Things come in and out of style. Things we have become old things. But what about if our old things became new things? If we try to look at an old object from a new perspective, we may be able to find a new use for it, one that we may not have thought of otherwise. The mind can be pretty creative in that way.
Last year, I wrote about planting a seedling plant in not just any planter or pot, but in a citrus fruit peel. It’s such a random way to plant something, but the outcome of this experiment ends up being not only surprisingly innovative and functional, but also cute. Like this example, there are so many more old or seemingly useless items that can become something new. Here are a few of my favorites that I came up with myself or found on the Real Simple website:
- Coaster gift tags: Punch a hole in collected coasters from various restaurants or bars and you will have a completely original gift tag to hang on someone’s present!
- Twister Table Cloth: Remember that game Twister? The odds are you don’t play anymore... so use it as a table cloth. You’ll have that cool, vintage dining room table that everyone is dying to eat on.
- Vanity Mirror Tray: Take an old vanity mirror and use it as a serving tray.
- Wine Bottle/Bottle Lights: Take a string of lights and place them in a bottle, either a beer or soda bottle or perhaps a wine bottle. Plug in your lights and it’s like having your own mini night-light or lava lamp (minus the lava, obviously!)
- Wine/Bottle Vases: Use a bottle as a vase. Take the time to decorate it as well, or keep it as it is for a vintage feel.
- Cocktails with an extra pop: Put a lollipop in your cocktail for a stirrer -- and for extra flavor!
- Utensil Cans: Use your old cans and make them into utensil holders to keep your supplies in order rather than chaos.
These are just a few ideas that use old things or things that would otherwise be thrown away to create something new. Obviously the creativity is unlimited, and you can basically make anything out of anything if you set out to try! If you have any questions or comments for ideas to make old into new, feel free to contact me at fbreisbl@asu.edu.
