5 DIY Crafts That Will Turn Your Kalat And Old Things Into Useful House Items

• Are you guilty of storing too many boxes at home? You’re not alone! Many of us think that these can be used sometime in the future so we end up accumulating too many boxes which only end up as clutter.

  Aside from boxes, we also end up having cabinets filled with plastic containers, old magazines, and excess materials from school projects.

  The good thing is these items need not go to waste. Instead of turning into clutter, these can be recycled into organizers and even décor pieces for the home!

  If you’re looking for DIY projects you can work on using items you already have, you can take inspiration from these easy and creative ones done by other homeowners.

  Each project is guaranteed to bring out your inner crafter so make sure you have fun while working on them. If you have little ones, they can help out, too!

  5 easy recycled crafts for your home

  Handy organizers and canisters

  Received a big parcel recently? You can turn the box into an organizer you can use in any area of the home. Algie Aquino created an organizer for knickknacks using an old box, katsa, and burlap sheet purchased on Shopee.

  To get started, Algie suggests choosing a box depending on your needs. If you are keeping it on a shelf or a corner, you may want to use a smaller one.

  

  PHOTO BY Algie Aquino

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  PHOTO BY Algie Aquino

  Once you have the box, you can paint it first or proceed to attaching the katsa as lining. You may sew the katsa first to make it easier for you to glue it onto the box. The katsa can be purchased online or from your neighborhood bakery.

  

  PHOTO BY Algie Aquino

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  Finish your new organizer by covering the base with burlap sheet. The finished project can be used to organize remote controls, bottles, and other belongings.

  

  PHOTO BY Algie Aquino

  

  PHOTO BY Algie Aquino

  Got an old biscuit container in the kitchen? Take your cue from Fatima Molina Melicia by turning it into containers for powdered ingredients such as flour and sugar.

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  PHOTO BY Fatima Molina Melicia

  All you have to do is clean the container thoroughly and letting it dry. Once dry, you can cover it with wall stickers before attaching a label.

  

  PHOTO BY Fatima Molina Melicia

  

  PHOTO BY Fatima Molina Melicia

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  Wall stickers are available in different designs. Choose one that matches your home décor. These are available on Lazada and Japan Home Center.

  Decorated light switches

  Do you have old magazines or comics taking up precious storage space? Put them to good use by decorating your light switches at home.

  Mom of three Marita de Leon shares an easy project you can work on! To get started, prepare cutouts from the magazines then remove the switch plate covers. Make sure the lights are turned off before doing so.

  

  PHOTO BY Marita de Leon

  

  PHOTO BY Marita de Leon

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  “Brush the surface of the switch plate covers with acrylic emulsion then press your cutouts on it, squeezing out the excess liquid. Finish it with a final coat of emulsion. This is nice for kids’ bedrooms using old comics pages or cartoon cutouts,” shares Marita. Acrylic emulsion is available in hardware stores or online.

  Revamped lampshades

  Just because you have old lamp doesn’t mean you need to buy a new one. A few DIY tricks can make it look brand new as shared by Marita.

  She chose to give her plain lampshades a new look using magazine cutouts and paint. “A liter of acrylic emulsion is less than Php300 and magazines are always lying around [the home]! [This is] a great way to declutter too! The lamps were with me for a long time so I didn’t buy them. You can use whatever treasures na naka-store away,” she shares on Home Buddies.

  

  PHOTO BY Marita de Leon

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  Marita did the same steps she did in decorating the switch plates. She started by brushing the lampshades with acrylic emulsion then flattening the cutouts on it to squeeze out the excess emulsion.

  “I used gold acrylic paint after to add accents then gave the final composition another coat of emulsion,” Marita explains.

  Kiddie bookshelf

  Dad Nino Sol Sison has worked on many DIY projects (you can visit his Youtube channel, Coffee Break PH, for more inspiration!), but this kiddie bookshelf he shared on Home Buddies is definitely one of the most memorable as he used materials he already has at home.

  To create something similar, you would need: ¾ scrap of plywood, wood screws, pocket hole screws, water-based paint, baby roller, wood putty, and sanding paper.

  Nino shared the following steps as well:

  1. Cut the plywood according to your desired dimensions.
  2. Drill the pocket holes then sand the plywood.
  3. Using the pocket hole screws and black wood screws, assemble your shelf.
  4. Apply the wood putty on the holes and other imperfections before applying two coats of water-based primer.
  5. Finish the shelf with coats of water-based top coat.

  

  PHOTO BY Nino Sol Sison

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  Your new shelf can be added in the play area or your kid’s bedroom.

  Yarn wall decor

  For this project, Jean Bierlyn used rattan rings she found on Shopee and some colorful yarn. Using a glue gun, you can glue the ends of the yarn to the ring before wrapping either half or the entire ring with it.

  

  PHOTO BY Jean Bierlyn

  

  PHOTO BY Jean Bierlyn

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  Make sure the yarn is secured with enough glue so that it wouldn’t unfurl. Hang it on an empty wall or use adhesive hooks to display them at home.

  Do you also have a DIY project you’d like to share? Send us an email at smartparentingsubmissions@gmail.com and we might just feature you next!

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