Reader Contributions and Everything Else

If you found a project particularly inspiring please email me.

Headboard Message Center-by Ted of The Cottage House, Minneapolis MN

Last year on my trip to the Junk Bonanza in Minnesota, we visited The Cottage House. Ted was happy to show us his many junk creations.

He even wrote how he made this on the chalk board in the center.

Thanks Ted for letting me share your fun creations.

This project was inspired by one I saw at The Painted Porch's space at the Junk Bonanza

After getting home I began to think what could I use to make one of my own. I remembered this old plastic powder container, with my name on it, that I had been given by my SIL, and the gears began to turn. But what could I use for a head/face? The idea of using old printers type hit me when I was trying to get to sleep one night, and I just had to get up and start working on it.

Can you see the face? My Dh things the 8 is the eyes, but it's actually the mouth. The I is the nose and the commas are the eyes.

I began to see that lots of combinations were possible.

I really like the IOU one on the left. I may switch out the one I made for this one.
I call the one on the bottom right, my Picaso face :)

Well the idea for the ROBOLADY wasn't mine, but the face definitely was. I love it when I have an original idea. It happens so seldom.
I think she looks great hanging out with other bits and pieces in my creative room.

To make this cute doll. First I drilled 5 holes in the plastic container. The inspiration piece used tin containers either would work well. One hole center top for the head, 2 for the arms and 2 for the legs. Then I threaded wire through the holes and began to attach the different bits of junk for the arms, hands, and legs. For the head, I glued the pieces of letterpress together, then drilled through them and threaded the wire through and bent it into a hanging hook. A little glue here and there keeps things from sliding around, and that was it.

Hanging Book Holder-Margo

To make this book holder I basically screwed 2 old gate hinges to a block of wood, about 1" thick and the size of the book. Used some glue to freeze the hinges in an L shape, and slipped the book inside. Then put a hanger on the back wood. I hung the whole thing inside a double frame that I made by screwing one wooden fram on top of another. The wooden block is not visible because of the thickness of the frames that I put it all inside.

Fun with hands-By Margo

These are old glove forms that I picked up recently. My goal was to figure out several projects for them. Of course they are good for jewelry display etc, but I wanted to come up with something different. I offer you these 3 projects. And be sure to check out the Quick project below for a 4th project with these hands, submitted by a reader.

For the shelf: What I did was to take 2 of the forms, and I mounted them to a piece of scrap wood, screwing them in from the back. Then I placed 2 glass shelves on them, use a clear glue to set the shelves in place, and that's it.

For the Lazy Susan: I've taken an existing Lazy Susan I had and added the forms to it. These could be glued down, or even screwed in. If you did not want to damage your Lazy Susan, you could mount the forms to wood pieces and then attach the pieces together in the center to make it strong, and then simply lay it on top of your Lazy Susan. Then I just added some bowls and a plate to the center (to cover the uglies) and that is it. What fun this would be for chips and dip.

For the File Holder: This one is done the same way as the shelf project. Just add another hand in the middle. Be sure to countersink the screws so it will set level on your desk or table.

And the other neat thing about these, is that you can write on them with chalk.

See the IN and OUT on the fingers.

Jennifer G. sends in this project:
It is a valentines stitchery that she made with an old frame that was repainted and stained and she added an old key, to make it really special. Thanks Jennifer for the Great Valentines Idea.

A different kind of chair shelf, by Ted of The Cottage House

This is Ted of The Cottage House near Minneapolis. I love this Chair shelf he made.

He used old croquet mallots as the dowels. What a great and fresh Old Chair Project

Get Framed

mcnaughton from the HGTV T2T message board shares this great project

She writes "I brought home 4 boxes of free frame samples from a garage sale. I loved the textures. So...I covered a piece of masonite with damask and attached the frame pieces ( the sucker is heavy!) I'm still thinkin' on what I could display on the pieces. My neighbor whose bedroom window is less than 20' from the piece told me she had seen it and admired it. To hang it we attached the top of the piece to a 1 x 4. I wanted to move it to another wall, but hubby said "not for a GOOD while"."

Becky sends in these 3 projects

This project is from Clydene

The is an old Card Catalog cabinet, it came out of a library, it held the old Dewy Decimal cards you can still see the four dots on the drawers that held the little metal bracket for the index numbers still have them maybe I should put them back on.

This project was submitted by Jennifer

She writes:
Hey margo! just wanted to send a pic of my newest creation took me all week since im so busy but was worth it,this was an old little end table that i was going to throw away before i starting looking at your site,the top was in horrible shape and i found this out in my dads junk i guess its a piece of old cabnet it still had the glass nob so i just took it and made it the top of the table and painted it all!

Tina 56 re-purposed this old dresser into a bathroom vanity

Shamless Plug

This book isn't about trash, although there are a few chapters on various types of crafting. However my DH is featured on page 173 under the Robotics chapter.

Rosemary Submits several of her projects. She's used corbels in her Kitchen

And she has this T2T display on her fireplace

Gayle Sent in this project. She writes this about the clock face The face is actually decopauged onto a circle of wood - I cut a piece of brown paper to size, and printed the numbers on my computer. Then tore them apart and glued them all on the face - very simple and cheap!"
Gayle has another great project on the Lamps page.

Added 5/15/07
Donna Lee shows what to do with an old coffee pot:

I used a old Mr. Coffee Coffee Pot Spray Painted the pot inside and out. Attached Butterfly rub ons then put a string of 35 lights and put artificial flowers on top.