9 Cool Things to Do With Old Books Bibliophiles and bookworms, English majors and lovers of literature: is it possible to have too many books? They accumulate so quickly! Every member of your family getting you the same three books you requested for Christmas. We are up to our waists in books, some of which we hate (really Master Burns? Update: Do to the overwhelming support (HA!) 1. It brings a whole new meaning to “audio book.” Use your old books to showcase your artistic side. Good for hiding passwords and codes, the key to your safe, and family jewels. 2. Your choice of ribbon can transform this wreath so it is suitable for every holiday – or every day! 3. If you think floating books are mesmerizing, check out some other wacky bookshelves that will make your head spin (and your walls upgrade to awesome). 4. Book clocks are for everyone, young and old. 5. We recommend using a low-watt bulb, like 10 or 15 maximum. 6. For the fashionable bookworm in all of us. 7. You could also use the pages to make paper beads. 8. 9.
Japanese Packaging Templates - Best Used With Card Stock or Color Paper I’m not sure how I discovered this awesome collection of packaging templates but I’m glad I did! Some professor or student at a japanese univeresity was nice enough to share all their packaging templates with the world! These are a few of my favorites and you can see all of them on their website. Every situation is covered! You sell Bon Bons? They have a box for that! P.S. stumbleupon
DIY Eco Friendly Packaging February 26th, 2013 Have you ever needed to find a box to package up a gift in a hurry? Look no further than the simple plastic PET bottle you have in your kitchen. Certainly don’t throw it in the bin! Don’t put it in the recycling either! Transform it into a fabulous pillow box and impress people with your ingenuity and resourcefulness. What you will need: - Plastic bottle - Cutting Mat - Craft Knife - Scissors - Marker Pen - A Plate - A pointy thing (I used a blunt sewing needle) Step One The first thing you need to do is cut the top and the bottom of the bottle off. Step Two Flatten the tube by pressing down on it with your hands and then flatten/crease one edge with your thumb. Then re-inforce the crease using the edge of your craft knife. Next do the other side. Step Three Place you flattened tube onto a cutting mat so that you know where the center is. Step Four Step Five Start forming your pillow box by creasing along the scored lines you’ve just drawn. Step Six
Etceteras: yarn bowl Day 3 of my paper mache paste craft-a-thon. You can see my first two projects here and here. After I finished both of those projects, I still had plenty of paper mache paste left. So, I threw a bunch of yarn into the paste to make this bowl. I remembered reading about making yarn bowls by wrapping the yarn dipped into glue around a balloon. I let the bowl dry overnight and carefully removed the saran and yarn from the mixing bowl. In case you missed it, here’s the recipe for the paper mache paste. Combine ½ cup flour and 2 cups cold water in a bowl. Boil 2 cups of water in a sauce pan and add the flour and cold water mixture. Bring to a boil again. Remove from heat and add 3 tablespoons of sugar. Let cool. Make a batch of this paste for a rainy-day craft with kids. Thank you so much for stopping by.
Salvage Neodymium Magnets from an Old Hard Drive Scavenging parts from old, discarded electronics is a skill every maker should hone. Old hard drives in particular are stuffed with useful components and greeblies that you can incorporate into other projects. They’re also just plain fun to open up (at least once you find those hidden screws manufacturers hide under their labels to prevent tampering). The folks at iFixit have a great teardown worth checking out that walks you through the process of opening a hard drive. If there’s a pearl to be plucked from a hard drive, it’s the large, super strong Neodymium (rare earth) magnet. In the video shown here, you’ll see where to locate the magnet, how to remove the bracket, and how to use a vise and wrench to get a purchase on the strong magnet and remove it. What can you make with the magnets when you’re done? Donald Bell I make stuff, play music, and sometimes make stuff that plays music.
