Reader Question: New Ideas for Old Books
Got some old books that need a little love? Check out 10 creative ways to upcycle old books into something new!
Tutorial + How-to
Project Show and Tell: A DIY Child’s Witch Hat Made from Recycled Newspaper and Cardboard
See how proud that kiddo looks? She and I made that witch’s hat, the exactly perfect Halloween costume accessory, out of recycled newspaper and cardboard (and a lot of tape!). Considering that everything except for the tape and paint came from our recycling bin, and that this is EXACTLY the tall, polka-dotted hat that she had wanted, I’m declaring it a Halloween win.
10 Upcycled T-Shirt Crafts
Now that the weather’s cooling off, you’re probably sorting through your dresser and closet, pulling out your cold-weather clothes, and stashing your lighter stuff away until spring. As you sort through, you’re bound to find a couple of old t-shirts that are past their prime. Maybe the pits are stained beyond saving or you’re just tired of wearing that particular tee. Those well-loved t-shirts are perfect for all kinds of fun t-shirt crafts!
10 Upcycled T-Shirt Crafts Read More 👉
Pumpkin Luminary Jar!
There are plenty of luminary jar tutorials out there, but many of them use new materials rather than recycling what you already have on hand. You can make your own pumpkin luminary jars for Halloween using recycled jars and book pages! They are so simple, yet insanely adorable!
Pumpkin Luminary Jar! Read More 👉
Recycled Trick-or-Treat Bucket
Instead of buying a generic plastic bucket for your child’s Halloween candy, why not create your own? Not only is making your own a fun experience, but it’s way more eco-friendly!
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How-to: Add a bow collar to a plain t-shirt
Fancy up a thrift store t-shirt with an oversized bow!
One of the things I love about thrifting is not just finding that cool vintage dress but when I run across something that’s screaming to be something else. It only took about an hour and change to add this bow detail to my thrifted tee, and I love how it turned out! Here’s how you can make your own.
How-to: Add a bow collar to a plain t-shirt Read More 👉
How to Make a Car Air Freshener from Felt and Essential Oils
Like the look (and smell!) of those cute hanging car air fresheners? You can make your own all-natural car air freshener, one that has no toxic ingredients, that can be any shape and color that you want, and that emits your absolute favorite scent for your driving pleasure.
How to Make a Car Air Freshener from Felt and Essential Oils Read More 👉
Project Show and Tell: How I Repaired My Broken Mannequin with Paper, Burlap, and Hot Glue
Check out how I repaired my old mannequin to give it a brand new life with just a few simple supplies!
Pumpkin Napkin Ring Holder
A few days ago I came across these precious pumpkin rings from Wild Olive. The concept inspired me– the ring she created reminded me of a napkin ring holder! If you’re hosting a Halloween dinner party, or even Thanksgiving dinner, give your event a special touch with your own pumpkin napkin ring holders!
Pumpkin Napkin Ring Holder Read More 👉
How-to: Make a Reusable (Not Disposable!) Kid’s Name Tag for School Field Trips
Kid going on a field trip? Generally gotta have a name tag.
Instead of buying disposable name tags, my kiddos and I make reusable name tags. These name tags can be made almost entirely by a kid with just a little adult help, and can be used until any of the information changes–if a kid made one of these in kindergarten, and used it until she headed off for middle school, that’s probably worth an entire package of disposable name tag stickers right there, and if the whole class did it, that’s a good effort towards helping a school go green.
How-to: Make a Reusable (Not Disposable!) Kid’s Name Tag for School Field Trips Read More 👉
How-to: No-Sew Upcycled T-Shirt Grocery Bag (with Beads and Bells and Fringe!)
Want a re-usable cloth bag that’s branded with what YOU like, sized and shaped like a conventional plastic bag but stretchy, so that you can fill it even fuller?
Okay, and do you want to make it WITHOUT sewing?
You won’t have to sew a stitch to make these grocery bags out of your favorite old T-shirts.
