Vintage industrial metal parts drawers and hardware cabinets have served the purpose of holding nuts, bolts, small fittings, and so much more over the course of their lives. Whether they were used in a hardware store, an auto repair shop, or on a bench in someone’s garage shop they have provided plenty of storage options. These metal relics from the past have lasted generations of use and are so much more interesting than their modern day plastic counterparts.
While these cabinets can still be used today for small parts and hardware, there are some other clever and rather unexpected uses for them, too. Here are some ideas.
Planter
Line several random drawers with plastic cling wrap. Add a few pebbles and then top with potting soil. Plant fresh herbs or succulents in the open drawers and you have a unique miniature garden. Perfect for a windowsill, desk, or counter. Just remove the planted drawers to water your plants, then replace the drawers. Clever, eh?
Floral Display
Place a metal parts cabinet on your kitchen counter and use it to display fresh cut flowers. Just open a few random drawers, put a small shot glass of water inside the drawer, then add your cut flowers. Your flowers never looked better (or more unique)!
Candy Dispenser
Whether used at a party (such as a birthday party) or just day-to-day use, the drawers can be used to hold a variety of wrapped candies! Your kids or grandkids are sure to love your unique candy dispenser, and at a party, it makes it fun for your guests to choose their favorites. Small lollipops, small candy bars, hard candies, mints – whatever your favorites are. You could label the drawers using the packaging of the candy or leave the drawers unlabeled – unlabeled makes it more fun to have to look through all the drawers to find your favorite treat!
Entry Way Organizer
A metal parts drawer on a table in your entry way is a perfect place to keep your car and house keys, loose change, buttons that pop off as you’re heading out the door, sunglasses (assuming the drawer is large enough), badges you need for work, cell phone accessories and anything else you want to keep handy near your door.
Spice Drawers
Set a parts drawer on a shelf in your pantry and use it to hold (and organize) your spices. Label each drawer with the spice it contains, then put your spice bottle inside the drawer. The drawers could also be used for baking and candy making supplies such as sprinkles, food coloring, birthday candles and any other small supply.
Organizer
A parts cabinet makes a great organizer for so many things besides hardware! Use the cabinet in your office to hold office supplies – paper clips, binder clips, rubber bands, Postit Notes, highlighters, pens and pencils, stamps, glue sticks. Use the cabinet in your craft room or studio to hold small supplies – buttons, pins, needles, thread, twine, ribbon or stamps, ink pads, markers. Use the cabinet in your bathroom to hold your make-up, Q-tips, cotton balls, dental floss and more. The cabinet could also be used in a potting shed to hold packets of seeds for your garden, twine, garden markers, small plant stakes, and other small garden tools.
I like the Candy Dispenser idea. I can just see the smiles on my grandkid’s faces now. :o)
Thanks Mrs. A. We did the candy dispenser idea at a party, and I think the adults liked it as much as the kids. 🙂