Sustainability is at the heart of French Bedroom. Reusing, repurposing, and recycling is our passion – the whole team loves to get crafty, thinking of imaginative ideas to keep our goodies lasting longer, and more importantly, looking after our planet.
We’ve pulled together a list of our favourite projects to get stuck into, repurposing some of your gorgeous goodies to keep them in use forever.
Repurpose candle pots as plant pots.
Have you ever purchased a candle in such a beautiful pot, you almost don’t want to burn it, so it maintains its beauty? Our Gold & Blue Scented Candle by Portus Cale made us feel this exact way when we first laid eyes on it, so we made it our mission to keep the ceramic pot on display.
By placing a small indoor plant, such as a cactus, within the pot and covering with a suitable soil, we were able to bring the outdoors into our home in an adorable and eccentric way without taking too much attention away from the pot itself. For more plain pots, such as our Kew Gardens Osmanthus Rose Candle, clean the pot out and sprinkle some soil within. Then, carefully place a handful of wildflower seeds inside the soil and keep the pot in a sunny place, remembering to water it regularly, and you will have your very own miniature wild garden within your home!
Use a vintage ladder as a blanket rack.
Rummaging through our shed, we found an old wooden ladder that we just knew we could create something beautiful with. Fitting with the rustic theme that is taking Pinterest by storm, a blanket ladder was created, and we couldn’t be more in love. It is the perfect way to display your collection of cosy throws!
First, ensure you have sanded the ladder down to minimise the risk of any pulls to your blankets. Once this is done, if you would like to add a stain or distemper, we certainly recommend doing so! We’ve treated our ladder with a slight pale distemper to enhance the grain, making it suitable to display in both winter and summer months. After this has dried, place your ladder against your wall of choice and select your favourite collection of blankets to drape across the steps. Our ladder is currently displaying the gorgeous combination of the Palm Tree Paradise Handmade Throw and Embroidered Leaves Throw for an Ibizan summer aesthetic. Accessorise further with trailing vines for a spring/summertime feel, and for autumn/winter, place some pumpkins at the feet, or even add on a wreath! We just adore the way this looks in the home.
Repurpose an old plant pot to hold utensils.
Create a talking point for guests at your annual summer barbecue and make use of old plant pots to hold utensils. Smaller plant pots can be cleaned out and then painted to fit the theme of your garden; to make these uniquely yours, decorate them by painting a fun pattern with outdoor safe paints. Alternatively, get the children involved and provide an activity for the whole family by having them decorate for a nostalgic, childlike feel, creating a keepsake you’ll want to display every summer.
Alternatively, to bring this idea within the home, use old plant pots in your home office to keep pens and pencils handy on your desk, or even in the playroom to hold the children’s paintbrushes!
Reuse vintage teacups to create candle holders.
Vintage teacups are a beautiful addition to any kitchen. Rather than only getting them out for guests on special occasions, why have them on constant display, burning your favourite sweet scent. An easy to do craft, this makes for a great activity to enjoy with friends and family, or a mindful solo craft for some you time.
Before getting started, head down to your local craft store to purchase some soy wax pellets, a candle wick, and your favourite scent of fragrance oil. An additional, optional extra would be some candle dye to colour the wax, however, we love the natural look of undyed wax just as much. You will also need glue, scissors, and a heatproof pouring jug. Once you’ve collected all of your equipment, it’s time to get crafty!
First, ensure that the teacups you plan to use are clean and dry. Place the wick in the middle of the teacup with a small amount of glue and hold in place with a pencil. Once this is done, it’s time to prepare the wax! Place approximately two handfuls of wax pellets per candle into your heatproof jug and then place it into a saucepan containing a small amount of water and then pop the pan over a low heat. Once the wax is fully melted, remove from the heat, and allow to cool for a few minutes, and then add your dye and scent of choice. Finally, pour the melted wax carefully into your cups and allow to cool. Place your teacups upon their saucers and voila – you have a fantastic, homemade teacup candle to keep on display, allowing you to make the best use of your gorgeous, vintage crockery.
Chest of drawers into a bathroom storage vanity
It’s not uncommon to want to change the aesthetic of your bedroom, but when you’ve invested in a timeless chest of drawers, it’s difficult to commit to parting with them, even when it doesn’t match your new interiors. Rather than contributing to landfill, why not repurpose your dresser into a bathroom vanity? We can already see our Provencal Classic White Chest of Drawers sitting beautifully under a large mirror, filled with towels and decorated with vintage perfumes and a silver display dish.
If you are choosing to move your chest of drawers into your bathroom, make sure you have treated them with a waterproof wood paint sealing to ensure they are protected from any humidity and maintain their beauty in their new home.
We hope that we have inspired you to repurpose, reuse and recycle the gorgeous goodies you find around your home, rather than contributing to landfill. French Bedroom is a responsible company that places sustainability at the core of our values – we deliberately create durable furniture, that is designed to be passed through generations, and some of our collections are even created using reclaimed wood. We’re passionate about looking after our planet and protecting it’s finite resources.
