Clever Storage

Any old box will do - shoe/boot boxes, paper boxes, anything with a lid works best. Add a little fabric and some hot glue and you have a very presentable storage box! It's so easy - just wrap the lid and the box like you would a present and... voila.
For this box I used the fabric from an old curtain and a paper box.


The top box in this picture stores our wedding memories (CDs, dried flowers, left over invitations etc.)
So easy, so useful and so re-used!

Never Buy New - Christmas STUFF

Oh, my, gosh! There is SOOO much Christmas stuff at the Goodwill and other second-hand stores. Decorations, plates, lights, more decorations, artificial trees, mugs, new cards, cookie tins...everything. The quality of the holiday goodies is especially good - I found tons of items that looked new or very slightly used.
If you don't let yourself get distracted by the masive amounts of stuff you can really find some nice finds to decorate or gift. I found these cookie tins for .99 cents each - they still had the tags on them - super cute.

Painting a Tree

Feeling creative one day, the hubster and I decided to use some paint the previous owners left us (we think it is the accent color in our bathroom) and put a little nature in our bedroom. What was a boring wall became decorative and functional tree-hook thingy. Okay, I am working on a better name. We were pretty excited about how it turned out. We just took the paint and went crazy. The best part about this project is it doesn't take up any space, but really adds a lot to the room.

Curtain Headboard

This week I want to share one of my favorite re-use-it projects ever. I am calling it the "curtain headboard"...ta da!When we moved into our house (after 3 rented places in 3 years) we had lots of left over obscure-sized curtains and decorations that didn't seem to fit anywhere in our new home. So, I took this 10ft long curtain rod, two single pained curtains and a wall hanging and made it into a decorative head-board. This solution doesn't replace everything a headboard is good for, but it sure is beautiful and adds a lot of height and texture to our bedroom.

Pretty and Practicle Glasswear

Hello! Do accept my apologies for the lack of posts - I had a wedding - it took over life. But, I am back, married and full of ideas.

I think part of the reason people avoid second hand stores is that they think it is impossible to find clean and shiny newish items. But alas, it is not true! Your second hand store has lovely items just waiting for you to pick them up, take them home and make them feel like new. After a nice bath in dishwasher (I use the 'sanitize' setting) your friends will think you just spent your paycheck at Pottery Barn. (Then, you can tell them you didn't spend that much money and they can be like: what! and you can be like, I know!)

The first and second pics are of decorative glass bottles with home made raspberry and basil infused vodka (the infused part is homemade, not the vodka.) These bottles were also .99 cents each - they look Pottery Barn-esk...huh. Great gifts!

The third picture is of quart size glass canning jars which were purchased for .99 cents each. You can find plastic screw on lids at any grocery store in the canning aisle. There are almost always many sizes of canning jars at my second hand store.

Toilet Paper Rolls

I can guarantee you that everyone has left over toilet paper rolls (if don't, you will soon) - and who doesn't have a few pens and pencils to organize? Well, here is your solution.













The rolls will stack nicely as long as they have something to lean on; a small shelf, bookends, a deep drawer. If you are too classy for the naked, brown cardboard look you can easily cover each roll in fabric.

Check out other creative uses for toilet paper rolls on these blogs:
http://frugal.families.com/blog/creative-uses-for-toilet-paper-rolls
http://www.squidoo.com/reusepaperroll

Never Buy New - Print Cartridges

I realize reusable print cartridges aren't the most exciting thing. But, ever since I discovered these handy little guys I have been asking myself why anyone would never buy new cartridges. Here is what I mean: the cartridges are cheaper than new ones (only $16) , reusable (i.e. not contaminating the earth when thrown away), and more convenient than going to a store (the company I use, Rapid Refill, has a drop/pick up site at my work.) Umm.... hello?

Flower Pots (guest appearance)

While I catch up on posting please enjoy this guest appearance by fellow second-hand shopper Heather Daniels. Heather's husband Steve made this lovely flower stand which Heather adorned with used flower pots. I have experienced this flower stand first hand, and let me tell you - those flower pots look stylish and brand new. Good work team!

