Archive Category: 'Repurposing'

• Sweater Mittens Tutorial & Patterns: {Sewing}: Waiting for inspiration to bring out those lovely old sweaters you’ve been dying to use in crafting? Today’s feature fits the bill with this project from Five Green Acres Sweater Mitten Tutorial: The patterns were given to me by a kind and generous woman in Northern Wisconsin who whips out dozens of them each year, both [...]
• Cut Wine Bottles & Etched Glass: {DIY}: Today’s feature is from Curbly with this clever & crafty way to turn empty wine bottles (or any colored glass bottle) into something really special, How To: Cuttin’ Glass and Taking Names: Ever looked at a wine bottle to admire its shape, color, or translucent qualities? These features shouldn’t go to waste in the recycling bin. [...]
• Recycled Grocery Totes: {Tutorial}: Today’s feature is from So You Think You’re Crafty with this crafty & clever Grocery Totes Tutorial: Ready to go green? Then say goodbye to your old grocery bags by melting them into something cute. Afterall, plastic is the new plastic, right? We’ll be fusing layers of old grocery bags together to create a stronger “fabric” for [...]
• Book Page Wreath Tutorial: Today’s feature is from Living With Lindsay with this charming Book Page Wreath Tutorial: At the same booth, we came across a pair of simple, but stunning wreaths made from book pages. The vendor told me that she made them sitting in front of the television. That’s my kind of crafting. I honestly don’t remember how [...]
• Swiffer Cover: Free Sewing Pattern: Today’s feature is from Berlin’s Whimsy with this Swiffer Cover Sewing Pattern: Put your swiffer cover on and ooh and ahh with delight for now you can swiff your floors in style! **Note: This cover is reversible. To make it so, place buttons or velcro on both sides of the flaps. This is a great project to [...]
• Easy Tank Top Totes: Repurposing: Today’s feature is from the always creative Crafty Nest with this easy project for Tank Top Totes – Six Pockets Or Gathered: Before you pack away your summer clothes for the winter, you might want to set one of your tank tops aside to make one of these easy totes. The brown tote is reversible, so the [...]
• DIY Upholstered Bench From Ugly Coffee Table: Today’s feature is from ModHomeEcTeacher at Curbly with How To Turn an Ugly Coffee Table Into an Upholstered Bench: What do you do with an old coffee table with a dinged up or stained top? Turn it into a soft, lovely, upholstered bench for your hallway, end of your bed or as an upholstered ottoman in [...]
• Plastic Bag Organizer Tube: Repurposing Tip: Today’s feature is from Living Senses with this quick project for Paper Towel Tube to Drawer Organizer: I don’t know about you, but I can’t stand all those loose produce and bread bags in my drawer, and throwing them away is not my favorite thing, either. This idea came to me some time ago and I’ve [...]
• DIY Craft & Tool Station: Repurposing: Today’s feature is from Crafty Nest with this nifty Craft & Tool Station Tutorial: This project is what Elizabeth would call “finding crap on the curb and making something fabulous.” I found this mint green railing (from a crib? shelves?) in a pile of debris. Add galvanized wall pocket planters (on clearance at Jo-Ann for $1.50 [...]
• Make A Chair Seat Planter: How-To: Today’s feature is from Resene with their Easy Garden Ideas project sheet showing How To Make A Chair Seat Planter (pdf): Reupholster an old dining chair with funky echeverias. Supplies Needed: An old chair with a removable seat Chicken wire and tin snips Gun stapler Red paint and paintbrush Weedmat Sphagnum moss Quality potting mix Echeverias (or any succulent plant) White pebbles Quite a clever container gardening [...]
• Pretty Scrapbook Papered Bucket: Repurposing: Today’s feature is from Anything But Normal with this Scrapbook Papered Bucket: Take an old laundry bucket that you would normally discard or use outside… …mod podge scrapbook paper around. I used 3 full 12×12 sheets. (NOTE: a pattern that is up and down will allow for your seams to look better!) Whip up a liner for the bucket [...]
• Teacup Bird Feeder Project: How To: This project will not only add a touch of charm to your garden, it’s a great way to use those pretty china teacups and saucers you picked up at thrift markets and garage sales. I love how the teacup holds the birdseed while the saucer makes a convenient perch for the birds (and catches stray [...]
