Photo: modern50.com

For the most part, free-standing coat racks are a thing of the past. They belong to a time when closets were only deep enough to hold a couple of suits or a few dresses. As the American home began to include closets of ever-increasing size, the coat rack went the way of the lunchtime martini.

Of course, it’s still possible to buy a new coat rack, but modern versions can be a bit bland. Hunting thrift stores and antique shops, however, you will find no shortage of architecturally interesting coat racks, often with attractive patinas.

In fact, some vintage coat racks are so eye-catching, the last thing you’ll want to do is hide their beauty under layers of clothing. If you are lucky enough to have a coat rack on hand, here are five unexpected ways you can use it:

1. In the Kitchen
It’s an all-too-common dance: the pot-and-pan shuffle. Limited cabinet space often prompts people to nest smaller cookware items within larger ones, making it more difficult to retrieve what you need later on. A good, sturdy cast-iron coat rack eliminates this difficulty, because you can hang your most frequently used skillets, woks, and steamers from the rack’s multiple arms. S-hooks facilitate hanging, and rubberized coating (like this from The Home Depot) protects both your coat rack and your kitchen equipment.

2. In the Kids’ Rooms
When your child has his heart set on playing with that one action figure, it’s always lost in the toy chest beneath a landslide of LEGOs, Hot Wheels, and Tonka trucks. Meanwhile, the closet floor is a colorful quicksand: Things disappear down there, never to be seen again. Here’s an idea: Keep your kids’ necessities neatly organized and easily accessible within heavy-duty mesh bags hung from the arms of a coat rack. Use bags of different colors to create a whimsical look or to establish a color-coded organizational scheme.

Related: 13 Easy Ways to Repurpose Antique Armoires

Photo: craftgossip.com

3. In the Bathroom
Instead of installing towel hooks or bars in the bathroom, simply stand a coat rack in the corner. Use one side for towels, the other for robes, and presto—you’ve engineered a distinctive alternative to wall storage. Because the coat rack will come into contact with moisture, consider painting or sealing the surface with a clear or colored enamel spray paint. For this purpose, try LeakSeal from Rust-Oleum. It produces a water-resistant rubberized coating that not only protects your coat rack from damage, but can also keep your towels from slipping.

4. In the Bedroom
After putting a coat rack in the bedroom, you might wonder how you ever managed to live without one. This is a great way to keep your comfy around-the-house clothes off the floor and close at hand. Perhaps the most visually appealing items to hang are men’s ties and women’s scarves. A coat rack lets you enjoy (and show off) these accessories’ rich patterns, colors, and textures, even as they’re tidily stored and kept wrinkle-free.

5. Outdoors
If properly sealed, a wooden or metal coat rack can be placed out in the garden, where a new world of possibilities opens up for it. Hang birdhouses from the rack’s various arms to create a mini condo development for your winged friends. Or string a series of solar lights for a unique outdoor floor lamp sure to make your visitors light up. 

For more on repurposing, consider:

10 Ingenious IKEA Hacks
5 Things to Do with… Vintage Ladders
10 Inspired DIY Planters to Dress Up Your Garden

5 Unexpected Ways to Use a Vintage Coat Rack Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

1. MAKE PLANTERS

Photo: designmisc.blogspot.com

Transform yesterday’s can of diced tomatoes into a colorful planter or vase—all you need to get the job done is spray paint. Use your creation to brighten a windowsill or to delight a friend, neighbor, or hostess with a gift from your garden. Really want to perk things up? Add stripes, polka dots, or stars!

2. CREATE LANTERNS

Photo: thegrnblog.wordpress.com

Add some evening ambiance to your outdoor living area. These lanterns come together in no time: Just use a hammer and nail to punch holes in the cans, then paint their outsides in a pleasing pastel. (Or skip the paint; it’s your choice.) Once you’ve added wire handles and tea lights, get ready to light up the night.