How-to: No-Sew Upcycled T-Shirt Grocery Bag (with Beads and Bells and Fringe!) Read More 👉
Create a Play City from Upcycled Boxes
We’re super-excited to share this reclaimed cardboard box project from Monica T. Blas! Her play city is so cute and looks like a lot of fun. Monica has a new ebook of upcycled crafts that’s coming out soon, and you can check out deets on that below!
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Recycled Paper Pumpkins!
Can you believe that next Monday is October 1st? In preparation, I was browsing Pinterest for unique pumpkin ideas. I came across this awesome tutorial from Two Paper Divas and knew I had to try it! Instead of using scrapbook paper, though, I decided to make this project even more eco-friendly by using book pages!
Recycled Paper Pumpkins! Read More 👉
Music Wall Art, Part 2
Remember my first Music Wall Art idea? Well, here’s part 2! My roommates and I had a large blank space over our couch that was driving me insane! I didn’t want to buy any artwork from a big box store, so I decided to create my own. I’ve seen several projects on Pinterest that have lyrical artwork and they inspired me to make my own “It is Well” wall art. You can adapt this with your own favorite quote or lyric too! Here’s how to do it!
Music Wall Art, Part 2 Read More 👉
How-to: Make a Soda Tab Bracelet
We have lots of projects for crafting with soda cans, but what about those humble little tabs? If you’ve been saving your tabs for the right project, this upcycled soda tab bracelet might just be the one!
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Bags and Boxes that You Can Build out of Recycled Materials
Need a gift bag, or a box of exactly a certain size?
Check out my personal collection of my favorite templates and patterns for DIY bags and boxes of all shapes and sizes, along with my suggestions for what recycled or scrap materials would be best to make each from.
Bags and Boxes that You Can Build out of Recycled Materials Read More 👉
How-to: Upcycled Bottle Cap Magnets Made with Epoxy
Q. Do you need another reason to drink beer?
A. Bottle cap magnets recycle beer bottle caps.
You’re welcome.
While you can make bottle cap magnets with a strong, clear crafter’s glue, I prefer the clear, hard gloss that you get from epoxy. Epoxy is simpler to use than you think, though, and the easy-mix, low-scent epoxy that I use is simple enough that my eight-year-old can use it.
How-to: Upcycled Bottle Cap Magnets Made with Epoxy Read More 👉
10 Upcycled Map Craft Projects
Don’t you just love crafting with old maps? They add a beautiful sense of place and nostalgia to paper craft projects! Got some old maps handy but not sure what to do with them? We’ve got you covered with a few fun map craft projects!
Embroidery Hoop Pumpkins!
Fall decorations have hit stores! While it’s tempting to buy those cute plastic pumpkins and other decorations from big box stores, they are far from eco-friendly. Instead, use what you have in your craft stash! I had embroidery hoops and orange fabric, so I decided to transform them into my own precious pumpkins!
Embroidery Hoop Pumpkins! Read More 👉
Business Card Holder from an Altoids Tin
Do you remember our Ten Ways to Repurpose an Altoids Tin post? Well, here’s one more way to repupose an Altoids tin– a business card holder!
Business Card Holder from an Altoids Tin Read More 👉
DIY: Make a Reclaimed Paper Heart Garland from an Old Map
Don’t you just love old maps? Whether they’re from a town where you used to live or a special road trip, maps remind us of where we’ve been. Next time you discover an old map, you can make a paper garland instead of tossing it in the recycle bin. What I love best about this project is that it’s super simple, and it’s scalable. I used 7 hearts to decorate a wall shelf, but you could cut out dozens and make one to hang all the way across a wall!
DIY: Make a Reclaimed Paper Heart Garland from an Old Map Read More 👉
How-to: DIY Liquid Watercolors from Upcycled Dried-Out Markers
Liquid watercolors are a versatile art supply that kids, especially, love to create with. If you’ve got a stash of dried-out markers lying around, you can make your own liquid watercolors for free, in the process breaking down those plastic markers for recycling and upcycling one of their most wasteful components.
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DIY Alcohol Ink Made from Upcycled Markers
Alcohol ink is the perfect pigment for painting on non-porous surfaces like plastic or metal, but it’s also crazy expensive. Make DIY alcohol ink instead!
