Treasure Boxes from Wine CratesI noticed my neighbor regularly discarding wooden wine crates in the alley. On one of my evening walks with my dogs, I dragged one of the crates home, and the rest is history.
Silverware Cabinet HandlesThe knobs and handles for kitchen cabinets are so expensive unless you want to settle for plain old wooden knobs. Here is how my husband and I were able to have something a little fancier with lots less money.
Light Bulb VaseThis is a project to recycle and reuse old lightbulbs. I've converted them into vases for my money plant. They look beautiful and are super easy to make.
Silverware for Butter Dish HandleUpdate a simple glass butter dish by adding a bent piece of silverware. Glue to top using a good adhesive like E-6000.
Woven T-shirt Yarn BasketWith my leftover t-shirt yarn from another project, I made this basket to hold mail. It is nice and sturdy made from the yarn.
Recycled Spice Shakers for CampingRecycled spice shakers.
Recycled Magazine ArtI made this as a gift for a friend who has a band called Black Cat Road. I used the back of a broken guitar, magazine page (black for the cat), sheet music, black shoelaces for the trim, and I attached a mini washboard, as the lead singer plays a washboard. The pages are rolled and glued using a glue stick (not the gel ones, as they are too sticky). They are cut to size and glued using Mod Podge, then the entire piece is sealed with Mod Podge, then sealed with clear spray acrylic.
Flower from Plastic BottleYou can make a beautiful flower from a simple plastic bottle. I used an iron to make this flower, not a candle flame. The hottest iron is not hot enough to melt plastic, so you won't ruin your iron or get charred edges on the petals, but it will be enough to make the flower petals curved. I also like this method because, unlike a candle flame, you cannot stain the petals with soot.
Travel BagToday, I'm sharing my new craft made from scraps. Materials are easy to find at home just like old newspapers and card boards. The best thing is - it's wearable and useful.
Beads from Old JeansIf you have small pieces of old jeans left, you can make beads out of them. Denim beads go well with wood beads and leather cord. Using jeans of different colors, you will get multi-colored denim beads.
Upcycled Plastic Bottle Jewelry StandThis a super cute and thrifty jewelry stand you can make out of some plastic bottles and a few pieces of hardware. I used it to fill up with the jewelry I wear most often, and separated them by colour using the different tiers: silver on top, then gold, then colour pieces. I love this stand!
Tea Time - Tissue Box Tea PotThis is an original recycled tissue box teapot idea with inspiration from online paper craft teapots. It will be used for my future daughter-in-law's tea party, garden-themed bridal shower. The teapot will hold little plastic packets of citrus tea mix for the shower guests to take home.
DIY Shirt Collar Stays from Magnetic Hotel KeysThis is a simple way to recycle magnetic keys from past hotel stays into shirt stays. One key makes 6 stays.
Save Ribbon from Shopping Bag for CraftingBefore tossing out shopping bags, see if you can salvage any pieces. This Victoria's Secret bag has had it's fair share of being recycled/reused. I was able to salvage the ribbon and it will be perfect to use for crafting!
Plastic Milk Jug FlowerI love plastic milk jugs because they are a lot like thick vellum paper, except they are free after you drink all your milk. After cleaning, drying, and cutting, these milk jugs can make beautiful flowers. Placing a candle in the middle and using it as a votive holder is optional.
Cookie Tin Shadow BoxFor the holidays we always purchase Danish cookies in the tin. The tins are sturdy and great for this project idea I had.
Egg Carton Rose BroochDon't throw away your empty egg cartons. You can make beautiful roses out of them, then glue them onto an old pin. When painted, the cartons make a beautiful almost canvas-like material. This is one gorgeous upcycled brooch that I think you should try!
Candy Box Into Treasured KeepsakeOften during special occasions and holidays we get rich, chocolatey, flavorful boxes of chocolates. The boxes are often tossed! Here is how to upcycle a favorite gift that keeps on giving.
DIY Coin HolderIf you are like me and have a ton of change then you definitely need this! Coins add up fast and those little piggy banks don't hold enough. So I created my own coin bank using a Tide Pods container. It's super sturdy and holds lots and lots of coins!
