Repurposing A Hunk of Junk!

I am a recycling queen. I love to recycle! I try to be good about recycling all of our glass, cans and bottles. It drives my husband nuts because I go diving into the trashcan when he throws away something that could actually be recycled. I am also a bit of a scavenger. I love it when the street has free dump days and everyone puts out their respective "trash" on the street. I have made some pretty good finds over the past several years: An antique Sacramento milk crate, a wicker footstool and my last great find was a fire engine red rocking chair with some vintage nursery rhyme motifs that had been decoupaged. Sorry, no pic.... I gave it to Kim for all of her children's photography props.

So last year the family and I headed up to my in laws house for the day. They live on a sprawling eight acres. They had a huge area in the back that kind of served as a "dump" pile of stuff they needed to get rid of. I quickly scanned the area and spotted the "piece de resistance" - and old metal grate. What? A grate you say? Yes, an old grate. My husband and his buddies had found this old huge hunk of metal one day when they were down at the river doing what boys do and thought it would be cool to store their fishing gear in while they swam across the river. It looks almost like an old bread tray that the grocery stores have for display. I nabbed that up and asked my in laws if I could take it home. I think they thought that I was a little nuts, (which I am) but I had the perfect use for it, and they were thrilled to have me take it off of their hands. It makes a fantastic paper holder for all of my scrapbooking paper. When I get to marry my recycling and my great scavenger abilities it makes me so happy!

The grate measures about 2 ft x 2ft and is about 2 inches deep and fits perfectly on the top of my printer shelf. I can just slide it in and out when I need to use it. I think my husband was a little worried when I decided to take it home, but I think it is great repurposed as my paper holder. Very urban chic don't you think? Ha Ha! I love it when I can repurpose a big hunk of junk and save it from being dumped into a landfill.