Now we all know how useful outdoor rakes are for the garden, but indoors? These three ideas will change the way you think about garden tools, and you’ll be at your local garden centre in no time buying more of these backyard essentials so you can use them to organise and beautify your home.

Repurposing items so you can use them in a way other than for what they were first designed is all the rage. Try these clever and practical ideas to transform an old garden rake into a fabulous utensil holder, a mini shelf for tea lights, or a clothes or towel rack.

How to use a rake as a rack

• Simply detach the head of the rake from its handle, then remove any loose or flaky rust with a fine sanding block.
• Using a small paintbrush, coat rake head with a special rust remover, then let dry. The rust remover acts as a rust converter and forms a type of base coat.
• Spray rake head with a metal primer and allow to dry.
• If you like the rustic look, this is all you need to do.
• If you prefer a bright glossy finish, spray with 2 coats of red or white enamel paint.
• Use an appropriate wall fastener to attach rake head, just below the neck, then start using it for its new purpose.