Make Something New from Something Old

Reader Contribution by Heidi Hunt
Published on August 19, 2010

Yes — that means recycling. But it can be so much more! I spend a lot of time rummaging in the MOTHER EARTH NEWS archives looking for neat, unusual and unique projects built by our readers. What amazes me is how folks even imagine remaking a particular piece of “trash” into a usable product.

Check out this pet door — a little sheet metal, some canvas and magnetic ribbon, and your pet has a new door to use. Or this handy candle heater — can you envision a situation where you would need a little heat (in an ice-fishing house, a deer blind or maybe in a vacation cabin when a storm comes in and the temperature drops dramatically)? A few tin cans, a couple cups of sand and some candles. Voilà! You have a heater. This is why some folks have garages and basements that are filled with used, leftover and otherwise-useless stuff — so they have the raw materials for an urgent DIY project, without having to go to the store.

We’d love to know about the most inventive project you’ve made from repurposed materials. Tell us about it in the comments section below.

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