A New Word
On a recent trip to the States I picked up a copy of the U.S. version of More magazine. They had a tongue-in-cheek article on “Repurposing.” I loved it.
The examples they showed included:
- An outdated mini skirt made into a lampshade
- A now “painful” stiletto shoe transformed into a flower planter
- The itsy-bitsy bikini bottom we no longer fit into turned into a log carrier
- A sanitary napkin no longer needed by the menopausal woman fashioned into a soothing eye mask
These may seem to be bizarre new uses for outdated or no longer needed items, but this may be the best way to tackle a cluttering problem. We need to put a new spin on things and find uses for items we are storing, but will likely never use again in their originally designed form.
This also reminded me of someone I spoke to recently who was setting up a business to “repurpose” family heirlooms. If you just can’t get rid of grandma’s old china why not turn a couple of pieces into a work of art that can hang on your wall rather than storing the whole set in boxes in the basement. . I also remember my mom taking a lot of old gold jewellery and having it melted down and reformed into one pendant that she then wore all the time.
Let your creative juices flow. You might be able to breathe new life into some sentimental favourites and clear out the clutter in your closets. What better way to make decluttering fun, but then to add a bit of wit, whimsy and innovation to the process.
