Deck the Halls for Less

I come from a long line of creative repurposers—people who have a knack for reusing things and transforming would-be throwaway items into, well, something else.

I'm certain I inherited the skill from my dear grandmother, Ellen Yeager. Raising a family of five during the Great Depression, Ellen learned to repurpose items as a matter of daily necessity, even survival. She had a natural gift for it. Later in her life, when the family's financial condition improved, repurposing became pure sport.

Grandma had a particular passion for recycling everyday objects into clever decorative craft items. Most of these creations served no earthly purpose other than the joy she received from making them. … Back to Article