Creative Keepsake Ideas

Some of us love to collect keepsakes from our children, antiques that have been in the family for years, or just general treasures we've found here and there throughout the years of our lives. And while these are all wonderful memories from days gone by, over time they accumulate into a lot of clutter in and around our home.

Instead of letting your treasured keepsakes gather dust though, why not put them into more creative use that you can enjoy for many more years to come?

1. Instead of packing your kid's baby cloths into a box that never gets opened, why not create a blanket, throw pillow, or wall hanging from them instead? Simply cut uniform squares or triangles from each clothing item, then sew them together as you would when making a quilt. For really special items such as the outfit your child wore home from the hospital, keep it intact instead of cutting it up, and just sew it to a large square that can be put into the middle of your blanket, pillow, or wall hanging.

2. If you're not inclined to sew, you could still use scraps of their cloths... just put them in your scrapbook instead. You can even make the cloth squares act as background mats for favorite photos. Girls hair ribbons work well for this too, simply put a piece or two throughout the scrapbooks, or make them into photo frame borders instead.

3. Bunk beds and loft beds are a common household item when children are growing, but you have little to no use for them once they've gotten past the teenage years. You can recycle them though, by putting them together into a bookcase. Some types of headboards can be used for this idea as well.

With the ladders, simply lay two of them on their side, with one on top of the other. I put stacks of hardback books between the two loft bed ladders from my sons' bedroom, to create extra "shelf" space. You could even use books which were favorites when your children were small too.

4. Use Grandma's china as wall art. Put a shelf up close to the ceiling around the dining room or kitchen wall, then put the plates on that shelf. Hang the teacups from beneath to finish the look. For added safety, buy shelfs with notches in them for the plates to be supported, or add some decorative trim to the edges.

5. Make garden planters out of kids' tricycles, or great grandma's antique teapot and washtub. Antiques, keepsakes, and collectibles can make wonderful, whimsical garden decor.

6. Use collectibles to create a kitchen herb garden. I love collecting coffee cups for instance, and these are fantastic to use as small herb pots sitting in the kitchen or dining room window.