Ideas for Old Wallets and also Old Plastic Store CardsI have a two-fold idea for old wallets (you see so many at the garage sale tables) and old cards that you no longer use - (you know, the grocery store cards, etc.?)
Easy Sock Top Mug SleeveI used a child's sock and cut it off where the ribbing ended and made a mug sleeve. I did add a little embroidery but it's just fine as is, if you just want a basic sleeve for your mug. Super easy and a cute little protector for your hands.
Heart CraftThe paper was coated with oil, water, and food coloring mixed. I just dipped it in and let it dry. The heart is cardboard, hot glue, and iridescent glitter. The bean comic was done in MS Paint.
Upcycled T-shirt CraftsWhether you're redesigning a t-shirt or cutting it up to make something else out of it, it's fun and saves the world a little bit! I love cutting old t-shirts into strips about 2" wide +/- and braiding into 3, 4, or 5 strand braids. These can be colorful or monochrome. I've even tried macrame to make t-shirt necklaces, scarves, a garland, headbands, etc.
Recycled Plastic Bag Rugs and Bleacher PadsI have been saving my grocery bags to make rugs or pads to sit on aluminum bleachers. They work great for insulating the bottom. I got my idea from a you tube video by Mom Eberhard. You I cut the tops and bottoms off the bags and loop them together. I did a 4 string braid. I made one for a friend and she uses to sit on aluminum bleachers and said it works great.
Salvaging Hardware from JunkMost things eventually fall apart, but not all at the same time. Here, two pairs of my boots became so worn out, they were too dangerous for wear. They were not suitable for donation, however, the silver hardware and laces were still like new. I removed them to use in crafts and sewing projects.
Saving Little Plastic Balls for CraftingHere are two ways to get 'nearly' free little plastic balls for crafting.
Upcycled Cake PlateIf you break a glass candle stick; what to do? You take an old plate and use the Gorilla Glue for glass and glue the candle stick onto the bottom of the plate. Now you will have a pretty cake plate. I got the idea for this when I wanted to make gifts for the parents in my pre-school for Christmas.
License Plate Letter HolderHere is how to take an old license plate and turn it into a mail holder. Simply place it on the floor with the silver side up. Place your foot in the middle and fold both sides to the center. Make sure it stands flat. Place your mail in it and enjoy ! :)
Pet Food Bag Sleeping Bag or Bedroll TarpSew a few bags together to make a 3 1/2' x 6' rectangle. It can be used as a moisture barrier under bedrolls or sleeping bags. A 7' x 6' rectangle can be folded in half to cover both the underneath and top of a bedroll; helps block moisture and wind.
Easiest Dishwasher MagnetThis is the easiest dishwasher magnet to make and will last for years. Take a clean plastic lid (I used an icing lid) and cut the edge off. Write "clean" on one side and "dirty" on the other with a Sharpie marker. Use stick-on magnets with a really strong adhesive. Stick one on one side and one on the other.
Recycled Bicycle Wheel Pot RackMy husband emailed me this photo of a pot rack made from a recycled bicycle wheel. A friend of his, from Portland, made it for his girlfriend.
Dryer Lint FirestarterI use dryer lint in a cardboard egg carton and drizzle old candle wax from scented candles that have lost their fragrance. Once it has cooled, I cut the sections of egg cradles to separate and put in a ziplock to keep dry.
Oven Rack Pull Out From Paint Stir SticksMake an oven rack pull out of wooden paint stir sticks using this pattern. I painted them white first, let dry and then painted family/friends names along with flowers and vines in their kitchen or favorite colors.
Snowman's Pipe From Formula ScoopI use them for my snowman's pipe. First, paint any color you want. Smear glue inside the scoop, then stuff Spanish moss inside. Let dry. There, you have a pipe!
Homemade Gift BagThis gift bag is made from a crispbread box, painted using a 99p test pot. For the handles I used twine/string. I filled it with homemade items; home grown and dried mint, and a lavender sachet.
Dog Food Bag RugFree material to craft with is almost anywhere you look,if you look intently enough! We have a big dog and we get these empty bags all of the time.
Flannel Shirt Case for iPad MiniMy lovely husband surprised me with the extravagant gift of an iPad mini for Christmas. Here is the case I threw together before going on vacation. It's made out of a child's plaid flannel shirt.
Bubble Wrap SquidI run this as an activity at playgroup: bubble wrap tentacles of a giant squid. Great for kids age 2 - 8 yrs. Just add bubble wrap, acrylic paint, paper and kids.
Milk Jug Easter BasketI rinse and cut our plastic milk jugs in half. I cut them above the label. Then I cut a piece off and tie it to the little basket. They are really cute.
Crochet Strips of TowelsWe took several well worn towels out of our RV that had become favorites and "old stand-bys". They are getting a new life; crocheted into a rug, mat, seat cushion, or other useful item.
Dryer Sheets Contain Toxic ChemicalsWhile it is great to be thrifty, there are certain things that should never be re-used. It amazes me how many tips are submitted for using or re-using dryer sheets.
Reuse Placemats as an iPad CaseI have outgrown my old $1 store plastic placemats. By folding them and stitching them, you can turn one into a case for your iPad. I also stitched pieces of velcro at the top for the closure.
Plastic Bottle Cap GarlandsRecycle plastic bottle caps by drilling a hole in the middle of the top, string on fishing line and use for outdoor garlands at Xmas or use the colors for different holidays, for example orange and black for Halloween.
Ornament From Plastic Bottle CapsI am saving my bottle caps for a Christmas project I found in a craft magazine. Glue bottle caps together in a circular shape with one in the center. Glue in glitter pom poms in Christmas colors inside the caps, add a string for hanging for a Christmas ornament.
