As frugal as I am it's a way of life (LOL). :-)

- I needed something to contain all the cords under my desk, so I went to True Value and purchased a tree trunk protector ($2 on the clearance table) that worked like a charm.

- Years ago, farmers cut blocks of ice from ponds/rivers with a large ice saw and used ice tongs to move the blocks of ice into the ice house. Hubby inherited the saw and tongs and I use the ice tongs as a paper towel holder and the saw to decorate hubby's study, along with other items from his grandparents farm.

- I used two plastic window well covers (placed back-to-back) to make a cold frame in my garden. Anchor it with a few tent anchors and clip together with a couple spring clamps, or hold it open with the clamps to water it. During a mild winter I've grown greens and a few herbs in it all winter.

- A friend replaced his gutters and was happy to let me have them. I converted them into rain gutter planters. Here are some ideas: http://theselfsufficientliving.com/rain-gutter-garden/

- You wouldn't believe all the things I've done with Velcro, bailing wire and twine!

- Need additional insulation on windows in the winter (especially if you are in a rental or an older home with drafty old windows? You can apply bubble wrap to your windows. I didn't think of it, but I've told a lot of people about it, and have used this method ourselves for 10-years (get free bubble wrap from furniture stores). http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Conservation/bubblewrap.htm   

- You know all that "junk mail" you get? I convert mine into handmade paper and make my own gift cards, Christmas Cards, envelopes, book covers, works or art....

Editing to add.... When our daughter was 2-years old I converted our old check kitchen curtains into a clown outfit for her for Halloween. I also converted men's suits I got at thrift stores and yard sales into clothing for myself.

I am always trying to think of new ways to use old things. I use a white marble wine cooler that I found at a thrift shop for all my cooking utensils. I have bought large stainless spoons, again at the thrift store for 25 cents, to use as a garden trowel on small plants when a regular garden trowel is too big. I save old pill bottles to store seeds.

White Marble Wine Cooler

After I had my old toilet replaced with a low flow one, I have it outside as a planter.

Saving our landfill.

I repurpose or reuse everything possible.

You know those useless small baskets that are flat on one side so you can hang them on the wall, meant for floral arrangements? Well I put a nail in the wall in the garage to hang them and use those baskets to store things that are small. I have gloves, shears, knives, rope, paint scrapers etc in mine.

Great job Nicole!!

My favourite Freecycle item is a stereo cabinet. It's in amazing condition, and is now a valued, full-to-the-brim kitchen storage cabinet.

It has pull-out drawers that the turntable, and stereo would sit on, and the bottom cupboards have dividers for record albums. That's where my baking sheets and muffin tins and my recipe binders are.

The pull-out shelves hold my casserole dishes.

Carol_in_california, you use your old toilet as a planter in your yard? A neighbor of mine does that! Please, please send a picture

I love seeing your projects! Great finds/upcycling!

Re these amazingly creative ideas - I can only say, How cool is that!

I used an old entertainment center, and scraps left over from my kitchen remodel, to make my grandson a combination kitchen center/work bench, complete with a barrel hood made from a popcorn can.

Speaking of barrel hoods, I used an old metal bin which had been used as a feed bin in the barn (I think it might have started life as a laundry tub), to make a vent hood for my kitchen stove.

I have a non-functioning vintage enamel stove in the dining room, with potatoes and onions in the drawers, grocery bags in the oven, and compact umbrellas in the broiler drawer.

We used a vintage oak sideboard as a bathroom vanity, and I have a couple of large crocks with wood tops, used as bedside tables. I used a cast iron swing-out seat as a bedside table in another bedroom.

A marble-topped dining table was converted to a kitchen island, by adding a platform, cabinet and shelves. Re-purposed a small sofa table as a bench for the island, then added two cast iron swing-out seats to table legs.

My sister gave me a small crewel-work purse, which I made into a pillow by tucking the strap inside, stuffing the purse, then tacking the top.

An antique flatwall (Ohio cabinet) has been converted to a TV/DVD cabinet, and I'm using several old round wooden cheese boxes as end tables in the living room.

carol_in_california, I have a clawfoot bathtub fountain in my front yard. ;)

I had a cheap secretary office chair. Its back became useless and the back support failed, In preparation to discard it, I took the back off and inspiration hit. The low seat with casters was perfect as a roll around seat on the garage floor when servicing equipment such as lawn mowers, bicycles, and autos. It beats stooping over to get at low places like waxing the lower panels of a car.

