Sometimes inspiration comes quite unexpectedly. At such moments you can’t sit still because you want to create something, or you simply want to clean up and declutter your home. But what if there are no materials at hand to bring your ideas to life? Just look around! You might find that there are some things you don’t need, but you have no idea what to do with them. Instead of just dumping unused items in the trash, why not transform them into something that’s both beautiful and functional?
We at SmallJoys have collected 20 awesome ideas to breathe new life into old things.
Garden planter
The time when people used CDs and DVDs for backup has gradually passed by, giving way to digital cloud services. So if you have an empty CD rack lying around collecting dust, transform it into a beautiful garden planter.
Using old T-shirts to crochet a rug
If you have a couple of old T-shirts languishing in the back of your closet, don’t throw them away. Turn your worn-out tees into a colorful and functional crochet rug! Simply collect a few unused items, and make a bright original rug that will work in almost any room.
Colorful button bowl
Got a lot of old buttons hiding around the house? With a little bit of imagination and effort you can easily turn them into colorful plates for serving fruits, candies, or snacks.
Floating cork keychain
If you like doing water activities or just relaxing by the water, then this simple idea is just for you. Make this original cork keychain, and spend your day fishing, kayaking, or splashing around without worrying that your keys will fall into the water. But remember that it is better to use a glass of water to test your creation first.
Incredibly handy spice containers
You can easily repurpose Tic-Tac containers to store anything from garden seeds to paper clips. Just turn on your imagination and start creating!
Using an egg carton to store cupcakes
Sure, a cupcake carrier made out of an egg carton may sound a bit strange and unappealing, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the fabulous end result. Just give your cartons a cute coat of paint, add some decorations, and keep those tasty mini muffins, cupcakes, and other sweets snug as a bug.
Decorative paper cup garland lights
Every day hundreds of thousands of people put their coffee cup into a recycling bin.
However, we can easily recycle those takeout cups into useful and stylish things.
Tabletop with broken plate mosaic
Don’t throw away that shattered china or ceramic plate. In fact, broken china fragments and pottery shards can be reused in many different ways. For example, shattered dishes make perfect tiles for creating one-of-a-kind mosaics for decorating your tabletop.
Sewing supplies organizer
Keep your sewing machine needles and other small items organized and at hand by making a pretty organizer out of an empty chocolate box.
Paint tray liner
Use this simple trick if you do a lot of painting and hate scrubbing paint off your tray. Just line your paint tray with a plastic garbage bag, and save yourself a good deal of effort cleaning it up.
Awesome idea for gardeners
Old flowerpots are an ideal solution to organize the plants in your garden. Use this simple trick, and you will never forget which plants you put where.
Original globe lights
People can find a way to recycle almost anything, even a broken globe.
Vacuum cleaner extension tube
Some spots are really tough to vacuum, no matter what extension you use. But putting a toilet paper tube on the end of your vacuum cleaner’s suction tube can solve this problem once and for all.
Removing nail polish with ease
Put a kitchen sponge into a baby food jar, leaving a hole in the center. Then pour nail polish remover into the jar, and insert your finger into the center of the rolled sponge. Rub for about 30-60 seconds until all the polish is gone. This method removes all types of polishes — even the most stubborn glitters — without mess.
Bird feeder
Making a nice bird feeder out of an empty wine or whiskey bottle is very easy and will cost you nothing. This design will not only delight you and your neighbors but make the local birds happy as well.
Handy yarn holder
Use an empty baby wipes container to make a functional yarn holder. This is a great way to keep your yarn clean, organized, and tangle-free.
Wall-mounted magazine holder
Instead of putting empty cereal boxes in your garbage bin, recycle them into a stylish magazine holder or a mailbox that will fit almost any interior.
Phone charger holder
There’s never a perfect place to rest your phone while it’s charging. Keep your cell phone off the floor or counter while it’s charging by using this simple trick.
Soda can wall art
This stunning picture was created from empty soda cans.
Crayon holder
One way to organize your kid’s drawing tools such as crayons and pencils is by using an old knife block.
A shower cap will protect a bicycle seat from rain
A common situation: you left your bike outside and went on your business, then all of a sudden the rain started, and the seat got all wet. To avoid this, take a shower cap with you on a bike ride, and cover the seat with it. And here are a couple of other tricks.
Preserve a watermelon
We rarely eat a whole watermelon at once, so it goes into the fridge. And there seems to be nothing more convenient than a shower cap to cover and preserve it.
Keep the hallway clean
Put shower caps on the wheels of a kid’s bike or stroller before entering the house, and there’ll be much less mess inside.
Pack your shoes
Your shoes won’t dirty other items in your bag or wardrobe if you put them into a shower cap, which is more convenient than ordinary bags.
Micellar water can rejuvenate old canvas shoes
The dark and grimy soles of your canvas shoes, as well as the shoes themselves, are easily cleaned with micellar water.
Help remove cosmetic stains
Before washing things stained with lipstick, mascara, or concealer, dab the stain with a cotton pad dipped in micellar water — the stain will more likely go away after washing.
