• Life still left in old pulleys.cistern pulley image by JCVStock from Fotolia.com
  
  Antique pulleys are little pieces of art, with a patina on the wood and metal created over time. The craftsmanship that went into these devices from another era is rare to find in tools made today. Each of these old, but still useful devices, are a piece of the country's history. They once lifted things such as bales of hay, farm equipment and even livestock. If only these pieces of Americana could talk, they would have quite a story to tell.
  
  

Double Plant Hanger

• An old pulley can double as a plant holder to hang in front of a window or sliding glass door. A piece of weathered rope goes through the pulley and each end of the rope holds a plant. The rope can be adjusted so the plants hang at the heights that appeal to you. A few of the pulleys across a big picture window can adorn the window in a curtain of foliage. The rustic wood and metal of the pulley, along with the lush greens of the plants, bring the outdoors into a home.
  
  

Pulley Light

• If you are electrically inclined, a hanging light made out of a pulley could be right up your alley. Two globe lights that are fixed to each end of a rope becomes a rustic light fixture when they hang in a pulley. The wires for the lights can easily coil around the rope to keep it neat. This pulley light fixture lets you bring one of the lights down closer to you when you need extra light on a kitchen counter.
  
  

Picture Holders

• Family portraits framed in weathered wood can be hung gallery style off of the ropes of a pulley on a wall. The pulley is hung high on the wall with a small piece of rope going through the pulley wheel. Both ends of that rope hold a family picture. One is hung high and one is hung lower by adjusting the rope length. Three or four pulley picture holders on the same wall can create a home art gallery.
  
  

Kitchen Utensil Holder

• Antique pulleys can function as a kitchen utility holder when used over a kitchen island counter. It is fashioned much like a clothesline that provides easy access to cooking utensils that are frequently used. This simple concept consists of a rope running through two pulleys that is hung over a kitchen island. The "S" hook on the rope holds spatulas, large spoons, strainers and all the other light kitchen gadgets that you use often. This is not only aesthetically pleasing, but very useful.