Parting with any piece of furniture isn’t easy. There’s so much emotion attached to it, that simply disposing it off seems difficult and isn’t the best idea either (think of the landfills). So, the next time you have a broken chair, or a chair you are simply bored of, call your carpenter (who you should have on speed dial for these projects) and set the ball rolling. Here are some options to explore and create your own eco friendly furniture:
- Make yourself a gorgeous chair bench: The chair bench is perfect for those with balconies or sit out areas. Made using two old chairs, these benches are statement pieces in themselves. For a detailed DIY, you could look up here.
- Towel racks from old chair backs: The chair backs from old chairs can be separated from the seat and repainted. The same can be then hung on the wall and used to further hang towels on. For a detailed step by step procedure, you could look up here.
- Flower planters to spruce up the porch: Flower planters are a great option when kept at the entrance of your house. Choose a small chair and get rid of the seat area. Get a planter/basket of the seat size, place it instead of the seat and put your potted flower plant in it. Voila, you have yourself a happy looking entrance.
- Use chair backs as a jewellery hanger: These work best with woven back chairs. Paint the chair into a fun, bright, happy colour, hammer a nail in at the back (if you prefer hanging it) and you have just made sure you don’t lose those ear studs again.
- Turn chairs into open closets: This is ideal with collapsible chairs but if not that, then it works best with non bulky chairs. Paint the chair to give it new life, then hang it on the wall at a certain height. Use it for storing things at the top in a basket and use the bottom area for hanging those shirts.
So the next time you are done with an old chair, you know what to do. And yes, please do share pictures of your projects we’d love to see them.
Remember, recycling or up cycling old items is one of the simplest ways in which you can contribute to environment preservation. You reduce the load on landfills, help your city manage its solid waste better, and reduce your own carbon footprint.