Fixing things up

 

 You may or may not recall that at the beginning of this year I decided that I would try not to buy anything unless we really needed it. So mainly I have bought food and other consumables. This challenge hasn't really been hard (at least not most of the time - a couple of times I did struggle with coming up with homemade gifts) but it has caused me to think outside the box on quite a few occasions.

It has been fun to focus a little more heavily on trying to follow the saying "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." I thought I would share a couple projects from last week where I was able to give new life to some old things that were lying around out house. We are now enjoying seeing them and using them.

   We have a big world map that isn't very new (someday I will get a new one as I know that at least a couple of countries have the wrong name, but it works), in fact we were given it quite a number of years ago from a friend who had used it when she had homeschooled her children who are my age. Part of the time we had it we kept in on our table with a clear tablecloth over it (a very fun way to learn by the way!) and then it has hung on our wall after our tablecloth wore out.

   The map was torn on the edges and even into the middle in one place (though I had mended it with packing tape) and really didn't look to great anymore. My solution was to cut some denim strips (out of an old pair of jeans that were also past their prime) and then hot glue them as a binding around the edge. I also used a damp rag and gave the map a good washing.

 We think it looks much better now! It was a fun morning project that I worked on while the kids did their schoolwork nearby.

Well I had the denim scraps out I next went to fix up this little case:

 This wooden case had originally been given to Mara with an art set in it - many years ago. The art supplies were used up but still it hung around because after all it was wood and it might be useful.

  When I was trying out Rosemaling painting this Spring this little case was one of the victims of the painting. :-) But still it didn't really have any use.  However I had been wanting a more decorative way to store my games, stamps, flashcards and prizes that I use with my music students as previously some of them had been in Rubbermaid and others in a basket/bag sitting on my piano.

So I tore out the plastic stuff that was inside (to hold crayons, paint, etc.) and then glued a denim divider in the bottom section and made a denim pocket for the top. It works very well and my students really like it. So do I.

  Fixing things up is so much fun. It is such a delight to turn something that you already have into something that you like and use. I am working on other projects of this type that I hope to share with you soon.

Have you done any repurposing lately or any outside the box thinking that has made it so you don't have to buy something new?

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