Use and Re-use the Junk You’ve Been Collecting

 

One recent morning, I booted up my computer, started looking through my email and my eyes landed on this:

 

Smart DIY Uses for All the Junk You’ve Been Hoarding!!

{Is that an email for ME or what?}

 

However, I do prefer the term ‘collecting’ over ‘hoarding’ I must say! 

It’s sounds much more normal….

um, okay, on that note shall we proceed?

-----------------------------------

I’ll admit, I do have some extras around

Keeping it real… here is some evidence of some of my
piles of junk
errrr….carefully curated vignettes!!

warning – some of these are pretty bad!

Now, granted, these photos may or may not have been taken when things were massed together (perhaps painting one side of a room so everything was pushed together into one spot or swapping stuff out for the change a seasons but still - it’s bad!!)

it’s actually making me hyperventilate a little

stuff I was getting ready for the shoppe

too much stuff is making me
uncomfortable

my problem is that I like all this stuff

I like each birdhouse, I like each little shelf, I like the gardening supplies,
I like each individual component a lot!!

perhaps, it’s just that I like them all too much

here’s the root of my problem:

I say to myself ‘oh, I can use that later in a project’

or

‘what if that is THE piece that pulls a look together down the road?’

 Are any of you in the same boat?

oh boy!

so what’s a junk-loving, crafty, home décor blogger to do?

EDIT EDIT EDIT!!!

Sadly, the magazine article in the email above didn’t really help me in this scenario…it was more about tips & tricks (like using old yogurt containers and dental floss for household uses)

I’m proud to say, I don’t have too much dental floss (really who does?)and I don’t keep yogurt containers amassed for potential future use
(yay for me!)

apparently, my problem of hoarding collecting is
on a whole different scale!! 

In my defense, my junk is the good junk - not new junk but good OLD junk - like step ladders, vintage kitchen goods, garden furniture etc.

{I sense a bit of backsliding in this last statement – uh oh!}

but I do need to EDIT

So here I go….off on an

edit adventure

I’ll show you some of my results here soon!!

 

Chat soon -

NORTHERN COTTAGE
(click here for Northern Cottage main page)
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A LOVELY LITTLE CLOSET

It has been a wonderful kind of busy

around the cottage as of late!

It has been filled with

beadboard
&
paint
&
shelves
&
trim
&
cutting & screwing & leveling 
&
{my favorite part…accessorizing!}

Does it get any better than that list of activities?

--------------------------------------

All of this work has been

leading to this…

our new

lovely little closet

--------------------------------------

Here is where we started

oh boy!

and evolved…

from inside my head..
then on  to this paper sketch…

to starting the beadboard

to painting and beginning the custom shelves

I’ve decided to use it currently as an
extended
kitchen cupboard
display
pantry space

we’ve divided this new glorious storage into

STATIONS…

the closet now includes a
breakfast shelf {Cereal Station} where kiddos can help themselves to bowls and spoons

and a big glass jar of cereal
{with a vintage metal scoop, of course!}

EAT UP!

I’ve also been able to now display my favorite
kitchen scale and some treasured family vintage cookbooks

as well as some ruffle-y aprons

and vintage cake plates
{alongside some new ones}
all in a row

all in all - I’m diggin’ my new closet/storage spot!

 

Thanks for coming to visit!

 

Chat soon -

NORTHERN COTTAGE
(click here for Northern Cottage main page)

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Using VINTAGE STORAGE Options

This post is about some things
near & dear to my heart

* Organization
  &
* Vintage

------------------------------

The beginning of the year brings on a burst of

* Organizing

* Clearing

* De-crapifying

Everyone else in that same mode?

I found via clearing out our
junk drawer that I had a bunch of little
odds & ends
that needed a home
{HA - that makes it sound like we have one singular junk drawer and that would not quite be true!}

------------------------------

So I wanted to make use of some storage options that could contain the ‘littles’
but that also look good when all closed up

-------------------

So…

I went to my vintage cheese box shelf

made out of boards from old crates

and lined up with vintage cheese boxes

------------------------------

I decided to add some little pulls/knobs

using these pipe strap thingies

{it was really the word galvanized that drew me to them like a magnet at the hardware store!}

popped them on with some thumbtacks

 

other boxes had various eyelets and little knobs

so I just added some round labels

and have successfully
contained some of the
bits and pieces of everyday life!

How wonderful it is to actually
USE
some of these vintage pieces

{all of these vintage cheeseboxes were collected by my grandfather many many years ago…
so there is extra special meaning there!}

Making use of these wonderful items in really helpful & functional ways

is so satisfying!

{* Bonus – the junk drawer is cleared too!}

p.s. Come Join in on the fun -

Northern Cottage Party Time Tuesday going on now!

Chat soon -

NORTHERN COTTAGE
(click here to follow or go to Northern Cottage blog home)

Check out my Pinterest Pins/Boards here

linking to:

Whisperwood Cottage along with Cottages & Bungalows/Rockler/Canvas Corp are teaming up on a wonderful challenge for the 1st project of the year PARTY – check it out:

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Crates and Boxes Oh my!

I think I’ve got an addiction to boxes, bins, crates and storage

I LOVE them & I’m always attracted to them first
at markets and shoppes.

Here are some examples:

 

Inside of which I’ll put some of these:

you probably already saw my rainbow bookcase crate

I’m just loving how they’re

contained

within the
wooden crate

I just snagged this shelf (below) at a little sale

and am on my way to filling it up with bins

not done yet… so you’ll see this in a bit

I love the color of these drawers
(I don’t have the dresser - only the drawers - so am still deciding how to utilize these)

this breadbox is gonna have a new life soon

and wooden boxes

oh how I love wooden boxes with typography!

I think back to school will have a positive affect
on my ability to

get projects done!

Stick with me and
hopefully I’ll be able to show ya some results of my labors soon!

Chat soon -

NORTHERN COTTAGE
(click here to go to Northern Cottage blog home)