Looking for handmade and meaningful stocking stuffers? This new project from Craftbits.com may be your answer. Just glue flat clear glass marbles to photo index cards and cardboard, chipboard or heavy paper for a pocket-sized keepsake. The finished beads can … Read More ...
Auto Parts Nativity Scene
If you’re in search of some beautiful recycled art inspiration, look no further than the NOVICA site, which features fairly-traded arts, crafts, jewelry, furnishings and home decors from artists around the world. (The site even includes the work of a … Read More ...
Arizona Tea Jewelry
Don’t you love it when half the work is already done for you? I’ve seen a smattering of jewelry made from beautiful Arizona tea can artwork, and Etsy member Little Libelle (so far) has filled her entire shop will Arizona … Read More ...
License Plate Charms
Move over, Scrabble letter jewelry. Make way for license plate alphabet art. While license plate art might not be new, allisonstrine’s use of them in these funky charms is new to me. She takes letter snippets of vintage license plates … Read More ...
Circuit Board Creations
Whether you embrace the inner geek in you or not, you’re sure to appreciate (new Etsy member) Debby Arem‘s jewelry, magnets, office supplies and accessories made from used circuit boards. I’m especially fond of her sun catchers, which she … Read More ...
Vinyl Record Rings
Laura Beamer‘s bottle cap jewelry featured in yesterday’s post, Bottle Cap Beauties, briefly mentioned her stunning vinyl record work, but I think they deserve a post of their very own. Shown are her popular and stunning vinyl rings, … Read More ...
Bottle Cap Beauties
Laura Beamer transforms used bottle caps into top-of-the-line bracelets, necklaces, earrings, pendants and rings. She’s a collector of bottle caps, which explains the out-of-the-ordinary ones you’ll find in her jewelry.
On her collecting habit she writes, “Family, friends and acquaintances … Read More ...
Dr. Seuss Purse
Vintage Tin Figures
Janet 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 ...
Tin Can Jewelry
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 ...
Rosie’s Place
I first learned about Rosie’s Place a few years ago when I purchased a couple of vintage button bookmarks from J. Jill as gifts. Rosie’s Place, based in Boston, is a sanctuary for poor and homeless women, and the Women’s … Read More ...
Chopsticks Reincarnated
It’s unfortunate, but billions of single-use chopsticks are disposed of each year, a fact that prompted Bryan Parks to found Kwytza Kraft.
The company collects single-use chopsticks from restaurants in China, cleans them, sanitizes them at high temperature and … Read More ...
Repurposed Rolodex
Love to organize? Would you love to become organized? Christy Petterson at getcrafty.com transformed a hand-me-down Rolodex into a craft organizer. She’s especially fond of dyeing fabric and making jewelry, and she finds that she can keep track of tiny … Read More ...
Silver Dollar Ring
MAKE magazine (the older sibling of CRAFT magazine) offers a video podcast on creating a one-of-a-kind hardy hand-crafted ring from an old silver dollar.
Even I (who has zero background in jewelry making or silversmithing) feel as though I could … Read More ...
Aluminum Mini Trays
Using only a pair of scissors, Instructables member xavtek has been making these mini trays from aluminum cans for years. They’re meant to be used as ashtrays, but they function just as well as jewelry holders, soap dishes, spare change … Read More ...
