Put your treasured linens, jewelry, and memorabilia back in circulation.
Your move to condo living may take some creative downsizing, yet some of your precious items can be given a new life as home decor or gifts. Start with something simple like your button box. Buttons make an eye-catching and memory-making decoration when sewn onto a throw pillow. Choose a background, like a vintage doily stuck to the pillow front, then select ten buttons from your button box, or buy some new ones at the fabric store – teddy bear shapes for a baby gift, flowers for a friend. There are dozens available, and they’re fun to shop for. Then sew them to your doily-fronted pillow. Voila! A truly personal gift.
Another fun way to repurpose keepsakes is to raid your heirloom silverware. With a shadow box as your frame, select a background fabric and use a glue stick to put it onto the backboard, facing outward. Select an assortment of knives, forks, and spoons. Maybe they’re baby’s first silverware. Don’t have silverware? Maybe antique pedants from generations past will make your art special. Military memorabilia also look great displayed this way. Design an arrangement that looks balanced – play with the placement until you have one you like – then use a strong fabric or hot glue to affix items while keeping the backing fabric taut. Let the piece set completely, then close the glass front. Kids and grandkids gain memories they otherwise would never have.
Have linen tablecloths and napkins you know you’ll never use again? Turn them into a wedding or baby quilt. If you’re not a quilter, call an expert. There are several listed online in the Des Moines area. Many people like having old t-shirts from a son or daughter’s sports career made into a quilt. Old wedding dresses make beautiful brides’ gifts when transformed into a pouch, pendants, or small purses. These unique gifts give the past a useful place in the present. Spur your imagination on Pinterest and Etsy to see how the past can come back to life.
