Things to Do with Leftover DIY Materials

When it comes to working around the home, you will often find that not every section really needed to be replaced or that you finish with a fair bit of excess. You could head down the tip with all the left over bits and pieces or you could strap on your creative hat and find alternative uses for leftover DIY materials.

To start getting your DIY juices flowing here are a few of the ideas we came up with:

Clad your Shed

Does your garden shed need a bit of a face lift? Your old cladding and facia boards could be exactly what it needs to turn your old 6x4 into a summer house or children’s play den. This, combined with a fresh lick of paint and a clear out can completely revamp your old garden shed. Even if you simply want to continue using it for storage, the facia boards from your house can help to ensure that the water stays on the outside of the shed.

Using those blocks

Having off cuts of wood is something that almost every DIY project entails, but instead of simply binning this waste you could create something beautiful with it. There are plenty of ideas for how off cuts can be used, from creating funky shelving with it to crafting ornaments for use around the house. A couple of ideas for this include:

• Soap holders
• Lamps
• Storage shelves
• Cutting board

There are plenty of instructables out there to help you make the most of these little sections of wood. You will be limited by the amount of wood you have available to you and the ability of your crafty side, but the possibilities are pretty much endless!

Using that extra carpet

There always seems to be too much carpet left over. When you pay per square metre and have a 2m strip left over at the end it can be a real pain in the backside, but luckily there are many things you can do with these cut offs. You could go back to the shed that you’ve recently revamped and give it a fresh new carpet, making it perfect for a kid’s den.

Alternatively you can fasten them to the wall in places like your garage, where the car door may hit it, or in a coat closets where shoes would regularly scuff the paint. The backs of coat closets is also a prime place to put your old cladding for this exact same purpose.

Next time you’re doing a bit of work around the house, hold on to those bits that you think are waste. You could have a whole new project on your hands!