While visiting local yard sales, auctions, thrift shops, etc, look for items that catch your eye! You might think to yourself… I really like that piece, but I don’t really have a use for it. I want to encourage you to look through “creative eyes” when you are making a decision about a particular piece.
If you really put your mind to it, you could almost always come up with an idea about how to use a piece creatively.
As an example, here is an item that I picked up at an auction for just a few dollars. It’s original purpose was a set of drawers on a vintage sewing machine, but I have found many other uses for this piece!
I’ve used it as a place to store silverware, cloth napkins, napkin rings, letters, lace, and most recently it is standing in as my tea caddy 🙂 I love getting up in the mornings, opening a drawer & selecting whatever tea I happen to be in the mood for. There is lots of room for many different types of tea, as well as tea bag holders & a tea ball for the loose leaf varieties.
Here are the main questions I ask myself before purchasing an item.
1. Can I afford to spend the money on this piece?
2. Do I really love it?
3. Do I have room for it?
4. Then – what can I use this for?
I have found, that if I really love a piece, I usually find many different uses for it over the years.
Now… I think I’m off for a cup of tea 🙂
Hi,
When I noticed these drawers I remembered three or four summers ago walking in the woods looking for my fossil rocks for my castles when my husband and I came upon an old sewing machine with drawers and beautiful handles.It was discarded with other garbage in the bush and my husband told me that we really didn’t need it.So we left,I being content to have my fossils forgot about the machine. A few weeks later we went back for more fossils to find to my surprise someone had picked it up. I should of looked at it creatively like I did the rocks. Oh well maybe next time.
Annabelle ~^..^~
Wonderful tips to remember 🙂 i`m enjoying your blog very much!
tea (who forgot she did afterall have an outdoor garden ornament in her house and will post it in the New Year)
xo