Tag Archives: green crafting

March 22, 2012 · 1:34 pm

9 Clever Uses for Tee Shirts

I don’t know about you, but I’m anxious to get on with my spring cleaning!  I have tons of stuff to go through, including lots of clothes that I hardly ever wear.  I have a whole pile of tee shirts just waiting to be donated, upcycled, or used in a craft project!

Tee shirts, no matter how grungy they are, can be used for lots of things, including the actual “cleaning” part of spring cleaning!  Here are some useful ideas on how to reuse and upcycle tee shirts that are either too nasty to wear or no longer fit.

Necklace:  I love making these fabric necklaces.  They are so easy to make and it’s a great way to reuse a shirt that you don’t like or that no longer fits you.

Rag:  For those shirts that are too dingy to use for much else, you can cut them up and use them to dust the house!  They’re also great for around the garage when you’re gardening or working on the car.

Pillow:  Have a tee with sentimental value?  Sew up all the holes and stuff it with the filling from an old pillow to create something worth cuddling with!  This is great for an old shirt that you have that once belonged to a loved one.

Scarf:  If you have screen tees that you love, simply cut the screen off the shirt and sew all the shirt pieces together to create one awesome tee shirt scarf!  This scarf is lightweight and perfect to wear year round!

Rug:  I love this idea!  If you can crochet in the round, you can create an awesome circular rug made from tee shirt scraps.  I particularly love this hula hoop rug idea.  Using those weaving skills you mastered back when you were younger, you can create a fun and colorful rug for indoors and out!

Curtains/Shower Curtains:  Using a technique similar to the scarf, you can sew your favorite tees together to create awesome curtains!  This is a great idea for a game room or kids room.  You can make them in blocks like a quilt or cut the shirts into strips and sew them back together for a rainbow effect.

Quilt:  Speaking of quilts, this is a fun idea.  Cut up shirts you love, but will probably never wear again…like those old shirts from sports or marching band, and assemble them into a quilt.  If you don’t have enough tees, print out some pics on printable fabric and interweave those through the quilt.  This is a great gift for parents or grandparents.

Framed Wall Art:  You can also stretch your favorite tees over round and square canvases and hang them on the wall.  This creates a unique 3-D effect that’s perfect for a kids room.

Flowers/Accessories:  I posted these Coffee Stained Roses a few weeks ago…and this is a great way to use a tee that has a stain on it.  Simply soak your tee in coffee, beet juice, etc. and give it a quick rinse.  Use these colorful roses on a wreath or wear them as hair accessories.  My roses still smell like coffee!

Knowledge is power!  Learn fun facts, hints and tips, and creative ways to use every day items with “The Buzz” posts on Thursday.

Leave a comment

Filed under clever uses

Tagged as , , , ,

March 7, 2012 · 1:27 pm

St. Patrick’s Day Centerpiece

I love me a good recycled craft…and this one is “green” in all senses of the word!  Made from recycled items and perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, this beer bottle vase is so easy to make and would look adorable on your table or mantle.  This is a great way to use up those Guinness bottles you have lying around, as well as some left over felt scraps from projects you’ve done before.

A few weeks ago I posted a Felt Flower Tutorial, as well as a Felt Shamrocks Tutorial.  Both of those will come in handy when making this cute little St. Pattie’s craft.

St. Patrick’s Day Centerpiece

Materials:

  • 1 empty beer bottle, label removed, washed and dried
  • Various scraps of green and white felt
  • Green and white felt (optional–only if you’re making the flowers)
  • Craft pipe cleaners (optional–only if you’re making the flowers)
  • Hot Glue Gun
  • Needle and green embroidery thread

Directions:

Follow the directions for the Felt Flower Tutorial to make the flowers for your vase.  If you’d rather use real flowers or no flowers at all, simply ignore this step.

Follow the directions for the Felt Shamrocks Tutorial to make 3 green shamrocks, as well as 1 white one.  Feel free to use whatever colors you’d like.  I happened to have felt in “True Green”, “Forest Green”, and “Sage Green”…so those are the shamrocks I created.  I also made a white one and did a simple stitch in green thread around the edge of the shamrock.

I also created a little belt to go around the bottle.  I made this out of the “Sage Green” felt and 2 strips of white felt.  Glue the shamrocks to the felt belt.

When you have your shamrocks arranged and glued to the belt, simply glue it all to your beer bottle.  Add your flowers and you’re good to go!  This is a really fun and economical idea for table centerpieces or party favors.

Celebrate creativity every Wednesday with a “Creativi-bee” post, where I share easy craft tutorials, project ideas, and craft collections.