Summer! Lawn Chairs

I am ready for summer! These lovely lawn chairs are comfy, easy to store and look great. Together they were a total of $5.98 at my local second-hand store. They retail anywhere from $8.00 to $25.00 each. The small table you see in the forground has been part of our outdoor living for as long as I can remember; and it obviously needs a makeover. So, I am taking suggestions - what color would spruce it up?

Picture Frames

Black spray paint can make all the difference - I am into it lately. These previously mismatched frames make a beautiful group. Clockwise from the top - a previously silver frame (recent present), an old wood frame from my parents, an overstocked Target frame that ended up at my nearby second hand store - it was neon green ($1.49) , and a originally black frame, reused again.

Magazine Rack

As a re-user I love white elephant gifts - what a great way to reuse a horribly ugly, useless or lifeless item. This re-user also thinks there is nothing quite like turning a white elephant gift into something usable - especially when there is very little work involved. The magazine rack wasn't the highlight of the gift - but rather the circa 1990 Seventeen magazines stored inside. The magazines will be dropped off at my local gym tomorrow (which should be entertaining) and the rack got a new coat of paint and is now revitalized (and not ugly.)

Before
And After!

Never Buy New - Paper Towel Holders

At any second hand store you will find the most amazing collection of paper towel holders. Made of metal, plastic, wood, in every shape, color and decorative theme possible. I have been trying to imagine why there are so many used paper towel holders - I guess you only find one in your typical kitchen, and they don't really wear out. So, when they end up at stores they stay. The selection at my local second hand store includes the metal-stand-up kind, the attached-to-the-wall-wood kind and the shouldn't-be-owned-by-anyone-but-a-eighty-year-old-woman kind. So, if you are in need of a paper towel holder you will can get your fill.

I, myself am not a huge fan of paper towels (note the whole reduce, reuse, recycle theme) but I decided that I shouldn't critic items such as paper towels until I have children - I can imagine they may take on a saint-like status when food starts flying through the air.

Gift Bag

This adorable and fun triangular gift bag looks brand new and was only $.99 (the $3.75 price tag from original purchase still attached.) One of the things I love most about shopping second hand is that I would never go looking for a triangular gift bag - but once it was found I knew it was uniquely perfect. Note the reused tissue paper as well!

Spice Bottles

I have been searching for spice bottles everywhere since I started buying bulk spices at my grocery store. I could never find anything but plastic bottles until these simple and functional glass spice containers popped up at Goodwill. They are crisp, clean, and just the right size. They were $4.99 for eleven bottles and a spice rack (compared to $22.50 to $45.00 at retail stores). I don't need the wrack so I will take it back to Goodwill and maybe it will be perfect for someone else.

Candles

Candles can really change my mood - especially on a cloudy day in Oregon. Didn't know you could find second hand candles? Me either, at first. I don't usually find very pretty candles second hand - but we can fix that.

The tallest candle and the star shaped candle where found at my local Goodwill Store, $2.99 each. The short round candle was found in our garage when we moved into our new house and the green candle holders are from a garage sale.


I put the candles in my fireplace, they create a wonderful soft light and add a bright spot to the room. Because they are grouped together in the fireplace the mismatched colors and patterns aren't noticeable.

Never Buy New - storage racks/orginzers

Never Buy New will be a reoccurring segment of this blog where I feature items I see almost every time I visit second-hand stores. Then, if you need something you can check and see if it is likely found at your second-hand stores before you buy it new!

A second hand store I visit often, Goodwill, always has many types and sizes of the white plastic covered metal racks which can be used in a variety of practical ways in kitchens, closets and other areas to organize and create space. They are sturdy, but also flexible.



My favorites are the cabinet shelves used to create more shelving for dishes or food in kitchen cabinets or pantries. When I bought these racks they where still in the original packaging. Price at second-hand store: $.99 - $1.99. Price new: $3.99 - 5.99.


Hooks and baskets. Price at second-hand store: $1.99. Price new: $7.99 - $8.99



















And finally, a iron and ironing board rack. I squeezed this one into a small place by bending the flexible metal. The metal bends without breaking - this way if I ever find a different or place for my ironing board I will be able to reuse the rack again. Price at second-hand store: $1.99. Price new: $7.99.