Blocking and Crocheting a T-Shirt Yarn Rug | My Recycled Bags.com This week’s project is a rug I crocheted from a couple of old white t-shirts and the remaining pieces of a blue jersey sheet. I cut my cotton into 3/4 inch wide strips using my t-yarn making tutorial. Recycling t-shirts and old cotton sheets is a great way to repurpose those old items into new usable rugs, oven mitts, trivets, baby bibs, and more. Once completed, this t-yarn rug had a problem. The center was not flat and the rug needed blocking badly so this week’s project turned into a two-fold post. I didn’t take a photo of the rug before blocking but trust me, the center was all rumpled up and the rug wasn’t laying down flat. Lay the rug down and stretch it out on a large piece of plastic on the carpet. Click on any photo to supersize Next photo shows after I have been shaping and flattening out the center. Once you have the center flat and the rug shaped, its time to let it dry. Closeup of the t-yarn rug once it was blocked and flatten. Rug measures 19 inches wide and 16” tall
The Kurtz Corner A stylish freecycled project I am a thrifty kind of girl. I mull over purchases for eons before I finally pull the trigger. I reuse foil. I do crazy things like making my own laundry soap. (I apparently inherited this from my mother, who my grandma loves to declare is capable of stretching a dime into a dollar. My penchant for thriftiness doesn’t stop with my crafting projects. The project I have to share with y’all today is a perfect example of thinking outside the box when it comes to home décor. The entire framework of these little beauties – every petal, and even the napkin ring itself – is comprised of empty Coke cans. Supplies: A few empty Coke cans, rinsed clean and dried Utility knife Scissors (a spare set – promise me you won’t pull out your sewing shears for this!) Sharpie ¼” corner rounder Hot glue gun Spray paintSpray adhesive Burlap in assorted colors Assorted scrap fabric Assorted buttons and/or beads For each ring, you will need the following pieces: From deconstructed cans: 4 large petals – 1″ x 2-1/4″ Tip Junkie
DIYInspired Recycled Gift Card Puff Pillow Tutorial More than a few gifts this year to friends and family were gift cards and although they possessed monetary value, I felt the enjoyment of receiving a wrapped gift box was somehow lost. So after purchasing several two dollar gift boxes just to put gift cards in I came up with a packaging idea that would cost next to nothing. Supplies: Recycled file folder or other cover weight paper from the recycle bin*X-acto™ Knife or ScissorsWhite Glue2 or 3 binder clipsRuler PrinterPencilBone folder or butter knife* I used a recycled folder in this tutorial, however any cover weight paper will work. Download puffpillowtemplate.jpg and print it out full size (a scale has been placed on each jpg to help with printing at the correct proportions). Optional decoration can be added by using scraps or pieces of recycled paper to spruce up the package. 3.5” wide by 5.5” long for the outside piece3” wide by 5.5” long for the inset piece
Crafty Nest More Drink Can Tinwork - Hexagonal Snowflake Box Tinwork Embossed tinwork is sometimes used to decorate rustic style photo or mirror frames, or just to make decorative items such as Christmas tree decorations. The metal used is usually thicker (tinplate) and is normally worked with hammered tools - I wanted to try to get a similar effect, but with a bit less effort. Free Downloadable Template If you want to try this for yourself, I've created this PDF template with patterns for both base and lid. More Metalwork If this project interested you, you might also like Lost Wax Casting Safety This project makes use of very thin sheet metal that is likely to have sharp, jagged edges and is prone to springing back. Great care should be taken to avoid injury. This project probably isn't suitable for children - and certainly not without supervision. Taking the basic techniques explored on page 1 of this series, we can get a bit more clever and make boxes of different shapes - here's how to make a hexagonal one. I managed it in the end, though. content
Indie Fixx Wine cork bath mat Inspired by CB2's bamboo bath mat I’m evidently on a hot-glue kick lately. This bath mat requires just three materials: shelf liner, hot glue, and 175 wine corks. How did I gather 175 wine corks, you ask? It was inspired by CB2’s bamboo bath mat, which is perfectly lovely and affordable but too big for my tiny bathroom, hence this equally eco-friendly version. Yeah, but how durable is it, you say? How to make a wine cork bath mat Supplies 175 wine corks (plus a few extra to allow for mistakes)hot glue sticksnon-adhesive shelf liner (I used Duck brand Smooth Top Easy Liner in taupe, found at Walmart. Tools pocket knife (sharpened)cutting board (one that you won’t mind if it gets slightly damaged)rotary cutter and mat (or scissors)long ruler or yardstickhot glue guncoarse sand paper 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Talk Crafty To Me Plastic bag Yarn - gooseflesh Since I posted my crochet Sea Creatures on Flickr in November, 2006, many people have asked me how I make the plastic bag yarn. So here is a How to lesson. There are many different techniques, but I found this one worked best for me. Be warned..... it's very time consuming, but strangely cathartic. ** I have added an alternative technique tutorial at the end. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. This technique has been around for decades. Mmmmmm....... Method 2: Creature Comforts