We recycle dozens of 64 fluid oz plastic bottles, but a few have been put to other uses. Using shears, I cut the bottom off and gave the end a scoop shape. The handle and lid was left in place. It made a good bird seed scoop.

There were some scraps of lumber left over from building our house. Some measurements, a few hand saw cuts, and nailing the parts together gave me a nail carrier. I've been using that thing for 40 years. Other scraps were used to make 3 shelves for the back of the garage.

Asphalt sealer comes in large plastic buckets. About every 5 to 7 years, my driveway gets a coat of sealer. Not all of the buckets were discarded. I kept about 10 of these and those come in handy for a variety of chores. If I need a ballast weight to hold me lawn mower handle down to tip the mower up for removing the blade, I grab a bucket, go out back and put in a few rocks from the rock pile and now I have a ballast weight to do the job. Other buckets can store sun flower seed after the sack has been opened. Setting the lid on the bucket makes a mouse and insect proof container.

So many things I can't really think of them all. I grew up with what do I have that I can use for this purpose philosophy and still use it as a guideline to this day. One example is a mouthwash bottle cut makes a sturdy container to hold things (toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc) and the top makes a good funnel. Put the cap back on it and it's a great scoop. Works great for a little cup for rinsing your hair when washing in the sink, filling a container with water and more. Pill bottles are good little travel containers for small amounts of cotton swabs, various travel needs and of course pills.

A couple of my favorite slogans:
♦ Improvise, adapt and overcome problems.
♦ Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.

And my version of an old motto:
♦ Reduce, reuse, refill, repair, re-purpose, recondition, re-evaluate, regenerate, recycle, re-imagine, remember, remind, resell, refashion, etc, etc, etc.

When I learned how to refill a (Sharpie) marker by injecting alcohol into it with a needle/syringe, I haven't had to buy a new marker for years.

I have been doing a LOT of crocheting with #10 crochet thread (making Christmas gifts) and it's getting painful where the thread glides across my index finger and leaves a deep "cut" in my finger. At first I was using a Band-Aid over the finger, but decided that's just plain wasteful after using two of them... Then I tried a rubber finger and the thread wouldn't glide over it. So in my never-ending search for something better/cheaper and does the job I found a box of Profoot Toe Bandages (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Profoot-Toe-Bandages-3-ct/10315084) at Wal-Mart for $2.32. I cut the spongy "tube" into a 1" bandage to cover my index finger (there will be enough to make 12 - so less than 20-cents each). It's very flexible but not tight, my finger doesn't sweat, and it's easy to bend my finger. I turned it inside out for a smoother inside surface for the crochet thread to more easily glide on. Now I can remove it when not in-use and tuck it inside the center of the ball of thread so I don't lose it. WOO HOO!

I love these tips!

I use old shower caddies (the things that you hang over the shower head to hold shampoo etc) the way Arkansas_girl uses baskets!

Clothing does wear out. For example, when it time to retire an undershirt, socks, or a pair of shirts, those go into the laundry one more time and then are relegated to the 'rag bag'. This becomes a source of rags for all kinds of chores; things like washing and waxing cloths for the car, oil change wiping rags, paint rags, etc.

Band-aids usually cost less than 10 cents each, no need feel guilty or to think of using them as being extravagant or wasteful. It's a small cost of your handmade presents.

Snidely----- Perhaps I didn't make myself clear, or you failed to see the new logic. With the new spongy tubes, I can slip it off and put it back on (like a ring - no adhesive) only when I need to wear it. I don't have to be concerned with getting it wet/dirty while doing household tasks like food preparation, washing my hands/doing dishes, working in the yard or gardens..... I do my hand-work any free moments I can find during the day, not a specific time block of time. I can wash/dry the spongy tubes - should it get soiled/wet, although that is much more unlikely since it can be removed. One spongy tube will be worn for months, not hours, so the cost per wear will be much less than even the least-expensive Band-Aid. And if you've ever worn a Band-Aid on your index finger knuckle for any length of time, it's a nuisance, at best....

"Clothing does wear out."
Uh... Try telling that to Ol' Joyful!

Obligatory tip: I've said it before but bears repeating. One of my favorite reuse things is a Pringles can for storing spaghetti. Probably one of my initial reuse items. Holds a couple pounds, easy dispensing, tiny footprint and makes use of something that begs to be reused. I don't use them for other pastas because I generally keep larger quantities so I use glass jars for macaroni.