What Once Was a Wire Basket is Now a Suet Holder

Being creative is having perspective. It's not just the obvious; it's seeing it as something else, something different. Which is why I love repurposing, recycling, and a new word to me as of today - up-cycling. Whatever you want to call it, it's a great thing to "find new uses for used things".

Wire Basket with Safflower Suet Cake

I have bought many a suet feeders that have cost from as little as a couple of dollars to ones that were more than 10. I don't really like putting them out for two reasons: 1. They dissolve/melt away when it rains because I don't have covers for them and 2. The raccoons manage to get a hold of them, which means the feeders get carried off or they are destroyed, never to be used again. So now instead of buying new suet feeders, I scout out used wire votive holders, wire baskets, well really wire anything as a matter of fact at local thrift stores. Surprisingly, these wire things can take many shapes, colors and sizes: hearts, stars, bird cages and even pumpkins. They're very versatile, in that you don't have to be limited to just a suet cake.




Nutty Suet in Wire Basket

  



Small Wire Star with Whole Peanuts

 

Wire Heart with Nesting Material

Small Wire Pumpkin Cage with Shelled Nuts



Depending on the shape and size, unshelled peanuts could work, as well as shelled peanuts. Come nesting season, these same products can be stuffed with nesting material that can be made from things around the house: shredded paper, cotton balls, stuffing from an old pillow, scraps of cloth and pine needles, for example. They often come with a handle or chain for hanging, which makes it easy to hang from a tree limb or other fixture. Additional hooks are sometimes needed. 



  

I didn't pay more than $2 for any of the ones pictured. I've been lucky enough to find big wire cages that can hold a bird feeder, but that's another post I'm happy to say.

So until next time...find something to Repurpose.

Thanks, Okie



What Once Was a Wine Bottle is Now a Birdfeeder

A wine bottle into a birdfeeder. And no it's not a hummingbird feeder, though I adore hummingbirds too. (If you've never seen a wine bottle hummingbird feeder, search Google images.) My wine bottle birdfeeder actually holds birdseed, from millet to shelled peanuts and black oil sunflower seeds to safflower.
My birdfeeder is made in many ways like the accect lamps from my previous post, minus all the extra glass and gluing. I use the following pieces to make my birdfeeder:
1. hose clamp
2. wire
3. used cork from any wine bottle
4. a used glass or ceramic-type small plate (cup saucer or salad plate)
5. any wine bottle

Holes drilled into sides

Beside these five pieces, I use a hand drill and glass drill bit for the holes. Typically, I drill two holes, one on each side - more than two, it gets a little crowded. I have on occasion drilled as many as four holes in random places so that taller birds can easily access the birdseed too. Unlike hummingbirds that can hover and eat at the same time, most other birds have to be stationary when eating. This is where the small plate or saucer comes in.



I find all my plates at the thrift store of course. I prefer smaller plates for the smaller birds, because of course the larger the plate the larger the bird that can land on it - those darn crows, grackles and starlings. I use a waterproof glue, bought at Lowes. I follow the manufacturer's instructions on the tube. I sand the bottom of the bottle, apply glue to it and then center the bottle on the saucer. I leave it alone overnight. By the next day, the glue is dry and the bottle can be handled.

Wire and hose clamp assembly
 with champagne topper

 I attach the hose clamp with wire to the top of the 

bottle, fill the bottle with birdseed (I have to use a funnel when doing this) and put the cork in it (a plastic champagne topper will fit too). It's now officially a wine bottle birdfeeder. I can take it outside for the birds to enjoy.





A beautiful cardinal eating safflower
seeds from a wine bottle birdfeeder

Total cost to make a wine bottle birdfeeder - under $5.

Until next time...
find something to repurpose.

Thanks,
Okie



What Once Was a Wine Bottle is Now an Accent Lamp

People have been repurposing wine bottles for decades because there is a plethora of things one can do with a wine bottle besides just throw it in the recycle bin. (I hope that's where you're putting them.)

Today I'd like share how I make beautiful accent lamps from repurposed wine bottles. But please know that I won't reveal all the details or secrets. You'll have to send your comments to get more info out of me.

Isn't it amazing how much light reflects off the walls behind the lamp? Now imagie it covered with all colors of glass.

The first step is actually the hardest step: It's removing the labels. I've soaked a bottle for days in a bucket of water and still had to use a lot of elbow grease to remove the label. Once the label's off, I get my hand drill with a 1/2" bit, especially for glass, and drill the hole about one inch from the bottom. (I'm a pro at this so send comments for some great advice on drilling holes.) Then I figure out my color sceme and start gluing away using my top secret adhesive. So you know, hot glue will not work. I have the burn marks to prove. I let the lamp sit over night to dry and on day two insert the 20-count string of lights through the hole. (Be a smart shopper, buy these lights on clearance after the holidays.) I close the top using an ornament, yes bought on clearance too. It is held on using hot glue, only because it will need to be removed in order to replace the burned out lights. I have had people tell me their lights have lasted over a year, even with regular use. Sometimes I even like to add a little more flare to the bottle.

I do this by hanging a beaded tassel, yes bought on clearance, around the neck of the bottle. I charge extra for these too. And speaking of charging...

I've seen similar lamps go for as much as $40 and higher. But mine start at $25, a very fair price indeed. I've seen my own lamps go for $50 and $65 in a silent auction. It is from making these lamps that I came up with the name REWINEDesigns.

Get it? Rewind. Redone. Reused. Repurposed!

Until next time...find something to repurpose.

Thanks, Okie