Finding New Uses For Things
By Steve GillmanA fun way to exercise your creative abilities is to think of new uses for things. This is also a way to innovate and invent new products. It’s way to save money too. Ever use chairs for saw horses or milk crates for furniture? Here are some examples from my own life to get you thinking.
I worked in fast food early in life, and I hated to see those strong cardboard boxes that the cups came in thrown away. They were large, and had a square support piece in the middle. I discovered that four of these empty boxes carefully placed could easily support my queen-size bed. In fact, that was the only bed frame I had for years. A piece of plywood to spread the weight onto the boxes more evenly would help.
What do you do with old hardcover books that aren’t worth reading again? Cut out the center and use them to hide things in. It takes a lot of time with a razor, but the result in my case was a book that I could secretly sell candy out of when I was in grade school. Given the quantity of old books for sale for less than a dollar out there, someone could make a business of creating and selling these hollow books for hiding things. I would buy one for about $7 right now (I remember how long it took to cut out the middle of each page, so somebody needs to find a faster way).
Ever find a few extra copper tubes in your garage? They make nice wind chimes. Just cut four pieces of different lengths, and drill two holes near the end of each. Fish line works well for hanging them. You’ll need some scrap wood to cut into a circle to hang them from, a smaller circle that will strike them, and a wind-catcher below that.
What can you do with a pen when it runs out of ink? My brother use to make blow-dart guns of them. The darts consisted of a pin with material taped to it so it fit snugly in the pen casing. Then a quick breath sent it flying (don’t tell your kids about this one - too dangerous).
Scrap wood has thousands of uses of course. I once took a piece of plywood that was about two-foot square and nailed 25 rows of 25 finish nails into it. All 500 nails projected out about an inch. It was possible to make all sorts of interesting “string paintings” on it by winding various colors of yarn through the nails in various ways. It provided entertainment for years.
Of course, finding new uses for things can be profitable as well. As a young man I converted a shed into a bedroom for about $100, and then rented it out for $50 per week. I even lived in it myself for a while so I could get more rent from the better rooms inside my home.
So if you want to exercise your creativity, start looking for new and interesting uses for things. Even if you don’t care for the tinkering part, you can imagine your ideas in action, and maybe pass the good ones on to someone who can do something with it. What creative uses can you think of for old watches, plastic chairs, fence posts, pencils, paper, car tires, mirrors, rugs, socks, telephone lines, lawnmower blades, address labels or the cardboard rolls paper towels come on?
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