Crafty Projects using Re-used, Re-Cycled and Re-purposed Materials
Everywhere I go these days I am looking at things in a new perspective. I'm trying to see things not as they are, but as they could be. I'm transforming vintage buttons into pendants. I'm creating magnets from game pieces and vintage findings. I'm saving junk and scrap paper. I'm looking for odd hardware and breaking thrift store china. Why? The process of transforming unused elements into usable items is extremely creative, satisfying and good for the environment. This lens will focus on tips, techniques and tutorials for creative projects using a variety of repurposed materials. Check back often for new projects and inspiration.
Table of Contents
- PROJECT: Notebooks, Notepads and Journals
- Examples of Recycled Notepads
- Links for Recycled Notebook Project
- PROJECT: Recycle Last Year's Calendars
- Links for Recycled Calendar Project
- PROJECT: A Pendant from Bottle Caps and Buttons
- More examples of bottle cap art...
- Links for bottle cap projects....
- Read my Blog for more Crafting Ideas
- Crafty Recycling Links
- Crafty Recycling Squidoo Lenses
- My ArtFire Studio
- My Links
- Tell Me What You Think About This Lens!
PROJECT: Notebooks, Notepads and Journals
Supplies are abundant - just look around you!
Handmade notebooks are unique and fun to make. It's a great recycling project for almost anyone because there are so many options available. All you need is a suitable recycled front and back cover, paper for the inside pages, and something to hold everything together.COVERS: The size of your finished project will determine what you use as the covers. Small notepads can be made from playing cards, board game cards, old photos, postcards, etc. Larger notepads can use covers cut from boxes with great graphics. You can even use thin wood or metal.
PAGES: Your choice! Use recycled paper, handmade paper, parchment paper, cardstock - whatever you have on hand.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER: Punch holes in your covers and pages using a hand held punch, hammer punch, or one of the reasonably priced binding system punches for the home crafter: Rollabind or Zutter. If you're not using a binding system, you can start with a simple tied binding using ribbon or twine, or just hold everything together with book rings or o-rings.
Examples of Recycled Notepads
curated content from Flickr
Links for Recycled Notebook Project
- Rollabind Binding System
- Punch your pages and bind with plastic disks.
- Zutter Bind It All
- Wire binding system.
- Sewn Binding Technique
- Make or repair books with this easy technique.
PROJECT: Recycle Last Year's Calendars
Re-purposing your calendars for Cards and Envelopes
Each year twelve beautiful calendar prints are discarded by millions of people. These gorgeous, glossy photo prints shouldn't be wasted! I say continue to admire those pictures by turning them into one of a kind envelopes and matching cards. The recipient of one of these cards will never know how easy and fun it was to make.If your calendar pages are very thin you might want to line them with a sheet of white recycled paper. This is especially important if you plan on sending them through the mail. Find an envelope you like and open it up to make your own template. Transfer the template to chipboard or plastic and trace around it on your paper. Carefully cut and then score the paper for the folds. Glue the envelope together using double sided tape. Use a lick and stick glue for the flap on matte paper and double sided tape on glossy paper. Don't worry if you can't write an address over the picture - just use a plain white adhesive address label. So simple, yet so elegant.
Chances are, you did not use the entire picture for your envelope. Use the leftovers to create a matching card. If you have a large enough piece left, cut it appropriately and mount it on textured cardstock, then on a card that will fit your envie. Otherwise, use a punch for smaller cuts and assemble them in a mosaic arrangement. Use your imagination!
Links for Recycled Calendar Project
- Templates from Mirkwood Designs
- Lots of card, envelope and box templates with tips for doing it right!
- Friendship by Mail.com
- Recipes for making your own lick and stick envelope glue.
- Lick and Stick glue on Amazon
- The original Lick and Stick.
PROJECT: A Pendant from Bottle Caps and Buttons
This project uses recycled buttons and bottle caps to create a beatiful pendant.
Drill a small hole in the bottle cap rim to hold a metal o-ring. Fill the cap about 1/2 full with Diamond Glaze mixed with glitter. The glitter will hide any tiny bubbles formed as the glaze hardens. Set your button(s) into the Diamond Glaze and let dry for at least 6 hours. You may need to add more glaze to "sink holes" that sometimes form as the liquid glaze flows into small crevices under the button. When everything has set, add your 0-ring and chain.Alternately, you can omit the hole and 0-ring and attach a magnet to the back.
More examples of bottle cap art...
curated content from Flickr
Links for bottle cap projects....
- Diamond Glaze on Amazon
- You can purchase Diamond Glaze here.
- Diamond Glaze Info
- What is it and how is it used?
Read my Blog for more Crafting Ideas
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byCrafty Recycling Links
- Go Make Something
- Projects, blogs, printables and more with a nice section on recycled crafts.
- Indestructables
- Thousands of recycling projects.
- Vintage Rising
- Handcrafted items created from reclaimed vintage.
Crafty Recycling Squidoo Lenses
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Recycle and Reuse Christmas Greeting Cards
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Everyone loves to receive postcards, and greeting cards for special occasions. They're simple, thoughtful, and beautiful - especially Christmas and holiday cards. They're so memorable and nice, that many people hold on to their greeting cards for yea...
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Recycle and Reuse: Household Crafts
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Recycling by definition is the processing of used or waste material so that it can be used again, instead of being wasted.* The word recycling is used more casually to describe the process of keeping things from ending up in the trash. Whether this m...
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Cool Recycling and Salvage Crafts
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Today's focus on the environment means that more people are getting into recycling. But with a bit of imagination you can make beautiful and unique products out of your waste. 'Upcycle' bits and pieces of garbage into decorative items for your home,...
My ArtFire Studio
PAPER CREATIONS - GREETING CARDS - RECYCLED and ALTERED ART - CRAFT SUPPLIES
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byMy Links
See more of my crafty creations....
- Desert Sunsations Website
- Cards Crafts and Curios from the Sunny Southwest
- Cards Collage and Altered Art Blog
- My personal blog where I will be sharing with you my passion for vintage greeting cards, ACEO's, collage, and altered art. Stop by for tips, techniques and inspiration.
- The Card Chronicles Blog
- This site addresses many of the issues card designers face in creating, marketing and selling their creations. Posted articles are written by a team of accomplished card artisans.
- All Vintage All The Time Blog
- Vintage Intent's Artfire Studio blog. See what's new on and off my Artfire site! Sneak previews, sales, lots of information and articles about my vintage discoveries and treasures, and a showcase for some of my favorite vintage inspired offerings on Artfire.
- Cards 'n More Studio Shop
- My Artfire studio selling handcrafted cards and recycled paper creations, and craft supplies. Shop here for envelopes, blank cards, cello sleeves, or scrapbooking and altered art supplies. There's lots of unique items and my inventory will constantly change depending upon what fun items I find.
- Vintage Intent Studio Shop
- Here you'll find vintage inspired handcrafted projects, recycled altered art, embellishments, alterables, recycled supplies, and vintage treasures that I've collected over the years. Anything vintage related just might show up.
- Vintage Rising
- Where Vintage Gets ReBorn....
- My FlickR
- See it all...
by Patzee
Paper artist... altered art crafter... thrift store and vintage junkie... health conscious baby boomer... Buffalo native now living in the Vegas deser... (more)
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