Tag : upcycling

21 posts

Upcycling linens

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It has taken me quite some time to bring myself to cut into these beautifully stitched linens even though they were all either stained, ripped or tattered in some way. When I finally decided what they could become, I held my breath and took the first slice.

The process was very similar to the first time I ripped into a book or tore a photograph. Once you get the first one over with…the next come easier.

Now I have a few beautiful tissue cases all ready to go for gifts or my etsy store.

Of course, I still love patchwork…  I think I could stitch patchwork all day and never get sick of it…as long as there is no pattern I have to follow. I hate patterns. Saying that makes me wonder why I bought a pattern for a shirt the other day. Yeah, I know…what was I thinking?
I blame Pinterest. I saw this really cool make-over of a regular t-shirt into something stylish and girlie. We’ll see if I follow through on that one. Wish me luck!

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Upcycling projects

We all know how to recycle and I’m sure most do it daily. Newspapers, cardboard, glass and plastic are all readily recyclable in most cities, at least across the USA.

This is wonderful! But I’ve been really focused on upcycling lately.  Finding a new use for something that would ordinarily be tossed out.  Wine corks, bottle caps, worn out clothing, stained linens, broken plates…you get the idea.treesI showed a sneak peek of these a while ago. I made a wine cork tree last year but this time I decided to change things a bit. I used a Champagne cork cut in half for the trunk.  I think they turned out really cute.

sewing

I’ve also been using some scraps from previous projects such as the denim remaining after completing a quilt or two.  As well as the remainder of the dress shirts that I made wine bottle gift bags from.

cards

In addition I’ve been making a bunch more cards. I’ll show more of these last two projects at a later date. The cards have much less upcycling in it’s truest sense but I am still attempting to include elements that might otherwise be considered unusable such as tiny scraps of fabric and yarn. As well as photo trimmings. I have a cigar box full of photo trimmings…they have such vibrant colors that it’s a shame to toss them out.

It doesn’t have to be Earth Day to be a little “green”. Do a little more every day to be kind to our planet. Last time I checked…it’s the only one we have. :)

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T-shirt scarf

You may recall that I showed this sneak peek of a project that looked pretty much like a pile of rags. Well…not quite.

upcycled shirtI was inspired by a friend who sent me a link to this upcycled t-shirt scarf after making one for her daughter. It’s a quick and simple no-sew project.

20130916_3418 The boy had just outgrown yet another shirt, so it was perfect timing.

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The shirt I used had seams on both sides. The tutorial didn’t allow for this. I decided to take extra bits of shirt and tie a knot to cover each seam that was exposed.

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Next time I’ll use an adult size shirt to make the loops longer that way it won’t be as tight when doubled up.

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T Tuesday: Random edition

If you’ve read my blog much, you know that I’m all over the place when it comes to arts and crafts.  So for today’s T stands for Tuesday post, hosted by Elizabeth, you’re going to go on a whirlwind ride with me. What is scary is that I’ll be showing you how my brain works. You may not want to know.

Before we get started I have to say THANK YOU for all the birthday wishes for my mom. We had a nice day out together.

early morning coffeeThis morning started at 5:30am as usual. By 5:45, coffee is made and the first of 3 lunches are packed. I have 5 mins left before I wake Big J to start his morning routine. Now fast forward about 2.5 hours and I have the house to myself.  Well, Gracie is still here but she’s having a sleepover with her friends.

So what do I do with my time beyond the list that never seems to end?

cork crazy

For one, I play with corks. These are going to be a new item on my table at the an up coming craft sale.

senior pictures

I’ve been editing senior pictures for the neighbor.

bunker front

battle damage

I finished the miniature terrain pieces I’ve been working on, complete with with simulated battle damage. Did I not tell you that you might be frightened of how my mind works?

upcycled shirt

And what’s this? A pile of rags? Nope…you’ll find out about that one in a later post.

And now I must move on with my crazy day…filled with paperwork, friends, knitting, groceries, ortho appt. and lets not forget the ever growing list.

I also wanted to mention especially to my fellow T stands for Tuesday friends that I am no longer able to answer each of your comments as I had in the past. I just don’t have the time but I wanted you to know that I read and enjoy every single word.

I may be late visiting your blog but I’ll get there ladies!

What are you doing today?

 

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Scrabble Coasters

coasters

 

Another day, another party. It’s been a long week of getting together with friends.

Last night we went out to see our friends new house. Not wanting to come empty handed, I made them some custom coasters.

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Upcycled t-shirt scarf
While cleaning out my closet this week, I discovered this chartreuse t-shirt. It was destined to be donated  since I just couldn’t get used to the color on me.
I had seen a tutorial on Pinterest for a fringed t-shirt scarf so I figure…why not try it.

So back to my project. I cut the shirt below the arms then cut fringe about half way up the shirt.
I then tugged on each fringe until it stretched nicely giving it nice texture and movement.
And the completed scarf…
I think I can handle a splash of chartreuse much better than a whole shirt of it.
Sorry that each of my photos are a different hue. The actual color is somewhere in between this photo and the previous one.  Bad photo day for me and Photoshop can only do so much.

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Bottle cap wind chime

I’ve been working on this project for longer than I care to admit. I found that I couldn’t work on it in the morning because I was too shaky from numerous cups of coffee to bead and bend jumprings. By afternoon, I just wasn’t interested in working on it.

As you can see I put my own spin on it. I used an old CD for the top of the wind chime. I also included beads with the bottle caps for interest. I’m so happy to have actually used a bunch of the caps I’ve collected over the years as well as all the ones friends save for me.

Now I just need to find the perfect spot for it. Mr. G and I were talking this morning about making a tiki bar on the deck or the patio. I think it would fit in quite nicely!

Here’s the original “pin” that
inspired my above creation:

Source: flickr.com via Halle on Pinterest

 

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