What To Do With A Birdcage?

I know I've been working on this project for awhile now.  It's one that should have been super easy and super quick but ended up being super longer-than-necessary.  At least it's done! 

If you remember, we started with a plain white birdcage I snagged on clearance.  I thought it would be a fun addition to my daughter's room.  However, it had a few dings to the paint and it looked a bit dingy against Mia's white furniture. 

I decided to give it a colorful coat of green spray paint, to break up all the white in the room.  I learned a lesson in patience when it comes to drying time for paint (you can read about dry vs. cured here), and after fixing my mistake I was finally left with this...

I love its charming quality and the pop of color it adds to the space!

But what can you do with a birdcage?  Other than just look cute, of course.  For this girl, it's the perfect solution for corralling all of her hair clips! 

We are growing out her bangs and are constantly using clips...and constantly losing them. We had them in a little drawer in the bathroom, but it was too accessible for curious little brother fingers.  We are also trying to give Mia more private space that is off limits for the boys and her vanity is one of those areas.  So this was a great solution for keeping them out of reach and all in one place.

She can also open the lid and keep her brush, comb and small box of rubber bands inside.

So, not only is the birdcage an adorable accessory in and of itself, it can absolutely serve a purpose too!

We are doing a major overhaul in this room...cleaning out toys/clothes/books, bringing in better storage solutions,  and paring down in an effort to simplify.  It's also giving us a chance to think about what accessories we want to keep and what new ones to bring in....those that serve a dual purpose of cute and functional are icing on the cake.  The whimsy and function of this piece is exactly the direction we want to go!

How about you? Find any unique purposes for an otherwise "useless" piece?  How are you combining decor with function?   

*I'm linked up at Creatively Living, Home Happy Home, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Funky Junk Interiors, True Aim: Mom's Library and A Bowl Full of Lemons