Recycle, eh

Valentine recycling ideas

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:25:00 +0000

This year, Valentine is strictly DIY and here's my first couple of ideas. I repurposed a few matchboxes into cute containers for cinnamon hearts and used some Christmas wrapping paper to decorate the boxes. Just cut enough paper to cover the box, then glue in place. For added spice, I filled a vintage salt shaker with sugar.

The bags and cards are recycled as well. I simply photocopied some pages from a dictionary and cut them to fit over the advertising on the bags and cards, embellishing each with some vintage heart and key decorations. Even the tissue paper is recycled from Christmas.

Easy, peasy!

More to recycling old shirts

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:35:00 +0000

I see that Ikea is selling very nice buttoned cushion covers that reminded me of the ones I make from old shirts..

I also reuse the fabric to make laundry bag. Here's one I made for the little guy.

And here's another idea: repurpose them as new quilts. I don't have a provenance for the photo (it's from Country Living magazine, I think but not sure).

Here's how to make the cushion cover.

Plastic Bag Valentine Heart

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:40:00 +0000

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.

Keeping out the cold

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

The February issue of Country Living magazine (UK) has a few tips for keeping out the cold this winter. Some of the ideas are probably only applicable to the UK (e.g., putting a balloon up a fireplace chimney and a strip of aluminum foil behind a radiator to reflect heat) but a few are good ideas for anywhere you live.

For example, fitting a brush-seal to the bottom of the front and back door, putting a cover on the door letter box and over keyholes. Applying a weather strip seal around doorframes is a good idea and also putting up clear plastic covers over windows to prevent heat loss. And even little things can help, such as making a door draft stopper from an old woolly scarf. Here's how to make it.

Recycle a Magazine or Card into Candle Votive Covers

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 10:30:00 +0000

Okay, so I’ve been pretty lazy about blogging but I’m just getting back on my feet and am feeling frisky again. My OC article on keeping your new year’s resolutions by going green was published yesterday. Here’s the link.

So because my energy level is not quite up there (I’m saving it for a new project!), I checking out the web to see what others are doing by recycling creatively. And, of course, I keep folks on the web who are doing wonderful and very professional looking recycling projects (none of this macaroni on cardboard recycling crafts!).

And speaking of recycling - here’s another example (amazing) of what you can make from the pictures of magazines, calendars, or card--ta dah--clever DIY candle votive covers.

The clever designer behind this idea is Claire over at Fellow, Fellow. Here’s the lutorial.

Another use for wire coat hangers

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:55:00 +0000

Cold is over but my energy level is still pretty down so I've not done much lately. I'm working on an idea proposal for recyclables and this is taking up a lot of my time.

But, in the meantime, I spotted yet another idea for recycling a wire coat hanger – found it at Ohhh...Mhhh. You could also use a plastic coat hanger but I’m sure the aesthetic would not be the same and a wooden one would maybe be too bulky.