The Repurpose & Upcycle thread....

[Hollylane]

Originally Posted by Kelt

This is a little bit off to the side of strictly recycling, but in the same spirit.

I've been spending a lot of time at my local library lately and discovered something they are doing that makes a lot of sense to me.

They have gotten into gardening. As in, lending small hand tools so that if someone wants to start some vegetables or something they can try it out without the expense or need acquire the basics. You just check them out with your library card like anything else. There is a neighboring town that has a full scale tool library for larger hand and power tools, and this is a nice complement to that.

They have also set up some of the old physical 'card' catalogue cabinets and are working with a local seed savers club so that folks can 'check out' seeds with nothing more than the promise to contribute in the future. They are right next to the gardening book section so that people with find them.

I really like seeing these grassroots community efforts being hosted in this centralized way. I think more people with find this resource here rather than in scattered little groups around town that a person would have to scout out to find.

FREE is always good.

Yes! This is an awesome service for the community. In the Portland area, a lot of our parks have sectioned off areas (repurposed earth) where people can grow their own vegetables, and The Oregon Food Bank offers classes for urban gardening. I love that!

[cinnamongrrl]

another great thread Hollylane!

I like to reimagine things as well. I make a lot of great finds and luck into some good stuff...

one of my projects on deck atm is a lovely old dresser that I found in our "free spot" (a man that cleans out houses for a living leaves things he cant use) It had no drawers to speak of, but it had such lovely lines and good bones, I couldn't bare to leave it to the elements.... I'm wanting to turn it from a 4 drawer dresser to 2 level shelf. With nice wide shelving it would be perfect for displaying the pottery I'm accruing....

another project is a very very old multi frame (previously glass) window that I rescued from an abandoned house...It needs a good sanding...and I'm thinking of making a "primitive" sort of picture with it... I have ANOTHER window frame that is long and narrow that I plan to make into headboard...

and lastly, a small project..at the same free spot I found one singular very old stair spindle...I have considered putting it on nice brackets and using it for a towel bar or using it as some kind of jewelry holder...bracelets and such...

One very cool thing I saw and loved was a small window that had an old screen on which was hung earrings...and hooks on the side which held necklaces... I'm always looking at things and trying to think of other ways to reuse them...that's part and parcel with reduce/reuse/recycle