3. ORGANIZE CRAFTS SUPPLIES 

Photo: bhg.com

You can easily convert tin cans into charming storage containers by wrapping the cylinders with pretty paper. Punch a hole in the back of each decorated can, making it so they can all be hung via S-hooks onto pegboard. It’s a stylish and practical way to organize nuts and bolts, paintbrushes and colored pencils.

4. CONSTRUCT A BIRD FEEDER

Photo: plumadorable.com

Your kids would have a great time making this simple bird feeder. All you need is a dowel, a glue gun, some colorful paint, and a ribbon or string for hanging—oh, and birdseed! Hang the feeder in your favorite tree and sit back to watch the show.

5. BUILD A WINE RACK

Photo: recyclart.org

Tin cans and glue: It doesn’t get much more basic. Combine those two ingredients with spray paint, and you’ve suddenly got a DIY wine rack, plus another reason to buy wine!

For more on repurposing, consider:

5 Things to Do with… Old Tires
13 Easy Ways to Repurpose Antique Armoires
5 Upcycled Pot Racks & Cookware Storage Ideas

5 Things to Do with… Tin Cans Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

That reminded me: With millions of cars on the road—and countless tires languishing in the corners of garages everywhere—it’s a good idea (environmentally, economically, and creatively) to reuse tires whenever possible. Here are five creative ways to incorporate them usefully into your home and landscaping.

1. CREATE BIKE STORAGE

Photo: lushome.com

This one applies whether you’re sharing a house with a handful of bike-loving housemates, or your children have a habit of carelessly leaving their bikes strewn in the garden. Take a cue from Lushome, and reuse tires to introduce organized bike storage for your friends’ and family members’ beloved two-wheelers.

 

2. CONSTRUCT A SEESAW

Photo: barefootnparadise.blogspot.com

Over at Barefoot in Paradise, see how Lorren made a seesaw for her daughter using only basic tools and readily available, not to mention affordable, building materials. Best of all, there’s easily enough to go around, since one tire yields two seesaws!

3. MAKE AN OTTOMAN

Photo: homeattire.net

Nikki from That Was a What?! obtained a large semi-trailer tire through Craigslist. Using rope and glue (and downright cleverness), she was able to transform the tire into a stylish and practical ottoman for her living room.

4. SET UP A TIRE SWING

photo: shutterstock.com

As the saying goes: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The tire swing is an American tradition; help keep it alive in your family. Just make sure to pick a sturdy branch and a strong length of rope.

5. BUILD OUTDOOR PLANTERS

Photo: plataformaarquitectura.cl

The tire planter idea is hardly novel. Mount them on the wall, letting plants cascade down. Or stack and stagger them in your backyard for a larger and more elaborate scheme. Alternatively, you can pursue a unique riff on the theme by building grass-cushioned seating, like the above, which were exhibited at Invasion Verde in Lima, Peru.

For more on repurposing, consider:

5 Things to Do with… Old Windows
On the Edge: 11 Garden Borders You Can Make
10 Inspired DIY Planters to Dress Up Your Garden

5 Things to Do with… Old Tires Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Good news! You can repurpose chopsticks in a number of ways. Here are five favorites:

1. BREATHE EASIER

Photo: bakeat350.blogspot.com

Summertime, when the livin’ is—SNEEZE—just great. We all know that dust builds up within our oscillating fans and AC vents a little too quickly for comfort. No sweat: Use a rubber band to secure a paper towel around the tip of a chopstick, then soak the towel in cleaning solution. Now wipe away those dusty areas and restore your cooling apparatuses to factory-condition cleanliness.

2. IMPROVE DRAINAGE

Photo: redbeacon.com

Have your morning showers turned into standing baths? Mammalian sheddings might have finally gotten the best of your tub’s drain. You could wait three weeks for the landlord to show up with a snake, or you could just grab a chopstick. Gently scrape it along the sides of the drain. Lift out the gunk and discard. Repeat two or three times. (This method is equally effective in sinks.) Note: Be gentle. Your pipes may be old and brittle, and one hard poke could pierce a hole.

