How to Repurpose Shelves

Hang Your Shingle

• Cut your shelves into 24-inch sections and drill small holes into the top two corners. Paint them the color of your choice and add trim in a complementary color with a 3-inch sponge brush. Use the same color found in the trim to stencil or freehand names, one-word slogans or titles onto the wood. Hang them above beds or on accent walls with small-link chains, ribbon or twine. Another option is to cover the shelves with fabric or wall paper, using iron-on lettering or vinyl peel-and-stick letters in place of paint.

Colorful Collage

• Create an eclectic bookcase with old shelves that have four sides. Paint or stain each of them a different color. Arrange the shelves on a large flat surface so that some are vertical, others horizontal. Make sure all of the shelves touch. Once you are satisfied with the pattern, use it as a guide to screw the collage of shelves, one at a time, onto a wall in your library or living room.

Child's Play

• Use a 2-inch thick shelf, no more than 24-inches wide to prevent bowing in the center, as a whimsical swing hung from your porch, a sturdy tree limb, or even a secure beam in the playroom. Drill holes into the four corners of the shelf before sanding and varnishing. Thread 1-inch thick rope through the holes, knotting securely underneath the seat. Attach the ropes to large S hooks, drilled into a beam or tie the ropes around a tree branch outside. Safety is as important as aesthetics. If you don't have an exposed beam in your home, consider using your piece as a short swinging shelf in a nursery to hold diapers or in a bedroom for dolls and toys.

Plant Stand

• Cut five shelves into five different sizes ranging from 36-inches long to 18-inches long. Slide the longest shelf through the bottom rung of a weathered A-frame ladder. Continue to place the shelves from largest to smallest through every other rung. Position them so they are even on each side and screw them into the steps of the ladder. Use this eclectic piece as a plant stand in your kitchen or on your porch. Consider painting the ladder and shelves or leave them as-is for a shabby-chic style allure.