Fabric Scrap and Recycled Clothing...Old shirts or leftover fabric make great coasters. Braid strips of 1 1/2 inch strips of fabric and tie several together if you want larger coasters. Take the braided strips and lay them next to each other creating circles.
Recycling Round TableclothsI imagine almost everyone has a couple of round tablecloths stashed in a drawer someplace. If you don't have any, they can be found at thrift stores in abundance, and sometimes after a holiday, they can be bought for very little money.
Earring or Brooch MagnetsFor the prettiest magnets use vintage earrings or brooches. I cut off the pin back on the brooches and the clip-on part of the earrings. Attach a small magnet with E-6000. I first noticed this idea at a craft show. They were selling for $5.00 and up to $10.00 each.
Redneck Wine Glasses (Seneca, SC)These are redneck wine glasses made with mason jars and candle sticks. They can also be used as candle holder with tealight candles
Use Wine Bottles In Stained GlassI work with stained glass a lot and often use the bottoms of wine bottles in my windows. The bottles with the pushed in bottoms look really cool with the sun shining through.
Use Outgrown Long Skirts for PillowcasesAs we outgrew our favorite skirts or long dress, my mom used to cut a pillow case out of it. That way, we kept our favorite skirts longer, and it saved on pillow cases. If you have long skirts, use them for king or queen size pillow cases.
Recycle Fabric into StripsEver run across an "ugly" piece of fabric? Cannot imagine any use for it? Cut into 1/2 to 1 inch strips and either crochet or knit it into a rug! Great for those entry points to you house to keep the "crud" out or for pets to use as a bed!
Uses for Old Christmas or Greeting CardsDon't throw away all the pretty Christmas cards you get away. There are so many things you can do with them. Everyone knows you can make postcards and name tags for gifts with them, but you can also cut out the design you might want to use when you scrapbook.
Styrofoam StarsMake Styrofoam plates into cute hanging stars after rinsing and letting dry (or brushing off crumbs). I used a stencil of a star for my patterns and cut these out using craft scissors. They are strung on regular sewing thread with a few beads at the top.
Recycled Pin CushionSave a cap/top from your liquid laundry detergent container. Rinse and wipe dry. To weight the cap/top, fill half of the center with aquarium stones or, if you live near the beach, use some small pebbles from the shore.
Craft Organizer From Cat Food BagsA while back a fellow TF reader mentioned making a organizer from a catfood bag. That got me going and here is the one I made.
Jean Draft StoppersI made two draft stoppers from a clean pair of my husband's old worn out jeans by cutting off both legs. I stuffed them full of white rice. I also made two sleeves so they could be thrown into the washer, when they got dirty.
Crown Royal Warming BagMy son gave me quite a few Crown Royal whiskey felt bags, hoping that I would make a quilt for him. My crafting/quilting skills leave something to be desired, and I found a handy alternative use for the bags.
Cow Hair OrganizerSometimes you don't have to start from scratch just to repurpose an item. I rescued this paper towel holder from certain demise. A little scrubbing and varathane and I was set to add hair items and wrap up for Christmas.
Recycled Jeans HotmittsMy son is a career soldier and lives with only the basic necessities of life because the army moves him from one duty station to another. I used his microwave and noticed he didn't have any hot mitts. So I made him a man's set of hot mitts from an old pair of blue jeans.
Scissor PouchI like to carry a small pair of scissors in my purse and didn't want to poke a hole in bottom of my canvas purse. So I came up a solution and made a small pouch from a pocket out of an old pair of blue jeans.
Computer Mouse PaperweightSomeone asked in the TF Newsletter how to re-use a broken computer mouse rather than send to the landfill, and I thought I should submit my answer as a craft tip, too.
Cup and Saucer Candle HolderHere's a unique way to use cups and saucers from tea sets that have broken or missing pieces. You could also purchase vintage cups and saucers and create these candle holders to give as gifts. The one pictured is from a mini tea set.
Decorated Salvage Furniture Plant StandsThese two pieces were gleaned at our city's recycling garage at the city dump. The table is plastic and was a faux wood look. The chair was a little wobbly, as were several more that I picked up.
Clothespin Bag from Tea TowelI've been living frugally most of my life and loving it. Always trying to find ways of saving money. My clothes pin bag was worn out and I found a free sewing pattern on a website.
Making A Magnifier From Old GlassesBeing so frugal, low income, and recycling everything possible, I found a very good and handy idea for my poor vision, having only one pair of proper strength glasses.
Fork Business Card or Place Card HolderTake old silver fork which you can pick up a yard sales, etc. Need four prong one, bend outside prongs at an angle and separate and bend up middle to prongs.
Craft Uses for TextbooksOld text books are good to use in making any number of hand crafts: paper beads, envelopes, cutouts for use in scrapbooking, etc.
Jean Pocket CraftWith growing boys, I have had my share of well-used blue jeans. Here are a few things I did to get one more use out of them: I cut the pocket out (still attached to the jeans) and used a hole punch to put two holes in the top...
Cards from the Kids - Old Window PaneHere is an old window pane I decorated.
Pet Dust BunniesHere's a fun, very easy craft idea - might be something you'd like to put in Easter baskets this year as a gag gift, lol. Simply take some dryer lint and shape it however you want (kinda small). Then do the same with a second piece of dryer lint.
Computer Keyboard Letter MagnetsI have a unique and fun craft idea that's very fast and easy to do. They are alphabet magnets made from computer keyboard keys. First, visit a local thrift store and pick up an old computer keyboard - they're very cheap.
Flash Cards from Playing CardsToday I decided to clean out my "junk drawer" and I came across a deck of cards. When checking them out, I realized that the Queen of Hearts was missing so decided to toss them out.
