DIY projects with a purpose

Before you trek out to the department store to add more mass-produced mess to your home, take stock of what you might have at home. Have a stack of old bricks? Turn them into planters for succulents. Old wine crates? Build some cool new cabinets. Old comic books? How ’bout a colorful new wallet? ReadyMade magazine has put a list of its 20 most popular DIY projects (with easy-to-follow instructions) on its website (search “top 20 projects” at www.readymade.com)—most of which involve repurposing piles of common household items into something you’ll actually make use of, like a delicate flower vase made from an old incandescent light bulb.