How do I Macgyver?
Macgyver uses what is available to him to solve a problem. I want you to be like Macgyver. Use things you have to make the things you want.
One bright April Fool’s morning I drug my drowsy body from beneath the warm blankets to do my morning business. Once said business was completed, I found myself staring at a jumbo size black hair elastic and an empty cardboard toilet paper tube. Our youngest daughter’s handwriting spelled out the message across the empty roll, “What would Macgyver do?” I giggled under my breath realizing I was her first victim on this first day of April. I found myself impressed with her wit, humor, and resourcefulness. Then I pondered accepting her challenge. Hmmmm…Use things you have to make the things you want…Not to worry, I found some spare rolls stashed behind the toilet. But it begs the question, “What WOULD Macgyver do?”
Balancing my options
A friend suggested she may turn the wooden toilet paper cabinet into paper pulp, although she fears it may take a while to sort out the splinters. I personally would consider the cardboard tube as suitable starting material myself. Hey, it may seem like foolish pondering right now, but someday you’ll thank me for the inspiration.
Don’t dwell on what you don’t have
So, what is the point of this puzzling situation? I want to encourage each and every one of you to begin looking at what you have to work with in a completely different way. Don’t dwell on what you don’t have. It is perfectly normal, and even acceptable to think about things you want or the way you want your home to look. Today, look around and figure out what you can use to make that desire a reality. Shop in your own house for hidden treasures waiting to be transformed. We all have potential stuffed in drawers, pushed to the back of a cupboard, or hidden in a storage tote.
How to make the things you want
Maybe you love the look of rustic farmhouse or shabby chic home decor. You have a house filled with cheap particle board cabinets from a big box store. It isn’t what you want, it’s what you have. You also have some glue of some type somewhere in your house. I’m willing to bet you, or a friend, even possess some leftover paint.
Lightly sand those ugly cabinets to knock off the shine. Mix your glue with some water and pour in some paint. Brush or roll that onto the shelves and dry it off with a hairdryer. You have just made gorgeous, custom, crackled, chippy paint look shelves for your home!
Making wall art from what you have
Perhaps you came home from the barn of pottery or the import pier and discovered this AMAZING piece of textured modern art or a nautical wall piece. You can’t get it off of your mind. It would be perfect above your dining room table, or beside your entry door. But it is sooooo expensive. It may not even be that costly, you just don’t have any wiggle room for anything other than food, shelter, and clothing. Good news You probably already have the things it takes to make something very similar in your home. I created a giant oil look faux canvas painting by gluing together cardboard boxes and mixing paint with joint compound. I dare you to tell the difference without looking behind it.
Home decor you can make with things you already have
Use those sparks of imagination to begin a new creation. Look at the stuff you have in a different way. A broken pot or plate becomes mosaic or tile. Hot glue becomes embossed art. Broken ceiling fan blades become giant dragonfly wings, a large daisy for your fence, a monogrammed door hanging, or even an elegant wine glass rack.
You are only limited by your ability to accept what you have been given. Money is no longer an object. You can create whatever you want, using what you already have. Now, my friend, you are MacGyvering!
Until next time, “The best way to beat a problem is to make it work for you” MacGyver.
~Lora Lea
