5 Ways to Repurpose a Baluster

1. Make furniture. Obviously, this idea requires some level of handiness on your part--or some level of willingness to call in a favor to a handy friend--but we love many of the furniture pieces we've seen that make use of balusters. Below you'll see a rusty animal trough elevated by old balusters, and a console table and a coffee table, both given character by balusters. 

Our store is chock full of old crusty balusters, also known as stair spindles. We've styled most of ours to be candle holders, but we sometimes get questions from customers about other ways to re-use them, too. In this post, you'll find some of our favorite ideas for giving new life to an old baluster. 

2. Decorate for Christmas. 'Tis the season, and we found several wonderful ideas for working balusters into your rustic holiday decor: ornaments, a baluster tree, and a baluster wreath. 

3. Let there be light. Ah, this has to be our favorite use for a chunky baluster: repurposing it into a lamp--or a pair of lamps. One crafty blogger even made a chandelier from one of her fat balusters. 

4. Art. Another idea: Do nothing with that old baluster you bought and love, except display it like art and love it for what it is. In the store we have several balusters and finials mounted on stands, proving that fabulous architectural details can stand alone. 

5. Baluster bird house. Get cheeky with your spindles and turn them into something whimsical and wonderful--like an old birdhouse. We've also seen them reused as a towel bar in a bathroom and as a jewelry holder. Let your creativity run wild, and be sure to share your ideas with us. We need more ideas to share with our customers!

Also see our post on 5 Ways to Repurpose a Corbel.