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Memorable Ways to Repurpose Old T-Shirts - Crafting a Green World

Memorable Ways to Repurpose Old T-Shirts - Crafting a Green World
Sewing Published on June 18th, 2010 | by Wenona Napolitano We all have them- those t-shirts we just can’t let go of. Even if they are worn out, faded or no longer fit, we can’t seem to let go because of the fond memories they hold. It could be a concert t-shirt from your favorite band, or a college shirt that remind you of the good ol’ days, or maybe it’s one of your child’s tiny tees that they’ve grown out of. But they don’t have to. If you have some craft and sewing skills you can turn your old t-shirts into upcycled, repurposed and memorable items. Like a pillow. There are instructions all over if you need them and Savvy Seams has a nice tutorial to turn a t-shirt into a zip off pillow cover to put over a form. Maiden Jane has a fancier tutorial for creating a pillow with the t-shirt and other fabric. If you have quite a few t-shirts you’d like to save, consider turning them into a quilt. I am considering collecting some of my kids old t-shirts and creating a quilt for each child.

Terrarium Centerpieces&|&Indie Bliss The other week, my good friend Stephanie and I planned out a craft weekend. Our mission: Terrariums. Not the kind you keep lizards in, but the kind you can seal up and watch the moss grow. It was fun, cheap, and easy, and while we were creating them I realized how awesome they would be as centerpieces at a wedding. They are totally unique, creative, and beautiful. Terrariums are meant to be long lasting, so you can even make some months before the wedding and still have them thriving in time for the big day. So lets get down to the nitty-gritty of how you can actually make them: Step 1: Materials • Glass containers in whatever size you heart most. • Good dirt and rocks. • Figurines or decorative rocks to place inside. • Horticultural Charcoal. • Moss (another one of those things you can find outside, but can also order if you don’t live somewhere it doesn’t grow naturally). • Spray bottle (for misting after wards). Step 3: Then start your layering your base. - Paula Hayes - Eco Sphere

My DIY Wedding  My husband (and business partner) Danny and I are both very artistic and crafty people by nature. So naturally, a lot of elements at our own wedding were handmade. Here is a peek at some of what we did in the hopes it will inspire you to infuse a little bit of the do-it-yourself spirit into your wedding day. While I didn’t actually make my own dress (you gotta draw the line somewhere), I did make a few really easy alterations to it. First, I thought the bottom edge of my cocktail length dress was a wee bit plain so I added a vintage-looking trim to it. I bought a whole bunch of various fake flowers from Michael’s craft store and fashioned these little guys. Our wedding was held at the Washington Park Boathouse. Since our theme was ribbon inspired, I attached a whole bunch of various colored ribbons across the tables. For our save the dates, I took photos of us with a blank sign. On the tables, we left out cards for our guests to fill out.

zine?p=1210 from leethal.net - StumbleUpon If you’ve been following my blog, you know how I made 60 of these painted frames with song lyrics for our wedding decorations /favors… Well, a lot of wedding guests loved them and took one home, but we had a ton left at the end of the night, which we boxed back up and took home with us… So we now have 30 of them hanging on our big white living room wall! So, hey, you want to know how to make these yourself? I made 2 different types of painted frames: textured frames that were just plain spray painted, and smooth(ish) frames that were painted with lace used as stencils. Your first step is to take a trip to your local thrift store (or several of them) and find frames – whatever sizes you want (mine were 3×5, 4×6, and 5×7), either textured to do the simple version, or plain untextured frames to do the lace stenciling. I did them in batches of 6-10 at a time – sprayed 1 coat over them all, then went back with a 2nd coat over them all. Let dry completely as the spray paint can instructs.

DIY Faux Curled Rosewood Wreath {Made From... - StumbleUpon I have seen various versions of Faux Rosewood Wreaths in just about every store and catalog for the upcoming season; most with a price tag running upwards of $40 or more. Some are crafted of paper and other of real wood shavings. Last year I made a few rolled flower gift toppers from recycled book pages and they remind me so much of the curled wood roses I thought they would make a good substitute. {with a much lower price tag} Materials Needed:Foam Wreath FormRecycled Book PagesLots of Hot GlueRibbon to Hang The full step by step tutorial I posted last year can be found {here}.Basically you layer three book pages together and draw a spiral circle. Starting with the outside of the spiral, roll the paper inward to create the flower shape. Give the wreath form a light coat of white {or light color} spray paint to help camouflage any see-through spaces. It seriously takes quite a few roses to fill the entire wreath, however I think the finished project has such a unique look. {Simply Lovely}

9 Cool Things to Do With Old Books & Written Word 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. Seeing Don DeLillo marked half-off, knowing you dumped a half-caff latte on your copy of Underworld, and – even though only the first three pages are illegible – justifying its purchase. 15+ years of required reading lists stored in boxes in your basement, even though you can bet your bippy you will never willingly read the poetry of Robert Burns again. 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. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

How to Make a Sailor's Knot Bracelet In order to create your Sailor's Knot bracelet, you'll need: cotton twine (at least 3 yds), a round object to put the bracelet around – Mason jar, can, bottle, anything circular with a similar circumference to your wrist, scissors, and Fray Check or clear nail polish. Please see the last slide for an itemized list of tools and materials. Scratch-Off Save-the-Date How-To You won the lottery when you found each other, so send this cheeky save-the-date card to let guests share in your luck. After scraping off the paint with a penny, they'll hit the jackpot: your wedding date! Tools and Materials White card stock Fine-tip pen or marker Clear packing tape Freezer paper Metallic acrylic paint Liquid dishwashing soap Foam brush Craft knifePennies A2 or 4-bar envelopes Scratch-Off Save-the-Date How-To Download our PDF file and replace the placeholder text with your own (you only need to do this in one box; the form will automatically fill in the rest). Note: A card backed with decorative paper will fit in a size A2 envelope.

How to Build a Go-Kart in One Day - DIY Go Cart Plans Builder: Larry Erd, Pompano Beach, Fla.Plans: spidercarts.com "Black Widow" Cost: $689.15 1.) Plans and Parts Erd and his 7-year-old son, Harrison, used $14.99 plans for the "Black Widow" go-kart from spidercarts.com. Plans like these, whether they are free or require a fee, often give frame dimensions but leave steering, axle, throttle and cable connections up to the builder. Browse parts suppliers' websites to find additional advice on materials and methods. 2.) Use a hacksaw or chop saw to cut metal stock to length. 3.) Weld an upper steering block to the top of the kart's steering post. Weld spindle brackets to the front corners of the frame. 4.) Weld bearing hangers to the bottom face of the frame's 10-inch rear legs. 5.) Buy accessories together with the engine to ensure compatibility. Loop chain around both sprockets. 6.) Attach brake and throttle cables to the left and right foot pedals. Start the engine with the kart on blocks to test the pedal connections.

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