03/31/2012 - Cardboard Gift Tube

Three months of recycled crafting down! Only nine more to go! 

The nice thing about being a garbage picker/collector is that people save me their nice garbage they think I can use. Grandma Betty June gave me this neat little tube with a lid and bottom, but she didn't remember what she got in it. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it until I went to a fancy little chocolate shop that also sells beautiful paper crafts with a French theme to them and they had these on sale for $10. 

Reclaimed Material: cardboard tube, scrap paper
Other/New Material: none
Tools: scissors, glue, brown shoe polish, gold paint pen, thin wire

How I did it: The base of the tube was glued on so I used a little wire to pull the edges away a little so I could tuck the paper under it. I used a bit of paper leftover from my SCRAP name badge project and cut it to cover the tube and glue it on. I painted parts of the instruments with the gold. I rubbed the shoe polish lightly over the paper to give it a vintage look. I used my finger as a paintbrush and lightly rubbed gold paint over the whole piece.

What I would do differently: It seems like the tube is missing something...like a pop of mauve or something. I also should have used tea to stain the paper. I do want to learn to do more vintage, Victorian-era, turn of the (19th) century crafts.

03/08/2012 - Plastic Ornament

UPDATED: In case you already looked at this, I have updated it with pictures now....yeah me! I am not really sure what this should be called...so I am calling it an ornament. I have seen something similar with paper, so why not plastic?

Reclaimed Material: #2 plastic yellow and white containers, toy wire
Other/New Material: none
Tools: scissors, paper, hole punch

How I did it: I cut a stencil from the paper in the shape of an elongated eyeball - I believe that is the technical term, about 3" long. I cut out about 7 of these pieces in each color because I wasn't sure how many I would need. I punched holes on each end of the pieces. I bend the toy wire on one end and made a couple coils then pulled it through the holes on one end of the pieces, alternating the white and yellow. I pulled the piece from the bottom of the stack and pulled the wire through the hole on the other end, and continued this. I had to pinch the pieces so they would stay in place.

What I would do differently: Since I finally found the ornament this needed to be updated. Because of the thickness of the plastic I used the pieces stair stepped so when the last piece and the first piece met, there was a gap. I think a thinner plastic should be used or the pieces need to be cut bigger.

02/05/2012 - V-Day Garland

Since I have a little one now, I am trying to do a better job of decorating for the season/holiday, but I am also a cheapskate so I don't want to spend money doing so. My little Zoe got a sweet Valentine's package from some wonderful friends in Chicago and a 3 year old + gift bag = torn/crumpled gift bag that can't be reused. Most gift bags are paper covered in a plastic film, so they can't be recycled once they cannot be reused. 

Reclaimed Material: discarded gift bag, plastic grocery bag
Other/New Material: none 
Tools: scissors, hole punch

How I did it: The gift bag was covered in hearts so I just cut them out and was happy not to have to make a template. After I cut out the hearts I punched a hole on either side of each heart. I then cut off the handles of the plastic bag so the top was even, then began to cut the bag into a 1" strip around. I cut the bag kind of like an apple peel so I could have one long piece for the garland. I then strung the plastic "string" through the holes on each side of the hearts so that the long part of the "string" was behind the hearts. I tied loops on both ends of the garland and trimmed off the excess plastic "string" then hung it up. When Zoe got up in the morning she said "Mom, we have Valentine's decorations!"

What I would do differently: I saved the scraps from the bag that I cut the hearts out of, so I will end up using them for some other craft to celebrate this month-o-love.