Photos by Laurie Mustard / Winnipeg Free Press
It makes me shudder to think of how many beautiful old antiques, and some not so beautiful, have gone to the dump because people just didn’t see a use for them anymore.
The focus of today’s column is to encourage you to PLEASE NOT DO THAT ANYMORE!
Then what are we supposed to do with them?
Easy-peasy. Repurpose!
For example, back around 1980, a friend gave us her grandmother’s old Singer sewing machine, the foot-operated treadle kind rarely used anymore.
It was beautiful, with a gorgeous, old, cast-iron stand, and on this one, an ornate wooden cover.
Until about two weeks ago, it sat here in my house in its original pristine condition, appreciated for its nostalgic charm and beauty. I have another as well, with a different design that folds down flat, which I’m able to use as an end table/lamp stand. Love it.
So, wanting to downsize a bit, I asked an antique-loving friend of mine, Beverly Johnson, if she’d like the first one mentioned here for her home.
She said yes, and in very short order, popped out a plan.
"I’m going to make it into an entry hall table," she said, "use the little drawer for my keys, get a piece of glass cut to fit the top, and use the little tray under where the sewing machine was to display old keys and interesting knick-knacks."
Wait. Sewing machine "was"?
Her initial plan included getting a hole cut in the glass over the tray area for access to plop things in, but then decided her new cat Lucy would probably bat her precious keepsakes out of there, never to be seen again. So no hole.
The actual sewing machine itself — she cleverly gave back to me to "repurpose." Good one!
Back to the little drawer where Bev is going to put her keys.
That was full of sewing machine accessories, really interesting-looking metal stuff, but useful only in combination with a working Singer sewing machine.
So, chuck them?
Absolutely not. Chuck nothing! We’re talking repurposing and creativity here, so what could these be used for?
We blathered over coffee for a bit and decided the pieces could be put together as a steampunk cat honouring Bev’s new kitten Lucy, framed, and perhaps hung over the "new" hall table!
Over more coffee, we organized the parts and pieces into a Singer version of Lucy, which will now somehow have to be very securely glued onto backing, so "Lucy" doesn’t fall apart when hung vertically.
Attaching all those pieces is definitely going to be a challenge. Suggestions?
I’m going to be very busy elsewhere while that happens.
As of writing this, Bev is not yet sure what she’s going to do with the old wooden box cover, propped up back of the table in today’s column picture, but is thinking maybe she’ll put shelves in it, or whatever.
No, Bev, I don’t want it back. Make it a cave for Lucy. Done!
Now, perhaps you have something in your home that has become useless with regard to its original purpose, like your husband or wife... (kidding, kidding), and you don’t feel creative enough to repurpose it into something useful and worth keeping.
No worries, that’s what Google is for! You’ll find endless ideas throughout various sites, such as Bored Panda’s "30 creative ways to repurpose and reuse old stuff."
The article suggests turning your old ladder into a bookshelf, tennis rackets into mirrors and so much more.
As for yours truly, having become, through this column, the "no-kill shelter for old pianos," I will soon have four in my garage to rehome or repurpose! Works for me.
At least they won’t go to the dump!
Now, what to do with this old sewing machine I thought I’d given away? Hmmmmm.
Comments or feedback, love to hear from you at lmustard1948@gmail.com.
