Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Put Kitch In Kitchen With Vintage Kitchen Items

How to repurpose vintage kitchen items and give them new life!


From cooking utensils to trays, there are so many creative ideas out there to make a fun statement with old kitchenware.  Originally, these antique kitchen objects were created to last, and they have!  So, whether its an old pie plate,  the half of a salt or pepper set, the top of a sugar bowl, or an old tin tray, why let them land in a landfill, when they have already stood the test of time? 

Here are some fun ways to remake your mothers, aunts or grandmothers old standby into a new functioning household treasure or work of art to admire for another generation (at least!).

From Country Living--Perfect for a country home...A Magnetic Note Tray.  Makes this a lovely old tray a work of art!


Fork note holders from Iblumdesigns.com Very fun! Makes clutter look so neat. 


 Silverware hooks!  Old or new designs all work well.  Match your decor.  A great way to repurpose incomplete sets from designspongeonline.com 




A cover missing a bottom matches up to an old serviing plate from apartmenttherapy.com

 


From Aa muffin tin to an office tin from naturalhomemagazine.com



Sweet idea for an old fashioned sugar dispenser!  Tada--Handy String dispenser.




Plate and candlestick--what else could you do this with? bowl? Wine glass? A fun idea and conversation piece!!! I think it would work with any style...modern, antique or vintage.





Great use for wine rack--One way to display a rolling pin collecton.  I have seen these old wine racks used for bath towels and dish towels (rolled up), too.


One way to have A Tea Party By DannysDaily.com


Lastly,  three very creative household creations by artist Giles Eichenbaum...




© upcyclemania.com

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Old Car Parts That Are Gas To Repurpose

Cool ways to recycle vintage cars and parts

OK so the engine has blown and you can't repair your vintage car. Try selling it for parts or make it into a piece of household furniture or some other useful object! Cruise the following ideas and come for an adventure ride of nostalgia!

On the ball:

This VW Pool Table one sure looks like a ball from Classic Rallies.com

vw recycled to a pool table

Past Present and Beyond puts the fun in function with these furniture samples:

I would love to put my rear end on this red and black Rear End Sofa:



Talk about a Car Seat-this is a new version:


A Front End Sofa that is a new way to be green:


Front End Bar that looks good enough to have a soda pop on:


Front End Table with a touch of glass:


If your old license plates were on the car you may want to recycle them, too. Perhaps you have a few left over from days gone by. Here are some creative solutions to recycle license plates that are colorful and clever.

From the Car Connection recycled License Plates Handbag:


recycled license plates purse

From This Old House the license plate mailbox:























From Ala Modest Stuff Bird Houses and Bird feeders That give you something to chirp about.


So, remember, it's easy to repurpose things--you just need a little drive and imagination! If it's not your style or you can't do it, give your heap to a thrift, put the parts on freecycle or one of the other venues. Someone will be more than happy to turn that metal into a work of art! Repurpose, it's saves landfill space.


© Upcyclemania.com



Saturday, July 10, 2010

It's In The Bag


So many ways to recycle and repurpose old suitcases.
With the invention of the rolling suitcase, most hand carrying travel bags, attache cases and briefcases have gone obsolete. You see them all the time covered in dust at the thrift shops or curbside.
Some of these vintage cases are so cool, that before you toss them out, you may want to take a look at these unique variations and fun ideas for giving new life to this old standby.
If you don't have any, you may just want to go find some! With a little ingenuity seems you can make them fit into any decor.
http://readymadeblogs.mydevstaging.com/
Suitcase Sofa from http://www.poetichome.com
suitcase sofa
Suitcase Foot Stools from jeremy and kathleen/ blogspot
suitcase furniture
The Suitcase Chair
suitcase chair
The Attache Case Bar
attache case bar
The Portable Suitcase Office
suitcase office
The Suitcase Medicine Cabinet--Very clever with or without lights.
suitcase medicine cabinet
© upcyclemania.com