3. PRACTICE KNITTING

Photo: divyatimes.blogspot.com

Symbols of Asian culture in their own right, chopsticks enable you to quickly and easily start practicing the Zen-like art of knitting. Only a slight adjustment is needed to make them suitable as knitting needles. This is all it takes :

Instructions

1. With a serrated knife, carefully saw off the top inch of one chopstick at a 45-degree angle.

2. Smooth over the rough edge with a piece of sandpaper.

4. MAKE MINI FLAGS

Photo: bp.blogspot.com

Whether spreading the word about a new tech startup or galvanizing the world to protect animal rights, mini flags made from chopsticks are excellent promotional materials. Stake one in a planter located somewhere public, or hand out a hundred on the street. Here’s one approach:

Instructions

1. Customize your flag using graphic design software. (I recommend GIMPShop, since it’s free and easy to use.)

2. Print your work, then cut out the image in the shape of a flag or pennant.

3. Place hot, crazy, or super glue around the top inch of one chopstick. Roll the edge of the flag around it.

4. Apply pressure as the glue dries.

5. CREATE COASTERS

Photo: 5min.com

Your guests are sure to be impressed by these nifty coasters made from—you guessed it—chopsticks. The possibilities are endless, as you can craft various shapes and designs by customizing the length of each individual chopstick. Below are some simple instructions for a basic square coaster to get you started:

Instructions

1. Cut off the top and bottom two inches of ten chopsticks.

2. One by one, glue each chopstick together with hot, crazy, or super glue. Be sure let each pair dry before attaching the next one.

See? Easy as pie. Speaking of which, go grab a slice with some coffee to test out your brand-new creation.

For more on repurposing, consider:

5 Things to Do with… Bottle Caps
13 Easy Ways to Repurpose Old Armoires
Get Organized: 20 Ideas for Repurposed Storage

5 Things to Do with… Chopsticks Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

1. UPDATE YOUR CABINETS

Photo: Better Homes and Gardens

Take a page out of Better Homes and Gardens and try re-facing your kitchen cabinets with salvaged or store-bought tin ceiling tiles. So simple enough to be done in a weekend, this upgrade is transformative enough to impress guests for years to come.

2. CREATE A MAGNETIC BOARD

Photo: Ruffled Blog

Not only is it an aesthetic improvement over the usual cork bulletin board, but this surprisingly simple tin ceiling tile magnet board from Ruffled takes almost zero labor to pull off. You may never look at your notes-to-self and family schedules the same way again!

3. BUILD A HEADBOARD

Photo: Apartment Therapy

Amateur carpenters and beginning do-it-yourselfers need not be intimidated by this money-saving headboard project via Fresh Home Ideas. With the right tools and a stockpile of tin ceiling tiles, you can start and finish within a day—just in time for bed.

4. FRAME A MIRROR

Photo: granddesignco.blogspot.com

Follow this tutorial on eHow to refashion even the most modest of mirrors into an objet d’art that stylishly reflects its surroundings. A moveable feast of DIY ingeniousness, the same approach may be applied, on a smaller scale, to an artwork or photography frame.

5. MAKE A PLANTER

Photo: This Old House

Who knew that an element intended for ceilings could be equally striking at ground level? This Old House shows how you can make a charming, off-beat planter using only five tin ceiling tiles, some everyday tools, and a little plucky know-how.

For more on repurposing, consider:

5 Things to Do with… Cinder Blocks
13 Ways to Repurpose Antique Armoires
10 Inspired DIY Planters to Dress Up Your Garden

5 Things to Do with… Tin Ceiling Tiles Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Photo: inbetweenlaundry.blogspot.com

mp3_link

Listen to BOB VILA ON PAINTING THE FRONT DOOR or read the text below:

Start by cleaning your door thoroughly, using a mild solution of water and dishwashing detergent. Scrape or sand off any flaking paint. Remove the doorknob and as much other hardware as you can. It’s not absolutely necessary to take the door off its hinges to paint it, but it’s easier to get great results if you paint the door while it’s lying flat.

