Creative DIY Projects That Turn Trash Into Treasure
Every time I find a fun painting tip that uses an unexpected item to make a project easy I can’t wait to share it with you Craft Gossip Recycling readers. Over at the blog Fellow Fellow there is a great tutorial on how to make spotty dot jars with the unexpected and super cool and pretty version of a standard office supply or this donut version that I love love love that will look awesome in your planners and junk journals.
Have you ever been to the cuckoo clock shop at Tamborine Mountain? It’s like stepping into another world — a charming, ticking wonderland filled with thousands (yes, literally thousands) of clocks. Some are grand and ornate, others tiny and tucked away like secrets waiting to be discovered. I remember walking through the shop with my kids, completely enchanted by the whirring gears, dancing figurines, and the joyful chorus of chimes. It was one of those places where time feels like it both stops and flies.
That same feeling came flooding back when I stumbled across this adorable craft project from Teawagon Tales called Time Flies. In true vintage style, it’s a whimsical little DIY that combines scraps of fabric, old paper, buttons, and clock faces into sweet butterfly-like creations — a beautiful mashup of memory, imagination, and just plain cuteness.
It reminded me that crafting is a little like walking through that clock shop. Each piece holds a story, a tick of nostalgia, and the joy of noticing small details. You don’t need much — just some leftover fabric, maybe an old book page or two, and a few bits from your button tin. And suddenly you’re creating something that feels like it fluttered out of a fairytale.
So if you’ve got a stash of pretty paper or vintage bits and bobs you’ve been saving for “something special,” this might be the perfect project to give them new life.
Take a look at the full tutorial and soak up some serious inspiration:
Time Flies – Teawagon Tales
And if you ever find yourself near Tamborine Mountain, do yourself a favour — pop into that cuckoo clock shop. It’s pure magic for anyone who knows that time isn’t just measured in minutes, but in memories.