Our planet has had it with all the trash human beings produce on a daily basis. So much so that there are parts of the Earth’s waters that are completely covered by plastic waste and other rubbish. There’s little we can do with the pollution that has already been made or produced. However, there are ways to avoid producing more trash, especially the plastic kind. One brilliant way is simply to reuse the things we would normally throw out. Check out the homestead repurposing projects below and get some good ideas on what to do with some of the stuff you have just lying around.
Wooden Pallet
Wooden pallets are what homesteaders’ and woodworkers’ dreams are made of. In fact, this page would not be enough to enumerate the many homestead repurposing projects you can do with wooden pallets. Let’s just go with a couple, for now.
Wooden Signs
Rustic-themed weddings and other events have been the trend in recent years. Part of this trend is to use repurposed items. Reclaimed wood such as a pallet, for example, can be made into a sign for a particular event.
To make a wooden sign, simply cut the wooden planks from the pallet according to your desired size and shape. Use wood glue and screws or nails to put them all together. Sand the wood making sure you round out the edges a little. Leave the wood as is or whitewash it first to give it a weathered look. You can now paint the word or phrase of your wooden sign.
Daybed
Make sure you use untreated wooden pallets if you’re building a daybed. You’ll probably be spending a lot of time on your daybed reading books or just taking naps so you don’t want the wood to be treated with chemicals.
For homestead repurposing projects such as this, you don’t have to disassemble the pallet. You just have to sand the whole thing first so you won’t get any splinters later on. Paint or stain the wood if you wish but it will also look great with its natural look.
Glue the pallets together on their sides. A better option would be to use hinges. This way you can fold the frame up when you need more space. Finally, attach the caster wheels.
Ashley Ann Photography has the complete instructions and gorgeous photos of her own DIY daybed.
Wooden Crates
Rolling Cart
Build a rolling cart or shelf from a couple of wooden crates. First, get your hands on two fruit crates or wine crates. It’s great if you have some of the latter kind since most wine crates have impressive designs on their sides.
Simply stack up the two crates on top of each other and then drill pilot holes into the front and back corners of each side. Screw the two crates together. Attach a 2-Inch ball caster in each corner of the lower box. Flip it over and you’re practically done.
Coffee Table
Another one of the many homestead repurposing projects you can do with wooden crates is a coffee table. You’ll need four large wooden crates for this DIY project. First, arrange the four wooden crates in a way that it forms a square. Use this to measure and cut a piece of heavy duty plywood.
Sand all four crates and the plywood using a sander. After dusting them off, apply paint or stain. Once dry, screw he crates together along with the plywood bottom. Attach the caster wheels, as well. Here’s the complete set of instructions from Anything & Everything DIY Blog.
Old Tires
Old rubber tires are some of the worst nightmares of Mother Nature, especially when people decide to burn them just to get rid of them. Fortunately, there are lots of homestead repurposing projects you can do with these old tires.
Some alternative uses of tires you’ve seen include making pant boxes, wall barriers, flip flops an obstacle courses. Thrillist has a better list.
Old Ladder
An old ladder may not be ideal for climbing anymore since it may break from your weight. But you can still find some purpose for it. Turn it into a corner bookshelf, a chandelier, a clothes organizer, or even a Christmas tree.
Corner Bookshelf
One of the poplar homestead repurposing projects is to use an old double ladder as a corner shelf. Simply separate the double ladder so that one side is on this side of the all while the other is on the other wall.
Clothes Organizer
A rustic clothes organizer in the form of an old ladder? Count me in. This is certainly one of the many homestead repurposing projects that will give your home a classier look and feel. Plus the fact that you get more space for your clothes should be reason enough why you should make one.
You can actually buy a wall ladder online that specifically serves the purpose of organizing clothes and other items such as magazines.
Check this and this to see two ways of making a clothes organizer out of an old ladder or ladders. For more homestead repurposing projects using vintage ladders, take a look at this list by The Spruce.
Go to The Gentleman Pirate if you wish to know more DIY projects, especially the homestead repurposing projects like the ones mentioned here.
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