Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Record Dishes ~ Rainy Day Projects ~ Using Scrap Materials


I'm sharing another project that was in a 1961 publication that I received from my mother - Record Dishes.


Items needed:

~LP record album (NOTE: Keep your album cover for another recycling project - hopefully I'll have ideas soon)

~string

~used match or material similar size

~large pot and container to mold your record (must be able to withstand boiling water)

~wooden spoon

~sink of cold water or container large enough


Insert the string through the record hole, and tie on the used match to one end.  This is how you lower your record into the water.

I followed the original directions - cover your baking dish or tin can with enough water to submerge your record and bring water to a boil.  


I did exactly that, but had to use my canning pot.  It was the only pot I had large enough to fit the record into, prior to it melting.

Turn off the burner, and submerge the record.  The sides will begin to slowly melt downward, around your container.  I used a square baking dish.  I also had to lower the record (using the string) with one hand, and use the spoon to push it down with the other.

I found that you can remove the record, mold it to the way you would like, very easily.  I wasn't happy with one side, so I simply lowered it back into the water for a 3-4 seconds and remolded the side.  

Once I was happy, I lowered it into the cold water to harden the shape.

This was very fun!

If you have old records that don't play anymore, try making dishes or a napkin holder out of one.  If you don't have records, try shopping thrift stores.  I was able to find this one for $.25.  

These are unique gifts for everyone.



Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Tea Bag Boxes

Sharing a few more tea bag boxes that I decoupaged.  These are very basic and can be embellished in so many ways.


 Decoupaged with scrap tissue paper that came wrapped around a gift, and the handle is ribbon that came with a gift I received also.


Decoupaged with old book pages, and the handle is recycled oxygen tubing that is attached using regular size paper fasteners (use a scrap, very small pointed knife to make a slot, using a safe work surface first, to attach handle).

Book pages are more cumbersome to decoupage on these boxes versus tissue paper. 

More ideas: Embellish the book page box with mini tools, fishing items, or book related items for a gentleman's gift box.  

Use the box to write love notes to your loved one.  

For more information on using tea bag boxes go to:  Uses for Tea Bag Boxes

Monday, February 27, 2012

Fun Holidays and Special Days in March

Here are a few special dates coming up to celebrate, regarding crafts and art:

The month of March:  National Craft Month
2nd Week of March:  Crochet Week
March 11th:  Worship of Tools Day
March 17th:  National Quilting Day

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Miniature Pin Cushion ~ Recycling Corks

Corks with attached caps or flat bottoms can easily be used for miniature pin cushions.  You could also secure the bottom to a larger recycled material, and take it camping, or use it in smaller rooms. 

Glue several to a frame and hang it from a wall for a larger pin cushion.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Uses For Tea Bag boxes ~ Rainy Day Projects ~ Using Scrap Materials


I'm sharing a project that was in a 1961 publication that I received from my mother - Uses for Tea Boxes





Save cardboard tea bag boxes for crafting projects.  We followed directions on one idea in this book, but first painted our tea bag box with white acrylic paint.  

Paint your box 2-3 times first, allowing it to dry each time.

Apply a thin layer of decoupage to the outside of the box and apply thin layers of tissue paper.  Allow to dry.




For a handle, glue on scrap ribbon, thin cardboard or other material, by attaching it to the underside of the top lid.

Once you fold the top and side flaps inward, the tissue paper may break open.  Simply decoupage a few more pieces of tissue paper over the fold areas.


Glue or decoupage ribbon around the box for embellishment.  

Sew a button on the top flap and front side.  Tie a piece of #10 cotton thread to the top button, underneath the button, and trim off thread (leaving one piece of thread long).

Use the long end of thread and tie it onto the bottom button, and using a figure eight motion, wrap one button then the next until the string is short and box is secure.



(pink tissue paper, crochet trim, measuring tape handle)

Tip: If you are putting lighter items in the box, you may not need to add a closure to secure the box lid for carrying.

Ideas for handle:
~measuring tapes, or broken smaller retractable measuring tapes
~scrap ribbon
~scrap, thin cardboard
~pipe cleaners or chenille stems 
~broken shoe laces
~strips of scrap fabric

Ideas for decoupage on the outside of the box:
~old book pages
~phone book pages
~recycled wrapping paper
~postmarked stamps
~wallpaper
~calendar pages
~thin food wrappers and/or labels
~wine labels
~fabric
~newspaper
 

Ideas for embellishing the box:
~ scrap wall paper
~ vintage photos or magazine photos
~ buttons or other small items
~ use paper fasteners or brads  in place of buttons (for attaching a string or elastic for closure)


Ideas for Uses:
~ Gift box
~ Storage on top of a shelf or dresser
~ Easter "basket" (cut top and side flaps off and glue or secure a handle on the inside sides of the box)

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Popsicle Sticks ~ Business Card Holder



This craft is fun for kids to make for Mom or Dad for Mother's Day or Father's Day.  It could be a gift for teachers, hair dressers, Grandparents, neighbors or friends.

(Back of card holder)

One of my daughter's made this one for me.  It's made with 11 Popsicle sticks and recycled buttons.  She used tacky glue to glue it together and glue on the buttons.

Instructions:  Business Card Holder

Monday, February 20, 2012

Re-Purpose Food Mesh Bags ~ Kids Bible Study Craft ~ Fisher's of Men


Plastic food mesh (or net) bags can be saved and used to make a Bible Study Craft.

If children are too young to use a glue gun, white glue can be used, but will take longer to dry.


Items Needed: 
4 large Popsicle sticks
mesh bags from onions, lemons, limes or other foods (washed and dried)
Glue gun and glue or white glue
Markers
Scrap string
Craft foam
Pen to trace or draw
Scissors


1. Cut figures from 3 colors of craft foam.  You can use a small gingerbread man cookie cutter or locate a template on-line.  Cut the figures out.  Tip:  Use material that can be recycled in place of craft foam.

