Recycle, eh

Valentine's Day isn't far off so I thought I would show you this lovely (I think!) Valentine heart I made from plastic bags. I didn't have enough red plastic bags so I finished it off with white ones. Easy-peasy, just cut out strips of plastic and tie on to a heart-shaped wire form (I shaped a wire coat hanger into a heart). Takes only minutes.

I know, I know, spring is still just an idea right now but staying here in Edinburgh where I'm surrounded by green gardens and flowering plants, I can't help but look forward to some early planting. Today I spotted this innovative garden on Treehugger - recycling 2 litre plastic pop bottles into a hanging wall garden feature and have to admit that I was quite taken with it.

This 'garden' was designed in collaboration with Brazilian design studio Rosenbaum and the TV show Caldeirao to help poor families improve their homes and surroundings. I'm not sure how much time it would take to water these as container gardens always need a lot more watering than ordinary gardens. Still a good idea if you live somewhere where it rains a lot. If you go to the Rosenbaum site, you will find out how to make it. It's in Portuguese but you won't need a translation as the illustration is pretty self-explanatory.

I seem to have flowers on the brain these days. It's been so gloomy lately that I couldn't resist buying a few bright yellow gerberas to brighten up my studio. Some recycled plastic bottles serve very well as vases all held together with a pretty bit of ribbon.

Christmas is over and in a few days (or weeks) you will want to start the arduous task of dismantling the Christmas tree and putting away all the ornaments along with the leftover gift wrap, the ribbons and bows for another year. Here are a couple of tips to make it easy.

Ornament Holder

I saw an advert in a magazine for a plastic ornament holder that cost $42.00. Yes, it was clear, it had three trays which were stackable and it had a handle on top. But you can do better. Head straight for your plastic recycle bin and pull out those large plastic veggie containers. Once washed and dried out, they are perfect for storing your ornaments, etc. They're clear, they're strong, and they are stackable. If you want a handle, just wrap an old belt around the lot!

You can also use clear plastic egg cartons for small ornaments. If you don't have any of these containers on hand, ask your neighbours and friends for theirs, but don't tell they why you need these; otherwise, they'll use the containers themselves!

Leftover Gift Wrap Storage

The simplest way to store leftover (or new - from the sales!!) gift wrap is in an empty cardboard paper tube. Slit the tube from end to end and slip the gift wrap inside. An added bonus: Next year it will be easier and neater to dispense the wrapping paper inside the tube.

BESs

I have a large stash of containers that I plan to use to 'wrap' my Christmas gifts this year. Actually, some the containers are the gift, sort of in plain sight. I'll be filling them with homemade goodies like cookies, chocolates, and my famous bath salts (famous in my world, anyway). The cookies and chocolates will come from various church bazaars and fetes that are going on right not - I ain't no baker or candy maker!! I even find breakfast a challenge!

The fishing tackle box is reincarnated as a tool box for a gal friend who's into repairs and will be filled with her favourite hazelnut chocolates. A wonderful lady I know makes and sells these at her church bazaar every year. I plan to buy the lot and keep some for myself.

I try to recycle plastic containers whenever I can and here's one way I do it. For a young friend who is into knitting, I created a knit kit. There's enough wool to make a long skinny scarf and the instructions are written on the back of the decorative paper wrap. The knitting needles are just two takeout chopsticks. I rounded the knitting ends with sandpaper. The plastic container keeps the wool clean and tangle free while knitting.

Using clear plastic bags as recycled Christmas wrapping I found in my favourite mag, Living, etc. and I think it's just super-duper. What could be easier? Use a balloon or bike pump to fill the bag with air and fasten securely so no air leaks out. 

I also like to recycle coffee cans (the kind with replaceable plastic lids) as Christmas gift containers. Anything from goodie treats to little toys fit neatly inside. And I use any old paper I have on hand to cover these cans.

Now, it's your turn. Send me ideas that you might have and I will post them.

Oh, and check in later on to see how I recycle old wooden picture frames into fab-u-lous Christmas gifts.

Ciao!