Rental life can often be a little, well, oppressive. It’s often written into 50 page contracts that you can’t paint walls, hang things with nails, have a house cat, house fish, or even a house plant. It’s hard to make a rental feel like “home” with these restrictive rules written into the very agreement that puts a roof over your head.
Look, I totally get it. Landlords don’t want to deal with repainting walls which someone painted floor-to-ceiling purple (again), or have to replace the carpet every time a tenant with a dog moves out — and tenants want to feel at home in their home, without worrying that every tack knocked into the wall in a seemingly innocuous place is another $100 out of their security deposit.
That’s why I’m writing this series, Repurposeful. Everyone wants a home to be happy in — and we have enough stuff already. Why not repurpose some of that stuff into something more useful? Let’s reinvent your apartment interior with stuff you’ve probably already got, without breaking the bank (or the lease agreement).
Piles of Picture Frames
I think I’ve gotten some variety of picture frame as a gift every holiday of every year for the last, oh… 15 years. I have a giant box of old frames that I can’t use for their intended purpose (I’m out of family and cat pictures); I also have completely blank walls due to fear of losing my deposit. But if you’re like me and have a bunch (or even a few) empty picture frames taking up space in your closet, here are a few ways to make them repurposeful:
For Large Frames:
Honestly, I’m not one for large works of art, but I do love the natural beauty which surrounds us, be it woodsy or urban. One of my favorite ways to remember to pause and appreciate the world around me is by making a window my “art.”
Simply add a frame to any window anywhere in your house. This is especially effective for basement-level apartments where window space is at a premium. Adding a nice, colorful (or otherwise) decorative frame around your window is just the way to make those precious portholes to the outside world stand out.
Pretty-up your old TV with a fancy frame.
I think electronics are ugly. Something about the weird grey-black plastic and the too-shiny screens just doesn’t do it for me. Modern units are getting better as technology improves, but I still don’t consider my TV is something to be “looked at,” unless I’m mindlessly watching Game of Thrones.
If you have an older model TV and also dislike the look of it, frame it! Take an old frame, remove the backing and glass, and double-sided tape it to the outside plastic bit of your TV.
This was a revelation for me. I could never find a happy middle ground between wall calendar (awkward writing position) and desk calendar (always covered up with piles of crap). I was also always scribbling notes onto a calendar in the moment and then having to scratch them out when the plans were altered or moved to a new date. I mean, I suppose I could have used a pencil, but that’s just not my style. So, I framed my calendar in a complimentary, glass-fronted frame.
Now, it sits at a nice angle for writing on, I can see it clearly because it is no longer obfuscated by mountains of bank statements, and because the glass is intact, I can dry erase marker to my heart’s content, obliterating old plans with new.
For Small Frames:
This one is so easy and so handy. Have an old, nasty t-shirt, pair of jeans, or reusable grocery bag and a picture frame? You’ve got yourself an earring holder and you don’t even know it yet.
Cut a square (or rectangle.. or whatever shape your frame is) about 2.5” larger on all sides than the glass in your frame. Place the glass piece into the middle of the fabric and fold the edges inward, securing with a piece of duct tape or something sticky. Then, replace the glass into the frame so that the fully-fabric-covered side is visible when viewing the frame. Then just loop the backs of your earrings through the fabric and you’re done.
Pro-tip: Replace the glass with a piece of sturdy cardboard and you have a push pin board and/or a key holder!
Use a frame as a cheese board or appetizer tray
To be fair, this could work for large or small frames, and the frame does need glass for this to work (otherwise you’ll have a mess on your hands). You can make a chic appetizer tray or cheeseboard just by adding a piece of pretty craft paper cut to the right size to your frame and then removing the back stand. I’ve found that strong patterns (like paisleys or chevrons) make this come together as a concept best.
Create adorable coasters for cocktails
Maybe its a product of living in the San Francisco Bay Area, but I’ve discovered a little jar of old wine corks in pretty much every friend’s kitchen, to either recycle appropriately or “reuse when we don’t finish that bottle of wine” (as if that ever happens). This is a quick way to repurpose both your small frames and those manky old wine corks.
Remove the back stand and glass from your frame. Measure out how many corks will fit in the empty space left, and simply glue the corks down to the frame backing in the bottom. Insta-coaster!
Because frames without glass are generally very light, I’ve found that you can hang this simple vase with double-sided tape or Command strips. To make a really pretty hanging vase, remove the frame’s back stand and glass, so that only the wood exterior remains. Then, just glue (or hang with twine) an old skinny jar (the best I’ve found are from fancy mustard), a cracked or chipped stemless champagne flute, or if you’re in the sciences, even a test tube will work! Honestly, anything tall, thin, and able to hold a flower (I prefer clear glass, but that’s up to you) will work. Once the glue has dried and everything is secure, tape your new frame up on the wall and add your choice of flowers. This one even makes a great DIY gift!
Repurposing things you already have and reinventing the way you decorate your apartment is really not that far out of reach. Check back for another installment of Repurposeful, and tell me your favorite repurposed project of your own in the comments.
Email me when Swapt publishes or recommends stories