2. Write your Bible verse onto two wooden sticks.
 Various translations of Bible verse Matthew 4:19




3. Cut the mesh bag so that the top and bottom are the cut edges.  Place one stick down as shown, place a line of glue on it.  Next, place the mesh bag end on, add more glue if needed.  Top it with a second stick (will have the last portion of the Bible verse on it).  Allow to dry a bit.



4. Fill the mesh bag with cut out figures.




5. Place blank stick down and place glue on it.   Tie knots in each end of scrap string, and place it on the stick making sure the knots are under where the sticks come together as shown. 


4. Place the top portion of the mesh bag over the stick and glued on hanger (Add more glue if needed). 

5. Place the stick, that has the beginning of the Bible verse on top.  Allow everything to dry before hanging on a wall.

More Resources:
Lyrics
Going Fishing (Study for Kids)




More Uses for Plastic Mesh (net) Food Bags (click for link)

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Scrap Wallpaper

Scrap wallpaper can be used to cut letters from, and glued to poster board for school projects or other posters.


For more ideas:  Wallpaper Ideas

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Paper Weight Art

The clear tops to these COVERGIRL make-up containers can be created into whimsical paper weights.

You can create one in any style and use almost any scrap supplies you have on hand.


For the above paper weight, I washed and dried the clear part of the make-up container.  I removed the sticker and used an adhesive remover to remove any leftover residue.


The backside of this particular one, is a used canning lid.  I have sprinkled the white side with glue and glitter and allowed it to dry. 


The back of the canning lid is covered with scrap material, attached with a thin layer of glue.


Using a strong, clear drying glue, attach items onto the canning lid and allow to dry.


Place a layer of glue around bottom edge of clear lid, and place down on top of canning lid.  Allow to dry.


There will be a small edge of lid remaining.  Use scrap cording or twine to cover the edge using glue.  Allow to dry.


I used a scrap piece of twine that comes around our bales of straw.  You could use anything that you prefer to jazz up our new piece of art.

Background ideas:
~scrap wall paper
~scrap fabric
~scrap pictures or ads from magazines
~a photograph
~paint a picture 
~food wrappers
~old calendar pictures
~pages from old books or phone books
~sand



Inside ideas:
~mini playing cards
~old keys
~broken jewelry
~junk jewelry
~foreign coins
~broken hair accessories
~buttons
~quill and glue on a small project
~dried flowers
~seashells
~dog tags
~old movie or other tickets and stubs
~post marked stamps
~cut pieces of yarn leftover from cutting ends on crochet and knit projects
~beads
~broken watch pieces


There are so many ideas to make these.


Tip:  Keep the bottom portion of the container, and use it in place of the canning lid.  Place a few photos inside the opposite side, where the make-up applicator is stored.  Remove the applicator sponge, wash and dry it, and glue in your photos.  Or use that section of it to hide a key.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Plastic Mesh Food Bags ~ Repurposing

Keep those plastic mesh (or net) bags that your lemons, limes, onions and other foods items come in.

I just made a different type of kitchen scrubbie, using my leftover net bag from lemons.


Here are More Ideas for Recycling Plastic Net Food Bags:

Fill a mesh bag with bird food, add scraps of string and yarn, and make an outdoor suet bird feeder.  Tie in a tree with scrap string.

2. Scrapbooking and Card Making
Cut and glue small pieces of netting for backgrounds of photos.

(another version of crocheting, click on link above)

4. Embellish Homemade Hair Accessories
Glue pieces underneath embellishments onto hair clips, combs, and barrettes.
5. Cold Storage
Use leftover net/mesh bags to store vegetables for the winter season (potatoes, onions etc).

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Dog Tags

Recycle your old dog tags.

Every January our dogs need newly purchased dog tags, and every so often new rabies shots, that also come with tags.

Don't toss these in the trash.

If you do not keep a scrapbook for your dogs, you can use the metal dog tags for other art projects.

Here are several ideas I have come up with (I apologize for not having photos of each of them, as I have not saved enough tags for this).  

1.  Make a bracelet by connecting each tag together, end to end with jump rings attached in between them.  The oval tags we get each year have a hole in each end.  If your dog tags do not, you can drill a hole also.  Check craft stores for jump rings and attachments for the ends of your bracelet.

2.  Make a necklace by connecting tags together as mentioned in #1 (above) or simply attaching a jump ring and adding a chain.  Create a choker by attaching 1 or one with jump rings, and adding cording or chain for each end.

3. Make a small wind chime.  Run fishing line through holes of a recycled tin can or lid (or any other useable piece) and tie them in place.  Cut the lines at different lengths, so that when you tie on dog tags to the opposite end they clink in the wind.

4. Mount old dog tags in a shadow box, along with other items your dogs grows out of. Add photos and embellish it.

5. Create word art jewelry by turning the dog tags over, and decoupaging words cut from old book pages or magazines.  Use them for creating earrings, necklaces or bracelets.

6.  Make a bookmark by crocheting a string of chains, and attaching the dog tag at one end.  Add a small tassel or add another dog tag at the opposite end.

7.  Engrave the blank side of a dog tag for jewelry art, embellishing items or scrapbooking.


8.  Put them in your kids "rainy day" boxes.  Kids can come up with the wildest ideas.

9.  Paint on them and use them for another purpose - jewelry, scrapbooking, bookmarks etc.

10.  Embellish dogs tags with ideas mentioned above, and attach a split ring or other strong metal ring to create fun zipper pulls.

11.  Embellish Christmas ornaments by attaching them to various recycled items (lids, scrap fabric, etc.).