A dish sponge can become an ice pack
This is a great way to go on a picnic. Put several wet sponges into separate bags, and seal them the night before the trip. Place the bags into the freezer overnight. In the morning, put the sponges in the cooler bag with the food you’d like to stay cool.
Make pedicures easier
Your toes may touch each other and smudge the polish as it dries, and that’s irritating. To avoid this, cut a sponge into pieces, and place them between your toes.
Keep your veggies fresh for longer
The fruit and vegetable container in your fridge constantly accumulates excess moisture, making its contents spoil faster. Avoid this by putting a new dish sponge inside — it’ll absorb the moisture. Just don’t forget to squeeze and change it.
Make a super thrifty soap dish
Make a soap dish out of a sponge by carving a hollow in it, or just put the soap on a sponge. This way, it’ll be used up much slower.
Elastic bands will help open a tight cap
Wrap an elastic band around the cap and easily open a nail polish bottle or any other vessel.
Keep a book safe in your bag
Paperback books tend to get shabby at the corners when we carry them around in our bag. To save them from such a fate, use an elastic band as shown above.
Make a sat nav out of a phone
If there’s no GPS in your car but there’s one in your smartphone, you know what to do.
Fit into your jeans
This trick will come in handy both for pregnant women and those who grew out of their jeans. Hook an elastic band around the button, and feed the other end through the buttonhole.
Fabric softener will help unstick old wallpaper
To tear off old wallpaper more easily, dilute a cap of softener in 1 L of water and apply the mix to the walls with a sponge or mop. Let it sit for 20 minutes, and then just unstick the paper.
Remove fur from carpets
Sprinkle the carpet with a 1:1 water and softener solution, and easily remove pet fur from it.
A handy eraser
Do you know that moment when you need to correct a picture with small details but an ordinary eraser is too big for this? Use a glue gun to make a tiny eraser on the pencil lead.
Hanger Space Above The Washer
Label Everything
Labels take all of the guessing out of grabbing your items. Putting a big, clearly visible label on each drawer or cabinet will help your sort and find your possessions in a fraction of the time.
Wheeled Laundry Carts
We ordinarily only see these in places like hotels, but they are extremely practical. Instead of carrying your laundry across the house, dropping items at every turn, you can cart it all in one go. How convenient!
Pull-Out Drying Racks
Drying racks save energy, and they are less harsh on your clothing. Get yourself a pull-out/fold-up drying rack, and you’ll save electricity AND space.
Change Jar
Get a special jar to store all the loose change you find in your clothing. Nickels and dimes will quickly add up, and you will be able to use the money on something instead of losing it to the black hole of the laundry room.
Lint Box
Transform an ordinary outdoor box into a fantastic addition to your laundry room. Set it aside just for lint, and take the hassle out of your pre-dry cleaning.
Sock Clothes Pins
Organizing socks is never fun, but you don’t have to find the set twice. Once you have a match, bind the socks together with a clothes pin to make your life much easier.
Get Creative
Finding socks that have lost their matches can be frustrating, but you can turn it into a fun activity. This “Save Dobby” jar idea is so cute!
Glam It Up
Hang your ironing board on beautiful hooks to give your laundry room a more glamorous vibe. A little decor can really alter a room.
DIY Ironing Board
We don’t all have space for a full-sized ironing board, but that doesn’t mean we don’t all need to iron. Make your own little board with this cool tip.
Slim Cart For The Win
These babies can fit just about anywhere, and they are so convenient. Load one up with cleaners, cloths, or anything else you might need.
Over-The-Door Rack
Like the slim cart, this is a great space-saving organization idea. Hang anything you use often from your door so you can access it easily.
Detergent Dispenser
Get a beverage dispenser for your detergent to make measuring it much more simple and way less messy. It even makes the place look more ornate.
Candy Dish Storage
Put detergent pods in a candy dish for a classy and effective way to organize your laundry room. Whenever you need some detergent, just grab a pod out of the dish.
Laundry Guards
You may have outgrown the lane guards for bowling, but you can always use laundry guards. It is annoying when our freshly cleaned clothes fall on the floor, but fortunately it is also preventable.
Dry Erase Notes
If someone is helping you out with your laundry, leave them tips so your clothes aren’t damaged. A dry erase marker works great on most washing machines.
Laundry Guide
It can be hard to keep track of which clothes need what treatment, and this guide is here to help. Print it out and stick it on your wall for even more convenient access to the information.
Line Dry
If you don’t want a drying rack, you could always go old school and line dry your clothes. You can stick these strings just about anywhere.
Industrial Shelves
These may be tricky to build, but they will certainly come in handy. If you need more organizational space, consider this project.
Stain Station
Stains will always be a burden, but you can keep all your stain-remover ingredients together in one convenient place. Why make life any harder than it has to be?
Designated Hampers
Instead of sorting out your clothing when it is already time to wash, save yourself time by sorting before hand. Having designated hampers for each color can really take the stress out of doing laundry.
Laundry Sorter
If your household requires a lot of laundry washing, this sorter it the perfect item to keep your laundry room organized. All you have to do is remember whose basket goes where.
Doing laundry isn’t fun, but having clean clothing is. With these tips, you’ll get your laundry room under control in no time.