Recycled Crafts

Creative DIY Projects That Turn Trash Into Treasure

Book Review and WIN a copy of Eco Books: Inventive Projects from the Recycling Bin

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I love this book! As someone who can look at virtually any bit of this or that and find value (or at least an attribute that would make it a good crafting material) Eco Books: Inventive Projects from the Recycling Bin is packed full of innovative designs and interesting construction methods for all sorts of books. There are a bunch of great tutorials showing how to incorporate traditional stitching and binding techniques with wild and crazy-cool ideas for using them with unconventional materials. I point out the egg carton book featured on the cover! Lark Books, the fabulous publisher of this book has offered you readers of Recycled Craft Gossip the chance to WIN a copy of  Eco Books: Inventive Projects from the Recycling Bin. Just leave a comment in today’s post by Midnight ET Wednesday November 10th and you are in the running!

And if you want to see a project I made inspired by the book pop on over here for a mini notebook petal bracelet tutorial.

More about the book from Lark Books:

Eco Books: Inventive Projects from the Recycling Bin

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Terry Taylor

“Here are projects for the “pages”: 40 innovative book-making ideas using recycled and green materials! More than just earth-friendly, they’re also beautiful, clever, and witty, stitched with traditional binding techniques.  Egg cartons, wood, beer cans, and cassette tapes morph into covers, while brown bags, coffee filters, and discarded newspapers are transformed into pages. Create a boxed set of cereal box books, an exposed stitch sketchbook out of cardboard and remnants, and even a faux leather journal made from teabags.

In addition to how-to drawings, close-up detail photographs, and simple stitch diagrams, a gallery of eco-books from an international roster of artists provides inspiration.”

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Have you read?

Come On Baby, Start My Fire – DIY Firestarters

I stumbled across this brilliant little project the other day from one of my favorite upcycling bloggers, Sadie Seasongoods, and I had to share it. 

The firestarters Sadie makes are crafted from dryer lint, wax, and the cardboard bottoms of egg cartons. She even pretties them up with some dried herbs and flower petals, which honestly takes them from “I made this in my garage” to “Pinterest Queen Energy.” What I love most is how simple and budget-friendly they are. I mean, who doesn’t have dryer lint, an old candle stub, and a toilet roll lying around?

She walks you through the whole process with her usual clear instructions the end result looks more like a rustic gift item than something you’d toss into a fire pit. It’s the perfect kind of project for anyone who likes camping, cozy backyard firepits, or even just prepping for winter in a crafty way.

Other DIY Firestarter Ideas I’ve Tried (and Loved)

Feeling inspired by Sadie’s creativity, I thought I’d toss in a few of my own favorite DIY firestarter methods—because once you make one, you kinda want to try them all!

Pine Cones Dipped in Wax

This one’s a holiday fave. Gather some pine cones, melt some candle wax (crayons work too!), and dip them until they have a nice coating. You can even add a few drops of essential oils for a nice scent as they burn.

Cork Firestarters

Soak used wine corks in rubbing alcohol for about a week. Keep them in a tightly sealed jar and pull one out when needed. They light up like magic (just be safe—these burn hot and fast!).

Orange Peel Twists

Let orange peels dry and twist them into spirals. They’re flammable and naturally full of oils that help them catch easily. Plus, they smell amazing when burned!

Paper Muffin Liners + Wax + Sawdust

Pour melted wax into muffin liners filled with sawdust (or wood shavings, or even coffee grounds). Let them cool, and you’ve got sturdy little fire cakes ready to go.