Last week, I launched Make-Do Mondays, a carnival dedicated to sharing ways we’re making-do.Right away, Jenni pointed out that this carnival can do more than entertain or inform–learning to make-do can also empower:
I love this idea! I don’t think that people realize how empowering it is to come up with creative ways to use things lying around, or just to summon up the willpower to use it. In effect, they’re throwing away a bit of self-confidence/reliance when they toss out something that doesn’t work perfectly.
Join the Make-Do Mondays carnival and build up your self-confidence! Learn new ways of self-reliance!Here’s this week’s Make-Do Mondays contribution from the Kroeker house:When The Belgian Wonder and I first married, we bought a used wooden dining room table from a friend. The clever engineering of this Scandinavian-style teak table allows two extensions to slide underneath for storage, but they can be pulled out quickly and easily, doubling the table surface area in seconds.Here’s a quick snapshot of the table fully extended:
We use a tablecloth most of the time, because the table doesn’t really fit, style wise. But we make-do a lot when it comes to “style.” But that isn’t even the main make-do thing I was planning to show you. Here it is:
One day, the wood split along the edge. I thought we’d have to throw it away, because the legs were very wobbly, and that leaf-extension engineering was compromised.Then, as you can see, we duct-taped it tightly together, and it held. We could still use it, so we positioned the table so that the duct-taped side wouldn’t be immediately noticed if the table were without a cloth. We talked about getting a new table from time to time. Sometimes I’d flip through a Sunday insert or catalog. I might slip into an antique mall and look around. But we never did buy a new table. Five years after the fix and nineteen years after we bought it used, we’re still eating at the duct-taped teak table. Making-do.How about you?Share how you’re resisting the disposable, quick-fix, easy-solution, just-go-buy-a-replacement mindset.Document in some way how you’re making-do: write, photograph, or make and upload a YouTube video, and then link to your post via Mr. Linky (below). If you don’t have a blog, tell us about it in the comments!
Be sure to check out Mega Memory Month in January–the first Monday Progress report is also posted today at this link.
our last dining table was an old conference table whose legs had broken…
we salvaged it from my husbands work before we moved back here from Minnesota…
they were just going to “throw” it away…
with the purchase of 8 chairs (the cost of which was under 200) we ended up with a lovely dining table, if not different. For legs we bought two concrete table bases from a concrete statuary place ( these were 45 a piece)…
my dh affixed them in a way that they could be unscrewed…this involved wood and liquid nails glue, so that the table could be unassembled into three pieces for possible future moves…
this dining set was childproof!
you could walk on it, lean on it, do crafts on it….
last summer, when we moved to our present home, my in-laws were downsizing and gave us a whole dining set…they said it was our “inheritance” early…
we really appreciate it!
Having been born and bred in a Third World country, making do is a big part of our daily life. Making do really does build your self-confidence… seriously!
It also stretches the budget in unusual ways… because you already know “I can do that!”, you will be less inclined to pay the first price you encounter for what you may deem regular purchases. In Jamaica, this matters… prices vary greatly.
This got lengthy in a hurry… sorry. The digital camera is still on my ‘wish list’, so you will not get to see our ‘improvisions’, but I will have fun seeing and reading about yours. 😉
I am amazed how well duct tape works – and it just keeps on working! My mother had one of those teak tables – we used it for a few decades until she allowed a friend to use it. So it’s still being used.
I talk about contact paper and a box today for my MDM.
Thanks!
Kristin
shepherdsgrace: I love picturing this spectacular make-do, one-of-a-kind dining room table invention in my head. You did a great job describing it. I could use a table like that for my four busy kiddoes! I also like that you happily accepted that table + chairs from your in-laws. Is that making-do, too?
Ruth: Your writing is so great, we don’t need any visuals to “see” your creative making-do solutions–just use your word-gift to describe it, and I have the feeling you’ll take us there!
Kristin: Yay! Glad to have your participation–I’m heading over to read it this very moment!
Ann, I must confess the set they game me is quite beautiful…with a lit-up full wall hutch and a buffet as well….plus, she had cut glass tops for the buffet and tabletop that are a smoked glass…to protect the wood tops…
so…sure…smile…I am making do….snort, giggle
when they gave it to us I remember thinking what a beautiful picture of grace it was…a gift I could not afford that was being given quite cheerfully and that I delighted in possessing….
I like the philosophy of this series. I am always making do, but for some reason I am totally blank at the moment. I’ll be on the lookout and try to post next time!
If you’re doing this again Monday, I’ll be prepared. I’m making do all over the place.
And, I just adore you.
When I was in the Army, I was in shock and awe about how much stuff we held together with what we called “100 mile an hour” or heavy duty duct tape. You might not want to know actually.
I just wanted to see if I was getting the length right when I “made” my floor length curtain for the upstairs hall window from $2/yd fabric. It looked so good I never have gotten around to sewing them. I guess I’ll have to do it when they need laundering, but until then…
Greetings in Jesus’ Name, kindred spirit sister! I have actually considered writing a book entitled, “Duct Tape and Clothespins”, dealing with this very subject. It is so satisfying to find ways to extend the life of something , especially if that life serves a new purpose. For example, I once had the opportunity to use a disabled refrigerator as a pantry for dry goods. My last post relates along these lines. w.xanga.com/wetherill
This is my first visit to your blog. I will be back!