Instead of letting these “worldly possessions” collect dust and clutter your storage unit, why not get creative? How about turning them into something useful? Something that now has even greater sentimental value because you brought it back to life. Get creative, get your artistic juices flowing and get to work!
You know that old wooden spindle chair with the ugly brown stain? Make it ugly no more! Use some paint thinner, a rag to remove the stain and a can of brightly colored paint to rejuvenate it. Now you can transform it into an awesome antique display piece in the corner of your child’s room, on your covered porch or even in your kitchen. You can do it all yourself or make it a family fun project with your kids. Let them help you pick out the paint color, especially if it is for their room. You can even let them add decals or painted handprints to personalize it. This is a project they won’t soon forget, and the chair will be cherished even as they grow older. That old ugly chair has now become a family heirloom (which it may have been already) that everyone wants for themselves!
So, what about that old canvas painting taking up space in the back of your unit? Bring it home, too! Everyone has those partial cans of paint in the garage or basement that have been sitting there for who knows how long and who even knows why you kept them. Give that old canvas painting a nice coat of white paint to get started, and let it dry overnight. Then, give your child a rainy day project to paint a new picture onto that canvas! They can hang it in their room to showcase their artistic talents, or they can give it away as a gift to a close family friend or relative. That sounds like so much fun, doesn’t it? And, it’s way better than just posting something on the fridge for a few weeks.
Have a couple old and ugly lamps sitting in storage? Ones that still work just fine but you wouldn’t be caught dead with them in your house? We can change that! You can easily paint the lamp base to match any décor, and purchase some new lamp shades. They will be just like new lamps but at a fraction of the cost. This idea works well when the kids are going off to college and need things like lamps for their dorm or apartment but you don’t want to drop tons of money when they could very well break them (you know some kids are just clumsy) or they leave them there over the summer and they get tossed (most kids are forgetful or just don’t think about things like bringing home a lamp). At least if that does happen, you are only out a few dollars.
Maybe you have some milk crates to hold those really important things like dried up cans of paint, old magazines and that one roller skate that has been missing its mate for the last six years…seriously, throw that lone skate out! Geez… Toss that junk inside of them and breathe new life into them! Give them a good coating or two of spray paint, in whatever color you choose. You can then stack them in the corner of the kids’ rooms for toys and puzzles, the game room for board games and extra controllers for the PS4, or in the garage or basement for extra shelving. They are typically very sturdy and can hold quite a bit of weight easily without bending or breaking.
So, when you think about all of “that stuff” in your storage unit, attic or basement, pause for a moment. What can you do with it to make it shine again? Can you fix it up easily and for little cost? Will the kids want to help you with some projects? I am sure a lot of it has some potential that you may not have thought about before. Spring time is the best time to tackle projects like this – it is the perfect time to renew, refresh and revitalize!
Do you have some fun tips and projects that you created out of “that stuff”? Share them with us! You can leave your ideas in the comments below and we can share them with our customers.
If you are doing a little cleaning out of “that stuff” on your own and need somewhere to put all of it, contact us today! We can help with all your storage needs and help keep those sentimental items safe until you decide what to do with them. If you know you need a storage unit, you can reserve a unit now or rent a unit online. You can also stop in and talk to any of our friendly property managers who will help you find the best storage unit to suit your needs.