Creative upcycle and downcycle ideas
What a fun idea for homemade (and completely recycled!) party decorations: recycled sweater and T-shirt pennant garland. Fun in the Making provides the detailed instructions and pretty pictures you need to make a good party a GREAT party.
Looking for … Read More ...
Fidgety Fingers is a collection of finger-made items made from salvaged stuff, such as this wonderful plushie named The Sulky Monster (later named Bolino). He’s made from old tops and socks and is even stuffed with shreds of old clothing. … Read More ...
Cat Bishop a.k.a. Artsy personifies (or puppifies, in this case) everyday objects with funky assemblage works, including Scottie (shown) made from a vintage xylophone toy, a 50s alarm clock and French tart tins. Check out her Etsy shop for more … Read More ...
Coming in 2009, from the creative folks behind Somerset Studio magazine, is GreenCraft magazine. According to the editor, the magazine will “feature articles and delicious photography of all kinds of art made from recycled materials.” Click on the GreenCraft image … Read More ...
Here’s another clever tutorial from the contributors at Cut Out + Keep: earware made from Barbie shoes. Step 1 states, “Steal a pair of shoes from a Barbie when she’s not looking.” Read the entire tutorial here, and then … Read More ...
How comfy does this kitty look in its posh upcycled bed? Head over to Cut Out + Keep for a tutorial on transforming a vintage suitcase into a nap haven for pets. Stuffing a few treats or a favorite toy … Read More ...
Erin crafts some fabulous things with huipils (pronounced wee-PEELS), which are traditional woven blouses worn by women in Guatemala. The huipil fabrics are inherently colorful and fun, which makes the upcycled works of art equally colorful. Here, Erin fashioned a … Read More ...
I love this tip from Cloth Paper Scissors reader Deb:
 “Today, in the mail, I received my bizillionth ladies catalog! … Now, I am going green with paper dolls! I cut out all of the outfits from the fashion … Read More ...
No costly framing or matting needed! Dave from the Gnarled Branch uses ruined vinyl records as blank canvases for his funky paintings. And installation couldn’t be any easier: Simply hang the works of art by inserting a pushpin through the … Read More ...
Many thanks to reader Annika for sending her recycled plastic bag ideas my way. For some time she has been repurposing plastic bags into knitting and crocheting projects and just recently has begun to fuse bags together to create new … Read More ...
Click on the Restyle category at craftstylish.com and a handful of helpful, thorough DIY recycled/repurposed/upcycled crafts articles appear, such as a tutorial on creating a pretty retro apron from a vintage tea towel. This relatively new website was created by … Read More ...
The day after IÂ wrote about Lark Books’ upcoming book on recycled plastics I received a message about another chance for recycled crafters to showcase their work (or a chance for collectors to flaunt their stuff). Read on:
The common … Read More ...
Add these adorable daisies to the list of items that can be made from plastic bags. The Strewth! shop at Etsy, which features “the essence of the outdoors, the sea and surf of Australia,” makes these colorful cuties into magnets, … Read More ...
File this under repurposed, not recycled (ew!), crafts. In New Zealand, Vicky Heir won a toilet paper wedding dress competition sponsored by Cottonsofts toilet paper. Dress entries could be composed of no more than eight double-sized rolls of the cottony, … Read More ...
Your household conversation pieces might as well be functional, too. This cute-and-creepy coat rack made of baby doll appendages was a submission in the 2008 design*sponge diy contest. Get the complete instructions here.… Read More ...