Frugal Friday - Upcycled Bottles After New Years we had several empty Sparkling Cider bottles. I started to throw them away but thought *maybe* I could turn them into something cute! Valentine's is around the corner and I'm in need of a few more decorations. :) So first I removed all the labels (Goo Gone & a razor worked perfectly for this) and cleaned them out. Then, using a technique I found on Pinterest, I used my glue gun to "draw" words on them. Once the glue was dry I took them outside to paint. *You could also do this with mason jars or any other drink or food jars or bottles you don't want to throw out Linked to:WhipperBerry
Making Fused Plastic March 12th, 2013 I’ve been wanting to experiment with fused plastic for ages so what better place to try it out than here on Tutorial Tuesday and share my experiences with you. I’ve got lots of plastic bags stored in the kitchen from a few online supermarket deliveries we’ve done since Milo was born and I’ve just never got round to taking them back to the supermarkets for recycling. Good job too as then I wouldn’t have any bags to experiment with. As I was experimenting and learning at the same time, the images in the tutorial below show different bags all at different stages – I hope it’s not too confusing! What you will need: - Sharp Scissors - Plastic Bags - Iron - Ironing Board - Greaseproof Paper - Large Wooden Chopping Board - Metal Ruler - Craft Knife - Cutting Mat Step One The first thing you need to do is lay your plastic bag out flat and cut off the bottom and the top so that you’re left with a large tube of plastic. Stretch and flatten this out and put aside. Step Two Step Three
Consol glass solar jar lantern - Solar Products The solar jar is literally bottled sunshine, it harnesses solar energy to provide a lovely warm light that lasts for up to 6 hours. Safely housed in a beautiful 1L mason jar with a solar panel and LED light mechanism built into the lid. The solid glass mason jar is robust and fitted with a wire handle for hanging. The Solar Jar is flame free so it’s ideal for outdoor functions and where it’s prohibited to use open flame candles and hence also child friendly. To charge, leave your solar jar outside or in a sunny window in DIRECT sunlight for several hours to charge. 1 hour charge = 1 hour light. By choosing to use the sun\'s energy to recharge your batteries you are lightening the load on the planet.Consol mason solar jars are 100% recyclable.Produced ethically in South Africa, providing 12 full-time jobs for unskilled and previously unemployed men & women.Ethically made in South Africa, South African company. features: versatile: dimensions:
IBM Travelstar DJSA-220 2.5'' Hard Drive Teardown Massachusetts, The people of Massachusetts have always stood up for their right to repair. In 2012, voters passed a law that ensured residents' right to repair their car wherever they wanted. With the Digital Right to Repair Bill, H.3383, we have a chance to guarantee our right to repair electronics — like smartphones, computers, and even farm equipment. The Digital Right to Repair Bill requires manufacturers to provide owners and independent repair businesses with fair access to service information, security updates, and replacement parts. If you agree with us, find out who represents you in the Massachusetts legislature.
Best way to make fried marbles+a suncatcher... kind of. - MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS I made fried marbles!! There are already several people who have posted these around this site, and on each post there are people trying to figure out the best way to make them. So I took the liberty of trying all of the methods to see which is best. I tried boiling, "frying" in a cast iron pan... And here's my idea for what to do with them. Hope this inspires someone. 3 No-Sew Ways to Restyle Old T-shirts Whether or not you’re ready to admit it, summer break is fast approaching – the kids are home and you’re going to have to think of a million ways to entertain them over those long, drawn-out weeks! But don’t fret! There are tons of fun and, wait for it, (almost) free ways of keeping your little ones out of trouble throughout the summer. And, dare I say it; you might even find yourself enjoying the chaos too! One fun and cheap activity you can do with your kids this summer is restyle old t-shirts, which not only keeps your kids occupied, but it also makes a dent in those useless stacks of old t-shirts hanging around. And before you throw your hands up in despair, I hereby promise that there will be no sewing involved in the ideas to come. If you’re anything like me, you’ll have plenty of old t-shirts folded in a forgotten drawer somewhere, and the only thing wrong with them will be that they’ve been outgrown. 1. You will need: Some bare headbands A few old t-shirts Hot glue 1. 2. 1. 3. 1.
How to make gift bags from newspaper | How About Orange - StumbleUpon When I bought something at a store recently, the clerk handed me my purchase in a bag made from a newspaper. I liked it very much and had to make some more—thus today's DIY recycled newspaper project: gift bags made from the Wall Street Journal. You can vary the dimensions, of course, but here's what I used to create a bag that's 5" tall, 4.5" wide, and 3" deep. Stack two sheets of newspaper on top of each other. Cut out a rectangle that's 15.5" wide and 8.25" tall. Fold a flap 1.25" down from the top. Cut two pieces of cardstock or chipboard to 4.25" x 1", then glue them on the widest two panels just under the top fold. Put glue on the outside of the 0.5" tab and bring the left-most panel over to form the body of the bag, aligning the cut edge of the panel with the folded edge of the flap. Upend the bag so the 2" flap is now up. Put glue on both flaps and fold them inward to form the bottom of the bag.
Iona Handcrafted Books : Handmade Leather Journals And Photo Albums DIY Upcycled Easter Egg Bunting Recently, I’ve been making an effort to experiment with materials I have on hand. I’ve been playing around with paperboard – mainly because I drink a LOT of soda water and go through a TON of paperboard boxes. I started by creating an illustration using paperboard cutouts and fabric. Look at how much fun it is to pick out each egg’s design – endless variation. Go check out the how-to at Poppytalk – you’ll be glad you did.