Search Results of "earth day"

24 posts

A second look: recycled t-shirt bags

Since we have entered April, which happens to be Earth Month…or at very least the month that we honor Earth day…I thought it fitting to “recycle” one of my upcycling posts for Second on the 2nd.

Take a look….

2/22/2013 Recycled T-shirt Bags

t-shirt

First of all, I have to admit that this is not my original idea. I’ve seen many versions of this on Pinterest.    box pleat

But after going through the kids clothes and coming up with 2+ garbage bags full to pass along to a friend, it inspired me to keep a couple school shirts for this project.

This project couldn’t be an easier. I turned the shirt inside out then stitched the bottom closed.  Next was the box pleat to create a flat bottom. Basically you sew perpendicular to the bottom seam at each corner. You end up with a triangle of fabric that is not usable bag space. Gosh, I think I’m making that more complicated than it really is!! Here’s a link that shows the process if I just confused you.

Anyway…then I turned the shirt back right side out and cut off the sleeves and made a scoop cut at the neckline. No pattern just start cutting. We all know what a plastic handle bag from the grocery or discount store looks like….that’s what you are going for in shape.

All in all, not too shabby for a few minutes work. It saved a couple of shirts from the rag pile since  they’d likely never be worn again.

Little J claimed the lime green one as soon as she returned home. It was her shirt to begin with so now it will continue to serve her in a different capacity.

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Won’t you join me for

Second on the 2nd

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Handmade cutting board

board3Look at this fantastic cutting board Big J made in school! He gave it to me for an early Mother’s Day gift.

It started as two planks of wood. One hickory and one oak. The mix of woods gives interest to the board.

board2

It’s nice and thick…more of a butcher block. It’s beautiful.

board

I can’t wait to see what he makes next in the metals portion of this class.

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Remember to be good to our planet today and everyday,

PS…stop by my friend Elizabeth’s blog today and wish her a Happy Birthday!

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A second look: Upcycling Projects

Secondlook

Since it’s April and this month is Earth Month I thought I’d share a second look at a bit of upcycling from a few years ago.

eyes

Oct 6, 2013

Upcycling Projects

 

We all know how to recycle and I’m sure most do it daily. Newspapers, cardboard, glass and plastic are all readily recyclable in most cities, at least across the USA.

This is wonderful! But I’ve been really focused on upcycling lately.  Finding a new use for something that would ordinarily be tossed out.  Wine corks, bottle caps, worn out clothing, stained linens, broken plates…you get the idea.treesI showed a sneak peek of these a while ago. I made a wine cork tree last year but this time I decided to change things a bit. I used a Champagne cork cut in half for the trunk.  I think they turned out really cute.

sewing

I’ve also been using some scraps from previous projects such as the denim remaining after completing a quilt or two.  As well as the remainder of the dress shirts that I made wine bottle gift bags from.

cards

In addition I’ve been making a bunch more cards. I’ll show more of these last two projects at a later date. The cards have much less upcycling in it’s truest sense but I am still attempting to include elements that might otherwise be considered unusable such as tiny scraps of fabric and yarn. As well as photo trimmings. I have a cigar box full of photo trimmings…they have such vibrant colors that it’s a shame to toss them out.

It doesn’t have to be Earth Day to be a little “green”. Do a little more every day to be kind to our planet. Last time I checked…it’s the only one we have. :)

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If you’d like to see more recycling and upcycling projects please use the tag cloud on my sidebar.

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A second look: Recycled Clothing Ragtime quilt

SecondlookSince it is April and we’ll be honoring Earth Day as well as Elizabeth’s birthday on the 22nd, I thought it was fitting to take a second look at one of my favorite recycling projects.

The original post was from September 18, 2008. Incidentally, this quilt is still in use on the boy’s bed even though all 5’10” of him no longer fits underneath it.

Lets take a second look at the post…

eyes

I finished sewing the quilt yesterday morning. I would have been done on Tuesday night but first I put the bobbin in wrong then broke a needle and then put the new needle in backwards so it kept breaking the thread. It was very frustrating. I knew then that it was just time to be done for the day.

