Reducing, reusing and recycling links round-up
It’s been a while since I did a round-up of some of my favourite reducing, reusing and recycling links so without further ado…
I’m often amazed what fab things people can make from old toilet roll tubes and these are no exception – fake wrought iron artwork. A great idea – I’m going to make some for our porch, reflecting the curled wrought iron railings we’ve got at the front of the house. They’d make fun picture frames too if you left out the centre sections.- Speaking of which, I love this idea for making custom photo frames from old board game boards.
- It’s a lot warmer now than it was this time last month, but we’re still all about blankets & quilts here – and this is a great how-to from Daisy Janie on how to make a quick quilt from an old fitted sheet and some contrasting thread.
- Started spring cleaning early? Turn a plastic bottle into a drain declogger to clean the bits you can’t normally reach!
- Move away from home stuff onto clothes, I love this idea from Hester Jane – patching holey knees in jeans using back pockets from another pair. So cute! (I also love Hester’s idea from the weekend for decorating plastic plant pots with strips of tree bark – I heart the centrepiece one.)
- Want to learn how to make jewellery from recycled materials and are in the north-west of the UK? I’d heartily recommend Alison Bailey Smith’s workshop on the Wirral next month.
- I love this guide to adding better shaping to a too-big/unisex t-shirt – I’ve got about half a dozen shirts that I’d wear more if they fitted better. Definitely something for my project file.
- And finally, in case you haven’t seen it, I’m restricting the amount of clothes I buy this year – no more than 12 items over the year. You want to join in the fun too?
Have you spotted any great reducing, reusing or recycling how-tos recently?
Thanks for mentioning my Jewellery workshop, it is fully booked now.
My interesting recycling and re-using project for 2011 is major! I am about to have an extension and new kitchen put in. I am going to distribute the kitchen and the utility room cabinets and doors and tiles and wiring to my network of artists to crete an exhibition that I am co-ordinating with Wirral Council. The show will be in the Pacific Road Arts Centre in Birkenhead in March (Merseyside, North West of England) and will then tour to Birkenhead Park in May. Any Merseyside artists feel free to get in touch if you would like to be involved info@abscraft.com….I have many artists onboard including another favourite of here Ann Ellis, also hoping mosaic artist Debbie Ryan will be involved. There is a stash of stuff building up including broken plates, iron, telephone, motherboard, etc…it has given me a chance to go through my stash of recyclables and say “you have sat here for 6 months and I have not got around to it yet, time to move on” without feeling guilty. I am also involved in another recycling project, this time a fashio show at the Williamson Art Gallery also in Birkenhead and there will be classes in advance to give advice on upcycling jewellery and clothes… so I see a GREEN future locally.
That sounds like a really interesting project – I’ll try to get over to see it!
I love the idea of buying less clothes.
I had a similar idea in 2009, so between January and (US) thanksgiving, I spent 70 euros in total in clothing (stuff I needed – a new rain proof jacket, underwear etc). I used the savings of not buying clothes for a holiday.
Absolutely love some of those suggestions. Definitely plan to make some gifts for the coming year :)
Hi y’all, love that loo tube scrollwork, fab idea. Continued thanks for this site Louisa. Hi Alison, good luck with it all!
The exhibition went well and we are heading towards the second outing of the de-junk, re-junk show 16th -31st of July and can accomodate more artists, if anyone wants to get involved from Merseyside (North West of England)