Turn a pair of hockey skates into sporty shelf brackets.

A pair of old hockey skates cost Sue and Ki just $5. To make the brackets, hacksaw the back of the first skate’s blade off, so it is even with the heel. Then, router a slit into a 1x4 piece of wood the length of the blade, so the blade will fit in. Screw the wood to another 1x4 piece of wood. Insert the blade into the slit; a line of silicone holds the skate in place. Screw the inside of the skate’s heel to the second piece of wood. Repeat with the other skate. Your skate brackets are done! To finish the shelf, screw a board on top of the brackets, and attach the entire unit to the wall by screwing into wall studs (or use wall anchors to be sure it’s sturdy).

JUNK TIPS
To revitalize and restore old leather, Sue and Ki recommend cleaning with Murphy Oil Soap, available at grocery stores, and conditioning with Skidmore’s Leather Cream (skidmores.com).