If your door has any stains or discoloration, or if you’re changing from a dark color to a lighter one, you may want to use a coat of primer first. Then apply your new color. On paneled doors, paint the panels first, then the outer sections, always following the direction of the grain. Allow the door to dry, and voilá—a whole new look!

Bob Vila Radio is a newly launched daily radio spot carried on more than 75 stations around the country (and growing). You can get your daily dose here, by listening to—or reading—Bob’s 60-second home improvement radio tip of the day.

For more on painting, consider:

Painting Tools and Materials
How To: Paint a Ceiling
Choosing a Paint Sprayer

Bob Vila Radio: Painting the Front Door Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Photo: shutterstock.com

You bought a beautiful antique lamp but upon closer inspection, you notice there is damage to the sheathing, the plastic cover that protects the wires. (Over time, normal wear and tear causes a plastic cord to crack or fray, exposing the wires inside.) Don’t give up on your vintage find! Instead, rewire the lamp so that it shines like new. You only need a few basic tools and a lamp rewiring kit (containing cord, plug, and socket) to restore the fixture to working order.

1. Be safe and make sure the lamp is unplugged. Then unscrew the light bulb and set it to the side (along with the lamp shade). Using a flat-head screwdriver, remove the sleeve of the lamp’s socket. If the words “press here” are imprinted there, you may be able to slide out the socket with your thumbs.

2. Pull up the socket to expose the old cord. Use wire cutters to remove the socket. Then turn the lamp over and unscrew the nut on the bottom of the fixture to remove the base. Pull the cord out through the lamp’s pipe.

3. Install the new cord (from the lamp rewiring kit) by feeding it up through the pipe. Reattach the base and attach the new socket.

Related: Outdoor Lighting: 12 Products to Light Your Way

Photo: nationalartcraft.com

4. Split the top of the cord into two pieces by cutting along its groove with wire cutters. Snip off one inch of the plastic sheathing, then twist each of the wires in a clockwise motion.

5. Loosen the screws on either side of the new socket. Hook the neutral wire (the one with ridges on the sheathing) to the silver screw. Attach the other wire to the brass screw. Secure the wires by tightening the screws with a screwdriver.

6. Push the lamp’s sleeve down onto the new socket and screw the light bulb back in.

Now, plug in the rewired lamp to test out your handiwork!

For more on lighting, consider:

 Pendant Lighting 101
Bob Vila Radio: Types of Lighting
How To: Add Under-Cabinet Lighting

How To: Rewire a Lamp Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

So browse these great map DIY projects and ponder where YOU might take the maps-as-decor concept:

1. PUT UP WALLPAPER

Photo: Bob Vila Nation

Whether you work with one large print or a mosaic of different maps, a little glue can help you translate your wanderlust into a room’s stunning focal point as wallpaper.

2. CRAFT A CLOCK

Photo: Crafts Unleashed

From Crafts Unleashed, mod podge your favorite map to a tin candle plate. Add the clockwork and you’ve got a personalized timepiece—in no time at all!

3. CREATE COASTERS

Photo: sfgate.com

Trace the outline of your coaster on the back of a map, then découpage the map to the coaster. Insert “it’s five o’clock somewhere” joke here.

4. DECORATE A DRESSER

Photo: modgepodgerocksblog.com

This great DIY map project comes to us straight from the Mod Podge Rocks Blog. All it takes to give your modest dresser a worldly facade is—you guessed it—mod podge!

5. FASHION A FRAME

Photo: lillianmckay.com

By now, you’ve probably detected a theme: Découpage is the key to so many of the best map DIY projects, including this picture frame. Immortalize not only a photo, but where you were when it was taken.

