Recycled Crafts

Creative DIY Projects That Turn Trash Into Treasure

Upcyle your paper bags with art

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Now is the time we turn toward our goals for the new year. My interests have grown beyond crafting toward art and that include lots of paper collage. I have experimented with a lot of surfaces so when I spotted this great collage on a brown paper shopping bag I thought I could look through my stash and give it a try. Pop on over to Laura Lein-Svencner’s blog to see more about making art on brown paper bags. If all you have is a stash of paper and images but would like to try making some art on brown paper bags– these look cool. Imagine having a stash of these all art covered on hand for all your gift giving throughout the year!

Brown paper bags are recycled into embellished wallets

Crafting With Brown Paper Bags [Scrap Booking]

Recycle a brown paper bag into a decorated Father’s Day gift bag

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Have you read?

Time Flies — And Sometimes It Has Wings Made of Vintage Paper and Buttons

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.