Scarves from Sarah

So my twin sister, Sarah found this really simple way to create scarves from t-shirts that require NO sewing so I asked her to share the process on here with the rest of you.  The above video is how to make an infinity scarf.  The video below is a fancier version of the infinity scarf.
Materials you will need:
Scissors
1 t-shirt
A pin (optional)

 These scarves are completely recycled from old t-shirts and only take about a minute to make.  This could be a great, cheap, Christmas gift for loved ones.  Who doesn't love scarves?

Fall burlap banner

I made this fall burlap banner using leaves from the backyard. It is a nice decoration for the time inbetween haloween and Thanksgiving. It can also be used for many years to come. The banner looks great below our mantel, but could be hung several other places. For example you could hang it on a stairway railing, at the top of a window, or even on a wall to dress up the other decorations you have out.

be creative with your leaf colors. Feel free to mix

this banner looks great on the mantel,but would look awesome other places too

Fall Burlap Banner

Items needed:

• 1/2 yard burlap
• fall leaves which are still pliable
• yellow, orange, and red acrylic paint
• small paint brushes
• 2 feet of reused ribbon
• scissors
• recycled advertisement paper (to cover your work space)

1. cut the burlap into 6 rectangles with rounded edges
2. paint the leaves the desired color/s
3. press one leaf at at time onto a burlap square
4. continue until all the squares have the number of leave shapes desired
5. using scissors stretch the burlap in two places to make room for the ribbon to thread through
6. thread the ribon through all six rectangles of burlap
7. Hang up
8. Enjoy the fall colors

Recycled Christmas Cardboard Ornaments

My husband and I enjoy Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer. We like it because it is cheap, still made in America, and it won America's best beer in 1884. :) The packaging is also interesting and colorful. This project can be done with any interesting pictures on cardboard packaging. For example you child's favorite cereal character.

Recycled Christmas Cardboard Ornaments

Items Needed:

• Interestingly designed recycled cardboard packaging
• glue
• glitter
• piece of reused ribbon (or other hanging device *see recycled Christmas metal ornaments)
• scissors

1. cut out your interesting or fun shape/design out of your cardboard
2. place glue in places where it will highlight your design
3. shake glitter over top of the glue
4. shake off excess glitter
5. use excess glitter for next ornament instead of dumping out new glitter
6. let the glue and glitter dry
7. punch a hole in the top of your ornament using your sisscors
8. string your reused ribbon through the hole
9. tie a knot in the ribbon
10. hang on your tree and enjoy

Recycled Christmas metal ornaments

While making some cinnamon pretzels the other day, I noticed that this nice piece of metal came in the middle of the packaging to separate the icing and the dough. I knew that this would come in handy and saved it. I then found a similar piece of metal at the top of some orange juice concentrate. I decided to bang shapes into these pieces of metal to make ornaments. These pieces are ideal,because they do not have sharp edges and they are easy to work with.

OJ concentrate metal ornaments (for a lack of a better name)

Items needed

• metal rounds which can be found on top of juice concentrates and inside of cinamon roll tubes
• nail
• hammer
• piece of wood (A surface to bang on so that you do not ruin your counter tops)
• Marker
• piece of recycled ribbon or other piece of material to hang your ornament

Directions

1.  Decide on a design for your ornament 
2. Draw the design using small dots
3. Place metal round on top of old piece of scrap wood (or whatever you are using as a barrier)
4. place your nail on top of one of the dots you have drawn and gently hammer it a few times in order to make an impression
5. Continue this until all the dots you have drawn have been hit
6. place the nail at the top middle of your design and hammer until you create a hole. This will be how you hang your ornament
7. tie your recycled ribbon to the ornament via the hole at the top 

 Tip: get creative with what you use to hang your ornaments. I used a piece of wire from an old planner and a piece of stretch cord off  of a bamboo spoon set we got for our wedding. Many things can be made into something from the packaging off store bought items. Begin to try and look at packaging differently :) HAVE FUN!

Recycled Christmas

This year is my husband and my first Christmas together as a married couple. We spent last Christmas in New Zealand while living out of our van. We are looking forward to spending the holidays in our nice home with all the trimmings. In order to make Christmas possible and our efforts towards a sustainable lifestyle, we are having a Recycled Christmas this year. Our recycled Christmas began yesterday when we created our recycled Christmas tree made of cardboard. Our neighbor had a large box that came from his girlfriend's tanning bed. I asked him if I could have it to make our Christmas tree. He gave me a sideways glance,but gladly gave up the monstrosity that was taking up space in his garage.
Recycled carboard Christmas tree:
items needed:

• Large pieces of cardboard (a large box works well)
• sharp box cutter
• duck tape

Instructions:

1. Draw your tree shape with a pencil on a large piece of cardboard (include a stump)
2. cut the tree out with your box cutter
3. trace your cut tree onto another piece of cardboard
4. cut the second tree shape out with you box cutter
5.  trace a third tree shape 
6. cut the third tree shape with your box cutter
7. With your first tree cut out cut a 1/4 in gap starting from the top half way down the tree (it is helpful to use a piece of string to mark the center line of the tree)
8. With your second tree cut out cut a 1/4 in gap starting from the bottom and cut half way up the tree 
9. cut a 1in by 1in square at the bottom and in the middle of the two tree stumps
10. put the  first two trees together by sliding them into each other's gaps
11. cut your third tree almost in half except for the bottom few inches. This tree will fit into the square knotch you made in the other trees
12. Use duct tape to make the base solid as well as to join the two sides of the third tree to give it support.

This project is a bit complicated to explain. A four sided tree is easier to make than a six sided tree. If you are going to make a 4 sided tree follow the directions up to number 8 and join the trees via the two gaps you have created. It may just take some thinking and working with the materials you have to create a six sided tree.  Here are pictures of the tree we created.

cut two identical tree shapes out of a large box

cut a 1/4 in gap half way up first tree shape

cut a 1/4 in gap half way down second tree cutout

slide the two trees together to ensure that they fit.(if not cut a larger gap)

cut a third tree shape out and then cut a 1/2 in gap down the center leave about one to two inches at the bottom

Spray paint both sides of your three trees (you dont have to do this in the dark :)

Assemble your tree: cut a one inch knotch in the bottom of your first two trees then slide your first two trees together. affix the third tree by sliding the bottom into the first two tree's knotches. Then use duct tape to suport the third tree towards the top and to make sure your tree has enough support. Decorate and enjoy!

 

 

 

New Purpose

Hello! My name is Stacey Anne. I have created this blog in order to provide ideas and spark creativity. The purpose of this blog is to display and discuss the recycling of materials into meaningful items. I love doing crafts, but I especially love creating crafts from recycled materials. It means more when you can make something out of "nothing". I recently started this journey and it has been so much fun already. I have started to see things differently. Paper, boxes, and packaging in general are not the same. I get excited, giddy even over "trash". I have started begging my friends to give me specific pieces of trash, so that they may be my next treasure. I enjoy giving items a new purpose for two reasons. Firstly, I want to make the world in which we live a better place, and that means living a more sustainable life. I am also doing this,because I live on a tight budget. Recycling and re-purposing make sense environmentally and economically. It is a win win and lots of fun. I hope that you enjoy this blog and that it helps you in your crafting endeavors. Enjoy! Please feel free to post some of your own ideas