For more repurposing project ieas, consider:

5 Things to Do with… Wine Bottles
5 Things to Do with… Globes
5 Things to Do with… Bottle Caps

5 Things to Do with… Maps Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

And now with a little ingenuity, your silverware can even be repurposed for non-culinary purposes! Yes, pay homage to everyone’s favorite plate-to-mouth delivery mechanism by working silverware into your home’s decor—one look and your guests will be shouting, “More, please!”

Fair warning: Only real silver utensils will be malleable enough to work with. Trying to hammer sterling silver will only leave your bones rattling and ears ringing!

1. MAKE WALL HOOKS

Photo: thesundaysparkle.com

Flatten your silver spoons or forks with a ball peen hammer, heat the utensil in boiling water, then bend it around a curved object. So long as the silver is thin enough, you can then drill the silver to a small plank (or use glue instead). The result? A charming set of wall hooks!

 

2. CREATE A SUNBURST

Photo: flamingotoes.com

This great mirror from Flamingo Toes is so much easier to make than it looks! All you need is some extra silverware, a plate, a mirror and some beads—and presto, a DIY silverware mirror!

3. UDATE YOUR CABINET DRAWER PULLS

Photo: apartmenttherapy.com

What better place than the kitchen to repurpose silverware for an unexpected functional purpose? Swap out your traditional cabinet drawer pulls in favor of  vintage utensils. Heat, bend, and drill!

4. MAKE GARDEN MARKERS

Photo: mossymossy.com

Work a little charm into your garden with these great garden markers from MossyMossy. Hammer your silver utensil flat, then stamp it with whatever label you like!

5. FASHION NAPKIN RINGS

Photo: flickr.com/MrsLimestone

From Brooklyn Limestone, not only do these forks-turned-napkin rings look like they were meant to be, but they’re also astonishingly easy to make! Just heat and bend.

For more on repurposing, consider:

5 Things to Do with… Globes
5 Things To Do With… Empty Wine Bottles
5 Things to Do With… Bottle Caps

5 Things to Do with… Old Silverware Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

1. MASON JAR ORGANIZER

Photo: Liz Marie

Perfect for those little items, this easy and clever mason jar project makes for an attractive display while providing easy access to the bathroom products you use every day.

 

2. MAGNETIC TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER

Photo: The Family Handyman

Looking for a way to keep your toothbrush off the wet, messy sink area? This wall-mounted magnetic strip will do the job nicely, and you’ll love this ingenious method for magnetizing a plastic brush.

3. ROPE SHELVING

Photo: At The Walker House

This fun, rustic, rope-supported DIY bathroom storage shelf looks great and provides useful storage above the toilet. You can make your own this weekend with easy-to-find materials and a little know-how.

4. REPURPOSED GIFT BOX STORAGE

Photo: Small Home Love

Constructed from inexpensive gift boxes that have been adorned with custom print-out labels, these vintage-inspired storage containers manage to impart decorative appeal to toiletries.

5. TOILET PAPER STORAGE & DISPLAY

Photo: Remodelista

Toilet paper is a bathroom necessity; rather than hide it, why not embrace its white, geometric color and shape with a low-tech storage-display approach?

6. DIY WALL STORAGE CUBBIES

Photo: HGTV.com

No woodworking is required to transform craft store crates into versatile, space-saving wall storage units with handmade aesthetic appeal.

7. ABOVE-THE-DOOR SHELF

Photo: Martha Stewart

When you’ve run out of floor space, the only direction to go is up. Installing an above-the-door shelf is a smart move, especially for those with a small bath that happens to have taller ceilings.

For more on DIY storage, consider:

Pegboard Storage: A Classic for All-Time
20 Clever Ideas for Repurposed Storage
Weekend Projects: 5 Creative Ways to Build Shelves

7 DIY Bathroom Storage Projects Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com