For many DIY enthusiasts, the sight of scraps of material from past renovation projects piled up in the craft room or garage is all too familiar. “It would be a shame to throw it away,” most people think, and they’d be right, too! But there’s no point keeping these materials lying around if you aren’t going to do anything with them, so it’s time to put them to good use.
If you have enough parquet left over after having a new floor laid, for example, you might want to consider using it to make a one-of-a-kind wall clock! If this sounds like it’s for you, then start by gluing two planks of parquet together. As soon as the glue has dried, cut out your chosen circle size from the wood and sand down the edges. The next job is to add the numbers, which you can do with paint, stickers, or whatever other creative idea comes to mind. The choice is yours! All you have to do then is bore a hole in the middle to insert the clock mechanism and you’re all set.
Another great idea for repurposing parquet flooring planks is to use them as clipboards to display notes or photos. Simply cut the piece of parquet to your preferred size and glue one or more wooden clips or letter clips to it. You can then use these to display your chosen slips of paper or pictures. If you’d like to take your project a step further, you could even add a hook to the back to hang your clipboard on the wall.
Have you ever found that you “go off” a piece of furniture once you’ve had it for many years, or the design no longer matches your new floor or furnishings after a renovation? Rather than heading straight out to the nearest furniture store, try taking a look at what’s lying around in the shed, because leftover laminate flooring is ideal for giving furniture such as cupboards or tables a new lease of life. This type of floor covering is easy to work with, making it an ideal material for DIY projects. It is important to ensure that the furniture to be upcycled has a smooth surface, otherwise it will be difficult to fix the laminate in place and any visible signs of unevenness would spoil your finished masterpiece! Start by cutting the remnants of material to the appropriate size, ideally using a jigsaw. Now you’re ready to decorate your sideboard, cupboard door or table top with the laminate. Double-sided adhesive tape with strong adhesion is the best choice for this. It’s entirely your decision whether you want to go ahead and cover the entire piece of furniture – just think about how much leftover laminate you have to work with as well as the finished look you’re hoping to achieve.
Instead of lying around on a shelf in the shed, carpet offcuts can be put to much better use at the entrance to your home – as a doormat! That said, a mat made of spare carpet is better for indoor use depending on the material, as it would soon get ruined outside in the rain and snow if it were to absorb a lot of water. If you prefer the quick and easy approach, simply cut your carpet remnants to the right size and your doormat is good to go. But if you prefer something a little more fancy and want to create a one-of-a-kind look, you can add a number of finishing touches such as leather straps or even a colourful painted design depending on the original colour and material of your offcuts. Dog owners might want to try putting the old scraps of carpet in their four-legged friend’s bed as a new sleeping pad, while cat owners can make excellent use of the remnants when building a new scratching post.
