Here’s how to turn everyday items into ornamental pieces

A collection of antique toys on a fireplace hearth. Everyday items can be used as decorative pieces. It does not take rocket science to convert ordinary things into lovely and functional home accessories. PHOTO | FILE

What you need to know:

  • If you have many metal whisks, you could assemble them on a piece of distressed wood hung from the ceiling with some metal chains to create a great ceiling light for your kitchen, dining area or your home bar.
  • If you have toddlers, you can also use the notice board with some alphabet magnets to spell a special word for each day – who knew fun and organising could go hand in hand?

Many home owners are pleasantly surprised when they walk into a charming little bistro/café and find some everyday items in use as decorative pieces.

No need to be in awe anymore as it does not take rocket science to convert ordinary things into lovely and functional home accessories – you don’t need to look far, start in your kitchen and unleash your own DIY superpower.

Dry style

Decorative  place mats do not just need to “see” guests during a dinner party; instead, you could turn them into a work of wall art by framing them on simple wooden frames and arranging them in an asymmetrical pattern above your dining table.

Get organised

Next candidates for this stylish conversion are your metal serving trays and muffin baking tins.

For your trays, spray paint a set of baking trays in a shade like sea foam green, hang them and get some colourful magnets to create a bright noticeboard to manage your household schedules.

You can hang bills, recipes, reminders, important emergency numbers and school information here.

If you have toddlers, you can also use the notice board with some alphabet magnets to spell a special word for each day – who knew fun and organising could go hand in hand?

Fancy a cuppa

Tea cups, are also easy to upcycle into home accessories. A simple idea is to have some teacups with floral prints on a large, white ceramic plate  filled with floral-scented tea lights to use in your bathroom.

Yet another idea is to plant some herbs like thyme, oregano, rosemary, peppermint or lemon grass in some large teacups and arrange them in a row on your kitchen window.

In the middle of the row of tea cup planters, place a teakettle with some soil and with a small letterpress card with a quote on the importance of nature or cooking.

That’s not all; tea cups and saucers can also be used to make romantic pendant lamps.

Glassy affair

Drinking glasses need not be left behind in this creative adventure, armed with a bottle of white spray paint, you can turn any drinking glass into a Zen-like vase for some flowers in your bedroom. The glass can also be used as a pencil holder in your home office or as a make-up brush holder. 

Last but not least, you can wrap old glasses with some twine (which you have spray painted with some metallic colours) and fill them with some pot pourri, place the glasses in your toilet for a modern look.

Whisked away

The humble metal mixing whisk can also be used to create a whimsical pendant lamp for your kitchen.

Better yet, if you have many metal whisks, you could assemble them on a piece of distressed wood hung from the ceiling with some metal chains to create a great ceiling light for your kitchen, dining area or your home bar.

Whisks can also be used to create vintage-looking table lamps.

Half baked

Black pie tins can be used to frame some old, black-and-white family photos.

A set of seven pie tins can also be converted into mini chalkboards with a lick of good old chalkboard paint to be used to plan the menu and things to do for each day of the week.

Muffin tins don’t just belong in the oven, they can make lovely dividers in kitchen drawers, storage space for jewellery in the bedroom and in childrens’ rooms, if spray painted and stuck with super glue on shelves, they make creative space to store crayons, pencils, hair accessories and any other thing too little for the  larger drawers.