by Erin K
The economy isn’t the best, with the recent difficulties effecting families nationwide. This has forced many families to rethink their own finances and purchases. A do-it-yourself mentality is arising in the US, with many parents rolling up their sleeves and reusing what is around the house. This idea doesn’t just have to be with small items, like yogurt cups and popsicle sticks, but with larger pieces of furniture that are always around a family dwelling. Here are some ideas on how to repurpose various pieces that might be just collecting dust.
Reuse Children’s Furniture For Teens
Just because a child has grown out of the old furniture, doesn’t mean it has to be sold and replaced. That fanciful dresser with the cartoon and flowers? Repaint it a more somber color that reflects the new teenage years. A low desk can have casters or feet installed to make it higher, or even have a new bottom placed on it. The furniture of old doesn’t have to be replaced simply because your child is no longer a kid. Involve the teens and they will have ideas of their own that can be incorporated in to the new design.
A Mirror Can Be A Family Project
There always seems to be an old mirror sitting about an attic or a closet space. Kids are warned not to break the mirror, though no one in the family really remembers how the mirror originally appeared. Stop letting this mirror just be a dust collector and turn it in to a work of art. The whole family can join in to create a piece that reflects everyone as a whole. Grab some mirror friendly paint, pictures of the family, material to cut out for decoration, and go to town on the mirror. This project can be a testament to family bonding as well as a great art piece to hang in the hallway. These mirrors will also help make an area appear brighter, reflecting light in to dark areas of the house.
New Shelving Units Out Of Old Entertainment Centers
With the onset of the double wide and flat screen TV generation, many pieces of funrituer are no longer used. Entertainment centers are at the top of this list, built mainly for square SD televisions and not the new HD models. With a few pieces of wood and some screws, new shelves will fit into the old TV space. The entertainment center can be repainted to match a bedroom, removing the industrial or wood finish that common to such pieces. These new shelves can hold a variety of different items, from dishes to books to the miscellaneous items of everyday life.