of her creativity will be passed on. The mug was a perfect fit for the mug holder in my car, then when I was washing it, I chipped it. :( So now, I can still enjoy it. Great thread.
This is my favourite repurposed thing - it's my Grandpa's filing cabinet dating from before the 1920s. It's got a wooden roll-top front so I can keep dust out, and each shelf pulls right out on stays and holds 12x12 papers - and lots more besides!
I have crystal tobacco holder from the late 1800's holding ribbon. I have vintage collectible lunch boxes holding embellishments and displayed in my stamp room.
That sounds interesting. Do you have a picture?? My parents owned a pipe and tobacco store many years ago. I loved the smell of pipe tobacco before it is lit up. Afterwards not so much. Would love to see your lunch boxes also. I have quite a few of the old metal food containers that I just display on top of my china hutch. I love old things.
This is my favourite repurposed thing - it's my Grandpa's filing cabinet dating from before the 1920s. It's got a wooden roll-top front so I can keep dust out, and each shelf pulls right out on stays and holds 12x12 papers - and lots more besides!
Love that cabinet ,
Gerry
__________________ 1 husband, 5 children, 10 grandchildren, Life is Good! IF ALL ELSE FAILS, I READ THE DIRECTIONS
My favorite thing is a mail sorter from the old post office in Maggie Valley, NC. Some of the slots were gone when I got it, which works perfect because I can store larger items in those spaces.
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
Location: along the bluffs of the Upper Mississippi River
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I love vintage items. I have a combo vintage/modern thing going on all over my home! I just bought a 1940's gas cooking stove that will look great in my brand new kitchen! It's just for looks and to hold some vintage bowls, cooking utensils, etc.
I love my antique drop leaf table that I've use for stamping the last four years...changing that over to a jet max desk/cubbies, etc. That table was my grandmothers and as a kid we ate supper there every night.
That said, I love my antique printer's box that holds/displays $1.00 stamps from Michael's and my antique blue ball canning jars that hold ribbon.
__________________ All I want is the chance to prove money won't make me happy!
I love repurposing items as well. My scrap room is full of yard sale and thrift store treasures. One of my favorite items is a huge jar bought for 50 cents at a yard sale. The lid is old metal with a coffee logo, but not sure if it actually stored coffee since it's a jar and not a metal tin. I use to to hold my loose ribbon and ribbon pieces. I found this holder that has a hook (like a hanger) on top with metal clips running down the front. i think it was an old potato chip holder. I clip my card candy that I receive from swaps on it.
I can't wait to read more items on this thread.
I love to scrap and make cards, so I like to put my money toward the supplies. Re-purposing things for storage has been an ongoing fun challenge. I've attached some pictures to show you. My dad added dowel rods to an old lazy susan to hold my ribbon. A cassette track holder now holds my ink pads. A CD tower holds my sizzix dies. An old map/tool chest holds my stamps and serves as a cutting work surface. An old metal file cabinet holds my finished cards in one drawer and blank cards in the other. An empty spice carousel holds brads and other embellishments.
My work tables came from a garage sale and most of my paper holders and magazine holders came from Habitat, Goodwill and Salvation army or garage sales. It's been fun finding ways to save and organize. Hope this helps. More pictures in next reply.
"I see your ink pad holder was made of foam board..."
If this is directed at me - the answer is no - it's not foam board. It is a wooden cassette holder that I bought at Habitat for $3.00 and painted white. Works great!
i use my great-gramma's glass pickle dish for my colored pencils, its a flat long & narrow dish,
an old wooden drawer organizer holds various lil things, an old spice wall rack holds tiny jars of this and that, i have a few cigar boxes,
and my work table is an old kitchen butcher block. it is big,old, heavy and sturdy.....this beast will withstand anything i put it through LOL.....right now i have an embroidered tablecloth on it my mom made, and a heavy piece of tempered glass, so my worksurface is nice and smooth.
__________________ HollyHock, she who runs in scalloped circles.........
I have an old wooden library card catalog that stands about 3 feet tall. It has about 18 drawers that are deep. I stash all sorts of crafty goodness in there and love it!
Many, many, years ago friends that owned a small fabric store closed. They sold me their four metal pattern company pattern files. Each is 27.5"W, 25"D and stands 37" tall. There are four metal slide out drawers in each. DH hated them and we stored them in our basement (used for some storage there), stacked 2x2, for nearly 20 years!
Now I have a studio and can use them at last! After several coats of my favorite Blue Ocean Breeze spray paint, they are fabulous! Moved together they make an awesome work surface 55' x 50" with all that drawer storage beneath.
I'm so glad I was able to keep them. I just knew I would have a suitable use for them someday as repurposed storage! Believe!
The only antique/vintage item I have is a scissors holder that hangs on the wall and holds pens and markers.
I do have some unique holders though. I have a pitcher that looks like a pair of bluejean overalls that holds some of my tools. I also have a coffee cup that looks like a hound dog head that holds my paintbrushes.
For decoration, I have a mini grocery cart that also holds my label maker. And a small dress form, about 18 in high, that's just for show.
I like looking for different and unique things to use for storage in my craft room.
I use my gramdmother's blue Ball canning jars with the lead caps to stor ribbons, small product bottles such as Diamond glaze, small stamps, etc. I think they are pretty to look at, bring back memories, and make items easy to see.
My late grandparents had a cherry dresser w/ a glass top. I use that to hold (on top) my GrandMark and Cuttlebug (glass is great for suction). The drawers hold a mish-mash of sorts.
Another repurposed item (non glamorous) ... Priority Mail boxes, I store my dies in them, well, the ones that fit. I trim the height down to match the tallest die in the box and i am now in the process of sorting by theme rather than manufacturer.
My grandma (same one w/ the dresser) did a lot of canning and my mother collected a few blue Ball canning jars as well. I have not yet incorporated them into my craft space yet. I'd love to do old cobalt too, but that is getting harder to acquire at a reasonable price.
Much too messy for pics right now - in the re-organizing process right now.
Share your favorite repurposed Vintage container
Repurposed storage
