I love old things and objects that have evidence of being used or, in the case of books, read. So Andrew Baseman’s blog caught my attention. He writes about ‘antiques with inventive repairs (also known as “make-do” repairs)’ and provides photographs of each item in its state of repair alongside a ‘whole’ example with which to compare it.

Here is my own ‘make-do’, a Wileman sugar bowl and plate, with a nasty breakage repaired expertly with staples.

It’s still in the shop in these photographs, and I visited it for several months before finally plunging in and buying it. It wasn’t costly, I just wasn’t flush with funds around that time. I hadn’t seen anything repaired in this way before, only online, so was excited to be able to have a piece of my own. The thought of repairing china with metal staples is intriguing and a wonderful example of creative repair. Reduce, reuse, recycle.