Multipurpose Wonders: Vintage Rulers
On stair risers and dressers, for practical use or pure decoration, old-fashioned rulers have design appeal that measures up
Today businesses give away refrigerator magnets with their names on them, but 60 years ago they gave away something much more charming and useful — wooden rulers with their names on them. You'd be forced to think of your hardware store or bank every time you needed to measure something.
These days the old fonts and patinated finishes on these former freebies have great appeal, and thus are turning up all over the place. Feast your eyes on eight clever ways to give them new life.
These days the old fonts and patinated finishes on these former freebies have great appeal, and thus are turning up all over the place. Feast your eyes on eight clever ways to give them new life.
Use: A way to add flair to old stair risers
Result: Visitors will stop halfway between floors and stare.
See more creative stair riser ideas
Result: Visitors will stop halfway between floors and stare.
See more creative stair riser ideas
Use: A measuring edge in a craft room
Result: A no-fuss way to ensure you make the right cut.
See the rest of this home
Result: A no-fuss way to ensure you make the right cut.
See the rest of this home
Use: A bar top
Result: A surface that is more interesting graphically, if not quite as smooth as, the usual reclaimed wood countertop.
Result: A surface that is more interesting graphically, if not quite as smooth as, the usual reclaimed wood countertop.
Use: Keeping track of your kids' heights.
Result: This vintage fold-up measuring stick has a use that lets it stay out on display. If you have to move while the kids are still growing, you can take a picture, take it with you and re-create it in a new home.
Result: This vintage fold-up measuring stick has a use that lets it stay out on display. If you have to move while the kids are still growing, you can take a picture, take it with you and re-create it in a new home.
Use: As part of a scrap-wood bench.
Result: A fun and lively three-dimensional graphic art project. Colorful measuring sticks add to the vintage aesthetic.
Result: A fun and lively three-dimensional graphic art project. Colorful measuring sticks add to the vintage aesthetic.
Measured Journey Part 2
Use: As the decoration for a chest of drawers.
Result: An artful conversation piece that will fit into a nursery, a craft room, or even an all-white gallery-like space as a work of folk art.
More Multipurpose Wonders:
Vintage Crates
Mason Jars
Result: An artful conversation piece that will fit into a nursery, a craft room, or even an all-white gallery-like space as a work of folk art.
More Multipurpose Wonders:
Vintage Crates
Mason Jars
Result: A charming place to hang potting bench items, necklaces or dog-walking needs, like a flashlight, a choker chain and leashes.
Learn how to make one yourself