Making a Pill Container for Pocket or PurseUse plastic gallon milk jug and water bottle caps to make a pill container.
Repurpose Free Sample Holiday CardsI received a Vista Print Holiday Catalog and they are advertising their holiday cards as well as other services they sell. Included was a sample holiday card. I turned the holiday card into my own and added a magnet to hang the card on the fridge!
Drinking Straw Statement NecklaceI save straws for two reasons: to save the earth and to make beautiful jewelry. I love this necklace because it's super easy to make and makes any plain outfit incredibly bold. I get so many compliments on it when I wear it out and no one knows they're upcycled scraps of plastic. Give it a try!
Repurposing an Old WalkerI have a free walker someone left in our donation station. If I ever need it, it will be easy to "disassemble" and use in about 3 minutes.
Wreath Made from a BookThis lovely little wreath lesson was offered at my local library and used discarded books for the project. Lovely I think and lots of fun to make with a friend/loved one!
Upcycled Chopstick TrivetI have a rather large collection of disposable wooden chopsticks from decades of restaurants and takeouts. After I use them, I wash them and keep them either in my utensil drawer for reuse or in a canister for future crafts. This trivet is one of my favourite chopstick crafts.
Mobile Phone Charging StationHere's how to make a phone charging station wall mount out of a shampoo bottle. It keeps your phone propped up and away from hazards, tangle-free. I have an incredibly on-call life and find this to be very useful in bathrooms while I shower or get ready.
Recycled Paper PendantThese pendants are easy to make out of old envelopes, magazines, or gift wrap. They are sturdy, solid, and very pretty. If you love to construct beaded jewelry you can make a stash of them to incorporate into your designs or simply thread one onto a chain or cord for a dainty necklace.
Tote Bag Made from a Dog Food BagCreate a pretty tote bag from a dog food bag, in just a few simple steps.
Paper Bead BraceletThis simple bracelet is made from colourful pages taken out of glossy magazines. It is easy to make and needs only a few materials. You could also add glitter, ribbons, or sticky jewels at the end to bling it up a bit if you like.
Gallon Milk Jug Piggy BankHere is a gallon milk jug recycling project to save money $.
Vinyl Record Earrings DisplayThis project is for recycling vintage vinyl records. You can turn them into earrings display holders.
No Sew T-shirt ToteIf you would like to make a tote bag with materials you already have and virtually no crafting skills, then look no further! This project is easy, fun, quick, and useful. On top of all that, when you use these stylish bags at the store instead of paper or plastic you are going green.
Bread Package Clip NecklaceMake a unique conversation piece necklace using only bread package clips and a chain!
Repurposing Desk Drawers into Display ShelfI remembered seeing somewhere that someone took old drawers and repurposed them into knicknack shelves. Now I have a attractive display shelf for some of my Hot-Wheels die cast cars.
Make Your Own Kitchen Play AppliancesEasy and fun kitchen appliances made using cardboard! Look at picture. Get a good sturdy box. Sharpies. Plastic plates for burners.
Make Home Decor Crafts from Bed SpringsPurchase old bed springs from a thrift store. Decorate to your desire and give as gifts or use as decor in your own home.
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.
Making Toothbrush T-shirt RugsI can't take credit for this. I Googled "toothbrush t-shirt rugs". I followed the tutorial and had nothing but fun with this project. A little hint, don't use t-shirts that have a large decal covering the front or back. This will not stretch into the "yarn" .
Upcycled Light Bulb TerrariumThis is a fun way to use a burnt out incandescent bulb that would otherwise be thrown out.
Pizza Pan OwlUse an old, round pizza pan for the owl body. Can lids, bottle caps, and buttons make the eyes. Wooden hearts are the beak and feet.
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.
Reinvented Character Pillow ChairI wasn't so thrilled when my husband brought home this brown pillow chair from a discount retail store just because it was cheap. I didn't really care for how it looked.
Dryer Sheet DecorationsDid you know that the used dryer sheets make great decorations? Lay one used dryer sheet between 2 pieces of paper and iron flat. Use clear contact paper or laminate to sandwich the flattened dryer sheet. Trace your design with ink or a permanent marker.
