Those of you who have been following Unconsumption for a while — either here on Tumblr, or on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter — probably know that I (Molly) have a thing for vintage rulers, yardsticks, and measuring tapes. (Yes, an Unconsumption Pinterest board devoted to vintage measuring tools does exist!)
So, when I came across an Etsy blog post on Vanessa Boer, I found myself drawn to several of Vanessa’s repurposed-ruler creations, particularly the pieces pictured here that incorporate vintage pencils.
Nice!
DIY inspiration: Use vintage yardsticks as picture ledges.
(via nest full of eggs)
Find additional yardstick reuse ideas here.
A counter covered in old yardsticks is a focal point in the Spool of Thread shop in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The shop — a “drop-in sewing lounge” that offers sewing classes, rents sewing machines, and sells fabric — serves area residents who don’t own sewing machines as well as those who do but who want join other like-minded makers in sewing in a community environment, instead of sewing at home alone.
See also: Previous Unconsumption posts on renting things vs. buying them, or collaborative consumption, as some of us refer to it.
If you like this counter, you probably will like the counters/desks made from books here and here, and earlier Unconsumption posts here on other yardstick, ruler, and tape measure uses.
(Photos: top via Poppytalk; bottom via Spool of Thread’s Flickr stream.)
For many people, making bows is a no-brainer. For others, seeing a photo or two — showing how other makers loop the material and connect the pieces — may be helpful.
For the latter, see the View the Horizon blog for such a photo.
See also: Earlier Unconsumption post on bow making here, and posts on other new uses for measuring tape, rulers, and yardsticks here.
Portuguese designer Tó Martins makes lamps from old washing machine drums and camera tripods. He covers the drum shades in a variety of materials, including corks and measuring tapes (all of which look new; wouldn’t it be great if used items were applied to the drums?). (via Rewash Lamp | Design Milk)
If you missed the washing machine drum lamps we featured previously (here), check them out. The metal drums are left uncovered so light is able to shine through the perforations — a nice contrast to the lamps pictured above.
Note: Since this post includes a new use for corks, I’m counting it as a “wine o’clock” post!
Chicago-based artist Dolan Geiman puts salvaged materials to good use in his “rescued wood constructions” and other mixed-media assemblages. Even his paint is recycled, obtained via the city of Chicago’s paint exchange program. Visit Dolan’s Web site and/or Etsy shop to check out some of his other artwork.
DIY project: Make a sunburst mirror out of old rulers and yardsticks.
To make: All you need are old rulers or yardsticks (look for them at thrift stores, or on sites such as Etsy and eBay), a mirror, saw, and wood glue.
Use a saw or miter box to cut each one to various lengths, and place around the mirror until you come up with a design that you like. Attach to your mirror using wood glue, layering the rulers on top of each other as you go. (via DIY Mirror Projects — Budget Wise Home; spotted on a Funky Junk Interiors Pinterest board.)
Bonus: Here’s a shot of a second mirror, also spotted on Pinterest, via this board. Would you be inclined to use that many rulers (or yardstick pieces) for just one project? I don’t think I would, but, then again, my own personal ruler/yardstick collection is pretty meager.
DIY project: Cover the front of an old piece of furniture with yardsticks.
For a “before” shot and the tutorial, see yardstick buffet tutorial — Cornerhouseblog.com.
I realize that we’ve already posted a good number of Christmas-related items here on Unconsumption, but I couldn’t resist adding this vintage ruler tree to the mix. (Photo via Unconsumption’s “holiday things” Pinterest board, repinned from Whole Foods.)
If you follow us on Twitter or Facebook, you might recall my posting of this Instagram photo of my vintage ruler/yardstick collection; I think that photo helps to explain why I’m drawn to this ruler “tree”!
Today’s tutorial:
Over on Red Hen Home, there’s a helpful tutorial showing how to make vintage suitcases into shelves.
The suitcase-shelving idea is a neat addition to the Unconsumption gallery of new uses for old suitcases.
(Hat tip to Rebecca Stuch for posting a link to this on a Whole Foods Market Pinterest board. If you’re using Pinterest, you can find Unconsumption there, too!)
Bracelets made from vintage rulers and yardsticks. Yes!
(spotted on Pinterest)
For other ruler-repurposing ideas, see: http://unconsumption.tumblr.com/tagged/rulers.