• Punched Tin Garden Lanterns: How To: Today’s feature is from Fine Gardening with How to Make Garden Lanterns: I’ve made candle holders from antique tea cups found at thrift shops and from inverted garden cloches hung with twine from tree branches. My favorites, however, are my punched-tin lanterns. They add a folk-art touch to the garden and are fun and easy to [...]
• Crockpot Crayons: Crafty How-To: Here’s a clever idea to turn those broken bits of crayons into fun shapes (like hearts) for coloring, today’s feature is from Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County with Crockpot Crayons – Crayon Recycling Activity (pdf): If you have more than one crock pot, you can form an “assembly line” of different colors and make [...]
• Cardboard Box Play Oven: Crafty Genius: Here’s a little play oven that is just genius! Today’s feature is from Martha Stewart with this amazing Cardboard-Box Oven Craft: Make this lovely cardboard oven with materials from around your home. Take a cardboard file box with attached lid, some scrap pieces of cardboard, spray paint, old CDs, bottle caps and other various items from around [...]
• Sewing Pattern Twinkle Lights: How To: Today’s feature is from Everyday Beauty with Sewing Pattern Twinkle Lights: I have them strung around a mirror at the moment, but they’ll probably move into my craft room eventually. I really really really love these lights. Beige is one of my favorite colors {does that mean I’m boring?} and sewing pattern paper is such the perfect [...]
• Crafty Idea: Repurposed Wool Potholders: Today’s feature is from Craft Sanity with The Best Potholders Ever: Potholders made from felted wool are the bees’ knees! Two layers of recycled, felted wool blankets or wool sweaters make it impossible to burn yourself. Wool potholders can be machine-washed when they get gunky, because the felted fabric has been pre-shrunk. And, wool is naturally [...]
• Tutorial: Brown Paper Bag Recipe Cards: Today’s feature is from Crafting A Green World with Tutorial: Brown Paper Bag Recipe Cards: These easy and quick recipe cards were inspired by the Brown Paper Seed Packet Business Cards. I loved the idea of repurposing brown paper bags, but didn’t really need business cards. What I needed was recipe cards to fit in a [...]
• 15 Alternative Uses for Credit Cards: Today’s feature is from Curbly’s DIY Maven with 15 Alternative Uses for Credit Cards: Has the economy prompted you to cancel a credit card or two even though you’re still getting those fake ones in the mail? Here’s 15 ways to make use of all of them that won’t cost you a thing. Actually, in some [...]
• Recycle Used Wrapping Paper Into Thank You Cards: Today’s feature is from Eco Child’s Play with Recycle Your Used Wrapping Paper Into Special Thank You Cards: Now that the presents have all been opened many houses are covered in torn pieces of wrapping paper, ribbons, and tags. You can gather it all up and toss it in the recycling bin, or reuse it [...]
• Winter Holiday Birch House Tutorial: Today’s feature is from Getting Stitched On The Farm with Winter Holiday Birch House Tutorial: Last year, the month before Christmas, I went slightly craft crazy and made a little birch village full of houses, barns and glittered animals. It was really fun to do – even if there was glitter for months to come all [...]
• DIY Project: Pallet Coffee Table: Today’s feature is from Esprit Cabane with a neat diy project showing you how to make this Pallet Coffee Table: This modern, ethnic-looking coffee table, with its ochre stripes that conjures up visions of Marrakech, was made from a wooden pallet discarded in a shopping area. The painstaking task of removing nails and sawing wood was avoided [...]
• Sweet Fairy Lights Project: How To: Today’s feature is from Esprit Cabane with Flower Fairy Lights: Fairy lights can be enhanced with feathers, paper, cardboard cones or…egg carton cups! These recycled cardboard cups offer an unusual texture and soft colors that, with minimal skills, can be turned into a vine of light-emitting morning glory. For this project, Use LED lights only. Recycle cardboard egg [...]
• DIY Bamboo Knife Holder: Today’s feature is from ReadyMade with a neat idea that is easy to make & repurposes a 2 litre pop bottle, check out this project for Blade Runner: I am always ready and willing to help out a fellow foodie. I also love Robitsch’s simple bamboo holder, and I came up with a way to assemble [...]
• Repurpose Old Towels: Bath Mat Tutorial: Today’s feature is from The {New New} York Etsy Street Team with this Recycled Bath Mat Tutorial, I’m so making this! What you need: An old beat up towel (this is the base for the new bath mat) A yard or so of fabric Thread & pins What you do: Cut the towel in two equal sizes (your bath mat base [...]