After the sewing, I had to clip each seam allowance every half inch then wash it so it would fray after washing. The nylon stocking that serves as my filter on my washing machine outlet had a large fist size ball of frayed denim and flannel in it. Then the dryer lint trap was even more full of fluff. I would have taken it to a laundry mat but we don’t have any around here anymore. It’s a 20 min drive to the closest one.

There are several things I love about this quilt:

  1. All the flannel is from my maternity tops and my boy’s flannels from when he was very small.
  2. The denim is from both mine and my hubby’s old jeans. Together we’ve lost about 50lbs!!
  3. The “batting” I used was scraps of polar fleece that I got for free from someone’s “project gone wrong”
  4. This blanket is fairly heavy! This provides good sensory comfort for my boy. He needs/loves heavy blankets to help him sleep through the night.

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Upcycling projects

We all know how to recycle and I’m sure most do it daily. Newspapers, cardboard, glass and plastic are all readily recyclable in most cities, at least across the USA.

This is wonderful! But I’ve been really focused on upcycling lately.  Finding a new use for something that would ordinarily be tossed out.  Wine corks, bottle caps, worn out clothing, stained linens, broken plates…you get the idea.treesI showed a sneak peek of these a while ago. I made a wine cork tree last year but this time I decided to change things a bit. I used a Champagne cork cut in half for the trunk.  I think they turned out really cute.

sewing

I’ve also been using some scraps from previous projects such as the denim remaining after completing a quilt or two.  As well as the remainder of the dress shirts that I made wine bottle gift bags from.

cards

In addition I’ve been making a bunch more cards. I’ll show more of these last two projects at a later date. The cards have much less upcycling in it’s truest sense but I am still attempting to include elements that might otherwise be considered unusable such as tiny scraps of fabric and yarn. As well as photo trimmings. I have a cigar box full of photo trimmings…they have such vibrant colors that it’s a shame to toss them out.

It doesn’t have to be Earth Day to be a little “green”. Do a little more every day to be kind to our planet. Last time I checked…it’s the only one we have. :)

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Interviewed

I had the honor and pleasure of being interviewed about recycling and the role it plays in my life by my friend Elizabeth as a part of her month long tribute to Earth Day.

Please stop by her blog for the interview and while you are there, check out her projects!!

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It’s all about presentation

Over 30 years ago, I mined these lovely black rocks and since then they have resided in an old Christmas tin…such a shame. The other day I decided that I wanted to gift another rock loving gal with some of my treasured Apache Tears.

Technically they are obsidian but the ones found in this particular area of Arizona are named Apache Tears.

The Apache Tear is named after a legend of the Apache tribe. In the 1870s, a small group of Apache warriors met the US Cavalry in a battle. They were horribly outnumbered and it became clear that they could not win the battle. Instead of conceding defeat and being captured then murdered, they decided to ride their horses off the side of a mountain to their deaths. According to the legend, when the wives and children of these warriors mourned, their tears turned to stones when they touched the ground where their warriors fell. Those stones were the Apache Tears so we would always remember what happened.

My friend’s mom is waving at us from our high vantage point….likely worried we’d scare up a rattlesnake or fall from the cliff behind us. But teenagers are fearless.

I took these photos during our time adventuring around at the mine. It is honestly one of my favorite memories of my spring break trip to AZ my junior year in high school. Getting to use a small pick ax to gently tap away at the perlite unearthing the rounds of obsidian was so much fun. I can see how miners could get “gold fever” very easily.  It’s my understanding that this mine is now closed to the public. So glad I had the chance to experience it when it was available.

When I came across this glass jar, I was instantly inspired to create a lovely displayable gift. The rubber stopper is removable so she can take out the stones to admire them any time she wants. I used an old dreamcatcher earring as decoration along with a specimen tag. I plan to make another for myself as soon as I find just the right bottle again.

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