The virus is in the air, particles continue to threaten us, countries are closing their borders and Presidents are announcing lockdowns. Meanwhile, you are wondering what you will do while cooped up at home for the next few weeks. Meanwhile has a few ideas to give a second life to all the outcasts, those abandoned, forgotten objects. From your wardrobe to the attic, it is time to make the most of them!
3 activities to do at home
#1 Declutter your wardrobe the Marie Kondo way
Oh yeah! Marie Kondo is an organization genius and her tips for decluttering our wardrobes did not go unnoticed at Meanwhile. The first step is to lay out all your clothes from around your home on your bed, make a pile, and see how much has accumulated over the years. From there, it is often a wake-up call. It is time to sort through all this junk.
Take each garment one by one and wait to feel that little spark. No, you don't feel it? You don't see what we are talking about? Fine, this shirt goes into the donation pile. Wish it the best and hope it fills someone else with joy. Try again with the next one and TA-DA! Your eyes light up, you feel the love. But this dress has a little snag. No panic, make a "to be mended" pile and with this beginner tutorial, you will have it all fixed in no time. Promise, all you need is a thread and a needle to mend the bond with your old clothes!
#2 Refurbish your furniture
We no longer throw things away, we upcycle! You inherited your grandmother's furniture, buried at the bottom of the basement, and you don't dare get rid of it? There must be a few rolls of tropical wallpaper next to it. Yes, the ones you love but bought 3-4 meters too much of. Add some homemade glue varnish and presto! With these two combined, you give your dresser a new life.
And it works with everything: old newspapers, forgotten magazines, half-empty paint cans. Play with small touches, just on one drawer, at the back of the box to accentuate the contrast, by adding geometric shapes. It is time to let your creativity shine (or get inspired by our DIY Pinterest pins!). All that will be left is to find a new handle when the garage sale season starts.
#3 Create new jewelry as a family
©credit: mysweetcactus.com
Finally, you have the time to repair your broken jewelry that you continue to keep preciously! Use the clasp of the earring that lost its partner to fix the one from the other pair that broke. Sometimes a thread is enough to repair that bracelet abandoned at the bottom of a jewelry box. Gather, re-solder, you will (re)fall in love with your old loves!
Then there are those beads in the closet and those embroidery threads you bought years ago and never used. Everything is to be done, everything is to be imagined! Bracelet, necklace, multicolored ring, the children will love making jewelry. And fortunately for you, fringe earrings and pom-pom earrings, worn with style, remain timeless. Choose the colors you like and let yourself be guided by these instructions. Promise, the result will be awesome!
Small bonus: we found the best video to effectively explain how to make a tawashi sponge from reclaimed fabrics. A zero-waste classic!
And what about you, what are your conscious ideas for this lockdown period? Don't be shy, come share them in the comments!
Written by Whitney Agui
Member of Meanwhile Boutique, an eco-responsible online shop: she highlights eco-responsible practices and change-makers through the entire collective of committed creators and brands to inspire new ways of consuming.