Zippered Plastic Bottle ContainerTurn two pop bottles into a zippered container.
Animal Cracker CraftsWhy should the squirrels in your yard get all the stale animal crackers when you can wear them as jewelry instead?
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.
Painting Old WindowsI got this old window at a salvage store. $5.00. I used clear Elmer's glue mixed with a small amount of acrylic paint to create faux stained glass paint. I outlined my pattern with black paint that comes with a tip. Then I added embellishments and presto, trash to treasure.
Hershey Bar Wrapper Duct Tape PurseTo make this purse, I used Hershey bar wrappers and duct tape. I did use some dectorative paper inside to make the pockets a little showy. It was fun and all the kids ask me where I got it and it is very durable.
Wool Sweater Tea CozyMake a tea cozy by using the neck opening of an old sweater. I simply eye-balled the amount of sweater I needed by laying the tea pot on the inside-out sweater and drawing a sewing line around it.
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.
Coasters and Pot Holders From JeansI cut up old jeans and make coasters and/or pot holders. I make four - 4 1/2 inch squares of the jeans, and one - 4 inch square of any cotton material, then sew around the square and sew from corner to corner so it has a big X through it.
Reuse Old Fan Blades and CoversI had a fan that stop working. I didn't want to throw it away, so I thought of a way to reuse the blades and covers. I used colored tissue paper and wall paper paste for the blades.
Painted Glass JarsIf you are like me and have an endless supply of half used paint containers, some glass jars, and are looking to make something unique to add to your home decor, try out this simple and inexpensive idea.
Reuse Salt Pour Spout With Canning JarsWhen finished with an empty cardboard salt container, cut the whole round top piece off and measure to fit a canning jar ring. Trace and cut with the flat part with scissors to fit a pint canning jar.
Uses For Single SocksHaving 5 young children it seems I am eternally ending up with "onesie" socks. I have been putting them to good use for my little ones by using them as a holder for ice pops and frozen yogurt in plastic sleeves.
Wine Bottle Hurricane LampsI receive a couple of e-catalogues and an item for sale in one of them simply floored me. They're asking $99.00 - $249.00 plus shipping, for just ONE wine bottle candle hurricane lamp! Oh my!
Fused Reusable Plastic BagsI learned that plastic shopping bags don't break down in dumps, so since this is terrible for our earth, I have tried to use them for many things.
Tin Man ManiaI created this mini man from some recycled soup and coffee cans, soda tabs, funnel, bolts, screws, candy tins for feet, coat hangers, swivel, spray paint and tin snips. I used and awl and hammer to make the holes I needed.
Organizer from CD CasesRecycle your old CD cases and make an organizer. We made a Father's Day organizer for my husband. I placed photos of the kids on each side and let them decorate their own page.
Craft BirdhousesThis is a craft that my mother-in-law and I made. It uses empty seed packets. Pick 6 of your favorite images for the project. I prefer to use 2 of the same for the roof. We hot glued the packages to a block of Styrofoam. We used 2 packages for the roof.
Blue Jean PurseGet a pair of old jeans worn by your friend's children. Cut off legs and sew cut bottom under pockets closed. Gather it a little before sewing. Use legs fabric to form a sturdy strap and sew on.
Wall Pocket DecorationsThese are wall pockets made from tin cans. These are the large sized cans that schools and such use . Tops and bottoms are cut from the can, then I step on one end to flatten it together.
Homemade Oil Diffuser/WarmerI made my own oil diffuser/warmer. I recycled all of the items I used. This is really cool.
Make a Mobile Out Of Kids Meal ToysDo you end up with several of those cute little stuffed toys from the fast food restaurants? Take a plastic hanger, have your child wrap it in pretty ribbon or whatever pleases them and then take the little stuffed toys, hang and make a mobile with them.
Decorated Coffee Can Containers for GiftsI save large tin coffee cans to use as containers I give my baked treats away with. This is the Christmas theme I used. I am not camera savvy, sorry.
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.
