Recycled Crafts

Creative DIY Projects That Turn Trash Into Treasure

Book Review – Extraordinary Things to Cut Out and Collage

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Make your own vision boards, birthday cards, and more with Extraordinary Things to Cut Out and Collage!

If you want to discover the fun of collage then this fabulous book is the perfect kit. Highly respected and successful collage artist Maria Rivans has gathered hundreds of beautiful, quirky, and downright daft images, and they’re all here for you to cut out and stick.

Whether you are making a mood or inspiration board or just want some unique art for your wall, there is no need to endlessly flip through old magazines to find appealing images. And you don’t have to ruin your beloved books by chopping them up. With 1500+ objects included, the possibilities to cut out and collage are limitless. Flowers, birds, cats, and butterflies can be combined with buildings, eyes, moustaches, and men in dubious pants to create extraordinary original artworks and talking pieces!

Separated into categories like people, industrial, art & culture, domestic life, nature, world, ephemera, and alphabets, the book is filled with images ranging from fruit to architectural details to planets and beyond. While the book includes multiple background options, you can also add layers to existing photos or images you have at home. No matter what you choose, it will be completely one-of-a-kind.

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From Trash to Illusion: Thomas Deininger’s Recycled Art Challenges Perception and Promotes Sustainability

If you’ve ever looked at a pile of junk and thought, “This is just trash,” Thomas Deininger might have something to say about that. Based in Rhode Island, this incredibly clever artist has a knack for turning what most of us would toss in the bin—think broken toys, bits of plastic, even old electronics—into jaw-dropping pieces of art. What’s wild is how his sculptures often look like realistic animals or landscapes from a distance… but when you step closer, boom—you’re hit with the chaos of everyday debris woven into a detailed scene.

I first came across his work when I was scrolling through some recycled art ideas, and his “Striped Bass” piece totally stopped me in my tracks. From far away, it’s like you’re looking at a photograph. But up close, you start spotting action figures, bottle caps, and tangled wires all working together to make up the image. It’s mind-blowing.

What I really love about Thomas’s approach is how it blends creativity with a message. His work is fun and clever, sure—but it also hits on bigger things like overconsumption and the mountains of waste we create. He somehow manages to make that message stick without being preachy, just by showing how beautiful and meaningful our “trash” can actually be.

Whether you’re into environmental art or just love seeing imagination come to life, Thomas Deininger’s work is definitely worth checking out. It’s inspiring, a little chaotic, and totally unforgettable.