Recycling odds and ends from around the house is easier than you might think. Every year in the springtime thousands of eager beavers begin the timeless art of spring cleaning. Towns commemorate this occasions with an annual spring clean-up day. This year become the envy of the neighborhood by having the smallest trash pile and the coolest recycled treasures.

Finding Your Hidden Treasures

There are two ways to find inspiring treasures. One – go to your attic, basement, closet or garage and uncover the boxes of junk you have not seen for years. Two – walk around your house and look for things that are in hiding. Once you have your junk gathered make a pile of things that are too old and decrepit to reuse and throw them out. Read on for some ideas about what to do with the rest.

What to do with all the Junk

Now that you have all of this junk in your living room, what are you supposed to do with it? The first step is to think creatively. If you are reading this article I know that you have seen at least one home decorating show. That is probably what inspired you to look up this topic in the first place. So you probably have something in mind that you are trying to copy. If not, get out one of your old magazines and look for something that inspires you. Now sort through your junk and see what you can use to create the look you want. Keep in mind that a little paint or fabric can go a long way.

The Old Broken Chair

For example, you have sitting in your living room an old chair from your grandmothers table. You never had the table and the last chair remaining is broken. Instead of throwing out a family heirloom you have covered it with a blanket and placed it in the corner. You have always wanted one of those weathered chairs to go in your garden but did not want to spend money on someone else’s junk. Uncover the chair, remove the seat cushion and place it in your garden. By the end of the summer it will be as weathered as if it had spent a lifetime there.

Or, saw the back and the seat off the chair. Take the legs down until they are all even. Find an old board that is the same size. Nail it to the legs. Paint the entire piece so that it matches the room you made it for. Instant new table.