Finished Object: Recycled Magazine Butterfly Collage « Peacock Chic I love magazines. LOVE THEM!! I go the bookstore on a regular basis to find new ones that peak my interest. Don’t let me start another hobby because I will have acquired every magazine about the subject in order to saturate myself with information. Last year I signed up for 4 magazine subscriptions in an effort to curtail my investment in individual magazines and curb my visits to the bookstore. Now, I said I love magazines but I have to admit I HATE magazine subscriptions. However, when I saw the The Butterfly Project at LollyChop via Craftzine I knew that at least a small part of my magazine collection (read: very small) would find new life via a pretty display of color. I bought the frame from JoAnn’s and my BFF allowed me to use here Martha Stewart punches that she bought from Micheal’s so I did not have to buy a set of my own only to use one time which would have negated the whole reuse effort. The project actually took me a few days to complete. See ya later! Like this:
Envelope Journal (= cover, laminated) tax time is fast approaching, which means many of us are busy kicking ourselves (once again) for our lack of financial organization. every year we swear we’re going to keep track of all our expenses and hold on to every receipt. well, it’s our belief that if you create a system that is simple and aesthetically pleasing, you can trick yourself into forming smart money-managing habits. we recently picked up a box of airmail envelopes from the dollar store and transformed them into this handy receipt organizer using a hole punch and some binder rings. happy organizing!derek & lauren CLICK HERE for the full instructions after the jump! here’s what you’ll need -26 envelopes -3 binder rings -small hole punch 1. punch 3 holes along the bottom of one of the envelopes and use that envelope as a template when punching the rest, so the holes line up when they’re all stacked together. 2. insert binder rings into the holes. 3. label the envelopes, a-z. 4. file!
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.
No-Sew Pencil Roll Welcome Pinners! Don't miss the latest DIY's and Tutorials from Small & Friendly, please subscribe via email or in a reader! Update: Crayon version available here! For me, summer and sewing don't seem to mix. I've got a lot going on in the garden, it's hot in my garage (AKA sewing studio), the little one isn't wearing much clothing anyway ... the list of excuses is a mile long. But there's good news, my anti-sewing attitude led me to a cool + easy craft! I put together a little tutorial in case you want to make one. No-Sew Colored Pencil Roll Tutorial - has been published! * where you will find this project and 44 other awesome no-sew crafts. Download Pencil roll pattern to make the whole thing more clear. Here's to simple summer crafts - no machine required! *This post contains affiliate links, when you make a purchase through this link I make a tiny comission, thanks!
Booze it Up! 13 Rad Recycled Bottle Crafts & Projects Got a recycling bin full of glass bottles? Why waste them when you could have a new table lamp, candle holder, shelving unit, hummingbird feeder, glass countertop, building block – even a whole glass-bottle house? Reuse beer, wine and liquor bottles for these 13 fun and creative crafts and upcycling projects ranging up to a recycled bottle home and garden. Wine Bottle Table Lamp (images via: wit and whistle) Turning any wine bottle into a table lamp is as simple as drilling a hole and inserting a strand of lights. Wine Bottle Candle Holder (image via: design sponge) How simple and elegant are these DIY wine bottle candle holders? Wine Bottle Shelves (images via: renest) Would you ever have thought of using wine bottles and slabs of wood to create a shelving unit? Bottle Trees (images via: recyclart, metaefficient, examiner) Turn your holiday tree into an ode to beer (or perhaps just a sparkling green alternative to a living tree) using reclaimed empty bottles. Beer Bottle Drinking Glasses 
wine cork pens January 28, 2011 § Have I had too much wine, you ask? In fact not. I loved this project because it took no more than five minutes to complete and I got to use my drill. Like this: Like Loading... Tagged: pen crafts, wine cork crafts, wine cork pens, wine cork projects Tutorial: How to give glass furniture character! I have this turquoise table that I bought for $5.00 at the local thrift store. I refinished it in a previous post, and it sits in my family room. I like it, but I kept thinking that it needed a little something. My brothers both have etched glass in the past, and I loved how their projects turned out, so I decided to try it. Step 1: Find a pattern that you like. This pattern came from a tablecloth from Target. Step 2: Once you have your pattern picked out, you need to get contact paper (NOT wax paper…I used wax paper and it didn’t work very well) and lay contact paper on the top of the pattern. Step 3: Trace the pattern onto the contact paper. This is what it will look like after the tracing is complete. Step 4: Lay it on your glass to make sure that it fits the glass. Step 5: Turn the contact paper over and cover the pattern with painter’s tape. This is what it looks like on the other side. Step 6: Carefully, cut out the pattern. Step 7: This is the tricky part. Step 9. 545stumbleupon
DIY Rotating Bookshelves, Staircases and Trap Doors Man makes trap door bookshelf – And teaches you how! Ever seen those hidden bookshelves in the Munsters or Scooby Doo? Always wanted one of your own? Hell yeah! Well now you can with these fantastic projects that teach you how to make your own secret rotating doors. First up, we have two awesome rotating bookshelf tutorials. Popular mechanics has a neat article about a mechanical engineer who started a company which specializes in installing secret passageways. Related Tutorials:
Top 10 Space-Saving Household Projects Whether you live in a tiny apartment or just have too much stuff, there's likely a lot of space you aren't using, like your walls, your ceilings, or the nooks and crannies in your furniture. Here's how to use it most efficiently.P 10. Hang Your Bike on the WallP SExpand If you're in an apartment, you probably don't have a lot of great places to store your bike outside, and it can take up a lot of floor space just sitting around. 9. If you've already exhausted the storage nooks under your bed, the ceiling is ripe with unused space. 8. If floor space is at a premium, you can maximize it by moving those bookshelves up onto the wall, freeing up the floor for storing other things (and making it easier to clean). 7. Whether you're trying to pack light for a trip or just fit as many clothes into your dresser as you can, proper folding technique is key. 6. Most animals are pretty small, but it seems like their stuff takes up as much space as yours. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.
