Recycled Crafts

Creative DIY Projects That Turn Trash Into Treasure

Magazine Coasters

by

coaster.jpgBy using coasters, coffee or water rings on your favorite magazine covers are a thing of the past — or are they? These adorable recycled coasters, complete with rope trim, are made entirely from used magazine pages. The San … Read More ...

Truly Feminine Notebook

by

recycled_notebook1.jpg

No post-consumer cardboard packaging is off limits for Ivy Lane Designs, home of “crafty-licious, one-of-a-kind, insta-collectibles,” which offers a boat-load of nicely crafted notebooks and journals made from discarded boxes. Most of the notebook covers are made from cereal … Read More ...

Crispina’s Ragamuffins

by

ragamuffin.jpgThanks to sender-inner Janet, I have discovered the wonderful world of Crispina, a studio that transforms old sweaters and cotton pieces into stylish garments, sweaters, rugs, iPod pouches and other home accessories. I’ve been a stuffed animal lover … Read More ...

Annie’s Sweatshop

by

dog_collard.jpegFinally, a sweatshop you can feel good about buying from. Annie’s Sweatshop offers a fine sampling of handmade stylish doggy accessories, including super-soft collars made from old silk ties (shown), sustainable pet beds made from recycled plastic and harnesses repurposed … Read More ...

Vintage Tin Figures

by

tincandolls.jpgJanet Cooper is a recycled artist who incorporates interesting used goods that aren’t found in any ordinary garbage bin. Her funky mixed-media quilts, dolls, assemblage ladies and — my favorite — tin can figurines use vintage labels and packaging, antique … Read More ...

Sweet Stuff at SweetyPrize

by

puzzle_hairclips.jpg

Catherine of SweetyPrize is one versatile gal. If she’s not crocheting, she’s decoupaging. If she’s not decoupaging, she’s paper-crafting. And if she’s not paper-crafting, she’s beading.

A good portion of her items she sells on Etsy are made from recycled … Read More ...

Rekindle Me

by

fall_chair.JPGSharon from Rekindle Me puts her folk-arty flair on flea market finds, including used furniture and home accent pieces, and sells the one-of-a-kind works at craft shows, at a local store and on her website, www.rekindleme.com. Her Autumn’s Falling … Read More ...

Tin Can Jewelry

by

coke_necklace.jpg

Jennifer from Made From the Heart at Etsy does a smashing (yuk, yuk) job of transforming used tin cans into stylish jewelry. I’m particularly fond of her sun-shaped Coke pendant ($7), shown.

Jenn shared with me how she started making … Read More ...

Sports Jersey Tote

by

jerseylg1.jpgSorry if I seem to be on a totebag kick — there are just so many good ideas out there. This fine tote tutorial comes from the imagination of Tiffany of RePlayGround. Perhaps the best built-in feature of this … Read More ...

Modern Green Lantern Ring

by

gear_ring1.jpgMarianne Kirby of Once Upon/Reclaimed Whimsy (at Etsy) fashions some unique accessories, including a handful of gorgeous gear rings, which are typically accented with stones or beads. This ring, Gear Ring 5 ($18), is made from a salvaged gear part, … Read More ...

Boise Recycled Art Show

by

If you’re in the Boise area, be sure to catch the first-ever Second Chance Recyclable Art Show, an exhibition and auction of art created from recycled materials, scheduled to take place in downtown Boise’s Linen District September 22-29.

A grand … Read More ...

Corduroy Laptop Sleeve

by

laptopsleeve.jpgLaptop sleeves abound, but do you really want to pay the high prices for such a small piece of material? I found this detailed laptop-sleeve tutorial linked from Craft magazine’s e-newsletter. Lined with sweatshirt material, creator Sam made the sleeve … Read More ...