Fortunately, you can make your own DIY alcohol ink using the rubbing alcohol in your medicine cabinet and that stash of dried-out markers cluttering your art supplies cabinet. The DIY alcohol ink works great, costs basically nothing, and helps recycle those resource-wasteful markers.
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10 DIY Beauty Recipes using Household Ingredients
Who says you need to buy expensive beauty products at the big box store? From deodorant and perfume to facial masks and scrubs, you can whip up these DIY beauty recipes using materials that you probably already have at home.
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5 Fabulous Fall Decor Projects!
I’m sure you all can tell that I am ready for fall! Through Pinterest, I found these 5 fabulous fall decor projects to get you inspired!
How To: Recycled “Fall” Jars
Like I said in my How To: Recycled Paper Fall Wreath tutorial, I am so excited for fall! I saw this adorable jar project from Eighteeen25 on Pinterest a long time ago and tucked it away for the future. This week I pulled it out of the archives and made my own fall version!
How To: Recycled “Fall” Jars Read More 👉
DIY Beauty: Make Your Own Perfume
You don’t need harmful chemicals to smell great. Instead of relying on the perfume counter, grab your favorite all natural essential oils and make your very own perfume from scratch! Here’s how.
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Project Show-and-Tell: Upcycled Star Wars T-shirt Quilt Top
For my partner’s 35th birthday, I made him a Star Wars T-shirt quilt in a log cabin style, pieced together with complementary fabrics from my fabric stash.
Project Show-and-Tell: Upcycled Star Wars T-shirt Quilt Top Read More 👉
5 Clever Ways to Reuse Markers and Pens
Below are five ways to reuse markers and pens instead of tossing them.
5 Clever Ways to Reuse Markers and Pens Read More 👉
How To: DIY Guitar Picks
Both of my roommates play guitar, and they go through quite a lot of guitar picks. Instead of buying new picks all of the time, I decided to make them their own “custom” guitar picks using old credit cards!
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How To: Recycled Paper Wreath for Fall
I’m so excited for fall that I’m already coming up with fall craft projects. My first mission this week was to make a fall wreath for our front door!
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How To: Upcycled Fabric Banner
This week, my friend asked me to help her decorate for a baby shower that her family is hosting. Of course, I am super excited to help create one-of-a-kind decorations that are inexpensive and eco-friendly! Instead of using new fabric, though, I went to my local thrift store and bought old pillowcases and curtains in the colors that the mom-to-be wanted (brown, teal, and pink). Here’s how you can make your own upcycled fabric banner!
How To: Upcycled Fabric Banner Read More 👉
How-to: Neckerchief-Style T-Shirt Scarf
It’s still sweltering here in Atlanta during the day, but we’ve had some nice cool mornings and evenings lately. Fall is in the air, and this light, cozy t-shirt scarf is just right for those cool-but-not-cold times of day.
How-to: Neckerchief-Style T-Shirt Scarf Read More 👉
What to do with a Wooden Pallet: 6 Crafty Projects
Whatever YOUR favorite reasons are for crafting with wooden pallets, check out the following gorgeous, useful, DIY projects.
What to do with a Wooden Pallet: 6 Crafty Projects Read More 👉
How-to: Save and Store Melted Wax for Future Craft Projects
So you made candles, or preserved autumn leaves, or cooked up furniture polish, or crafted modeling wax for the kiddos, and now you’re left with a crock pot or bain-marie half-full of melted beeswax (or its vegan wax substitutes).
Here’s the easy way that I store my leftover wax, measured into known amounts so that future projects are easier to put together, and pretty enough that the wax can be stored right out in the open, leaving more storage space for my fabric stash.
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How To: Junk Mail Bookmarks
I saw these adorable page corner bookmarks from Oh Crafts and had to make some of my own. I thought they would be perfect for children who are back in school or even college students. Grab your junk mail envelopes and make some of your own eco-friendly bookmarks!
How To: Junk Mail Bookmarks Read More 👉