Splitcoaststampers Tutorials: Alcohol Ink by Cindy Lyles: Card Making Techniques Dominos are non-porous too! The application for this techique is endless. Glossy paper, buttons, CDs, and so forth. If finished product is to be worn or handled roughly, consider sealing it. DecoArt DuraClear Varnishâ„¢ is recommended, available in gloss or matte. All products used in this tutorial are from Ranger Ink ( available at your local craft/hobby store or through various e-tailers). Questions? The Butterfly Project... A few weeks ago I shared a pic of some butterfly punch-outs I had done from a Pottery Barn catalog (it was a really colorful picture of some towels all stacked together). I had seen a picture that Ali Edwards made of butterflies all lined up and punched from many different colors of paper (which gave me some serious inspiration in the butterfly department). I decided that I wanted to do something similar but with a different spin! I started working on this little project Saturday afternoon. In my day job I get a lot of really fine paper samples in the mail. Cougar paper had sent me sample called Ode to the Earth. I knew this was just the project for it! Picking the piece to use was the hardest part of this whole thing! For this project I used:Colorful paper (you can use scraps from catalogs (the covers are best), scrapbook paper, paper samples, etc...2 Martha Stewart butterfly punches (seen below)Zots3D-Dots (foam sticky squares)Cardstock paperPicture frame with 3D mat board Monday HUGS!
sunburst mirror DIY It has been soooo long since this first post went up and I thought it would be fun to include some updated photos of this mirror and show you how it has been used over the years. Still using it and loving it! Where ol' girl currently lives in our Houston house. Check out my tutorial below so you can make one of your own! Remember the teaser of my new sunburst mirror... Well here she is in all her glory! She's nice and beefy, and has lots of texture. It's hard to tell in these photos (because we haven't had sun outside our windows in DAYS), but she has a really nice shine too. Here's how I did it! I'm certainly not the first to make a wood shim mirror, I've seen several versions around blogland. What you'll need: STEP ONE: Lay out your wood shims to figure out a pattern you like. STEP TWO: Using wood glue, glue the individual shims in your 5 and 7 groupings together. STEP THREE: Once your groups of shims are dry, arrange them back into the exact pattern you want them to be in once finished. Cost:
Susie Harris: Inspiration...pass it on! *** Because someone asked..yes! I have one in my Etsy if you would like...smiles~*** Oh have I got a good one for you today {I hope}. What I want most out of this blog is to connect with you girls. My prayer is that you leave every post with a giggle,touched heart,new found friendship or INSPIRATION! And girls...do I have some for you! I first started with some good ole' inspiration. Now I know some of you worry about getting it just perfect,letters and all... I used a thin piece of board for mine because I didn't want to hang anything too heavy. I painted it an ivory color. Paint your circles in black. For those of you that are like me and need some extra help....print your font on paper and use as a guide. You can use trace paper or I tend to just trace over the font and use a little bit of pressure. You are now ready to paint in your letters. Now for those neat little accent lines around your letters..I used a lid from a thermos. Just dip in in a saucer of paint and press down.
Fairy lights, esprit cabane, DIY decorative objects Fairy lights can be enhanced with feathers, paper, cardboard cones or...egg carton cups! These recycled cardboard cups offer an unusual texture and soft colors that, with minimal skills, can be turned into a vine of light-emitting morning glory. For this project, use LED lights only. Save different colored egg cartons. With a pair of sturdy scissors, cut away excess cardboard surrounding the cup strips. Starting at the cup opening, make a short slit into each side of the cup. Hang your fairy lights in a dark area, over a mirror or above a bed for a cozy, warm effect.