Leave a comment

Filed under st. patricks day

Tagged as , , , , , ,

February 22, 2012 · 1:56 pm

Coffee Fabric Roses

Okay, so I love wearing white, but I’m notorious for being an absolute clutz when I do.  Usually I’m fine, but when I’m wearing white, I’m so extra careful that I just end up spilling on myself anyway!

So a few weeks ago I spilled coffee all over one of my white tee shirts.  I was just about to toss it when I got an idea!  I coffee-stain paper all the time for scrapbooking, so why not try it with fabric!

I decided to make fabric roses, like the Felt Flowers I made last week–only using my cut up tee shirt.  I cut out three circles, created roses, and let them soak in a little bowl of cold coffee for about 2 minutes.

After they dried, I had cute stained roses that I eventually will add to a headband or sweater (plus they still smell like coffee!)

Celebrate creativity every Wednesday with a “Creativi-bee” post, where I share easy craft tutorials, project ideas, and craft collections.

1 Comment

Filed under fabric crafts

Tagged as , , ,

February 1, 2012 · 1:02 pm

3D Valentine’s Day Card

Who would have thought that you could turn a toilet paper roll into a cute little Valentine card?  With this easy paper craft you can make cute little 3-D hearts to attach to cards, packages, and lots more!

3-D Valentine Cards:

Materials:

  • 1 toilet paper roll
  • White, Pink, and Red fabric paint
  • Paint brush
  • Scissors
  • Hot glue gun
  • Variety of paper
  • Knitting needle
  • 2 coffee cups
  • Tape
  • Newspaper

Instructions:

1.  First cut your toilet paper roll into 1/4 inch circles.  It helps if you flatten it first.

2.  Next you’re going to want to rig up a drying machine.  I put some newspaper down and turned some coffee cups over.  I taped a knitting needle to one side and slid my hoops on to the needle from the other side.

3.  Once your rig is built, paint your cardboard hoops white.  This will make your color pop when you paint them.  One coat should do it.  Make sure to get the sides and inside of each hoop.  Place each hoop one by one on the knitting needle and let dry completely.

4.  When your white coat is dry, paint your hoops whatever color you’d like!  I did three baby pink, three hot pink, and three red…one coat of each.  Put them back on your “rig” and let them dry again!

5.  Once your hoops are dry, shape them into hearts by folding one crease tighter and pushing the other crease into the middle.  Add some hot glue to one side of the heart and press onto the paper.  Cut around the hearts and arrange to your hearts desire!  The leaves were made the same way, I just didn’t turn them into hearts!

Celebrate creativity every Wednesday with a “Creativi-bee” post, where I share easy craft tutorials, project ideas, and craft collections.

4 Comments

Filed under valentines day

Tagged as , , ,

January 25, 2012 · 1:14 pm

DIY Journal or Notepad

I love lists.  And I know I’m not the only one out there who finds it cathartic to write down things I’ve already done just so I can cross them off.  How awesome does that feel?

I’ve also got to be one of the only 20-somethings left on planet Earth that doesn’t have a smart phone.  I can call, text, and take a picture…and that’s about it.  So when I think of a great idea or remember that I need to buy toilet paper or eggs, I actually have to write it down in my to-do list.  No apps, no fancy phone gizmos or bells and whistles, just the trusty ol’ pen and paper.

Therefore, I carry my to-do list with me almost everywhere.  It fits snug in my purse so it’s not cumbersome to carry and I even pimped it up a bit, so it’s not boring and official looking when I whip it out to empress everyone (or prove that I’m still living in the 18th century).

This is a super fun and easy craft to do if you’re looking to reface an old journal or notebook.  This is also a great handmade gift for someone who’s going off to college, a little frazzled when it comes to remembering things, or someone who just adores the simplicity of pen and ink.

Cute Journal or To-Do List:

Materials:

  • 1 journal or small note pad
  • Scrap paper
  • Various ribbons
  • Hot glue gun
  • 2 buttons
  • Needle and thread
  • 3-Hole Punch

Instructions:

1.  Remove all the paper from your notepad.  Also remove the front and back covers.  Discard the spiral.  Set aside the paper for now and decorate the front cover however you see fit.  I used some scrap paper and ribbons on mine.  Use a glue gun to adhere your embellishments to the cover.

2.  Use the three hole punch to create two hole punches in the cover, back cover, and paper.  If the holes don’t line up exactly, it’s not the end of the world.  It gives your to-do list a nice homemade look!

3.  Once you’ve made your holes, string some thread or yarn through all the holes.  Tie as tightly or as loosely as you see fit.  I tied mine tight enough to hold the paper, but not too tight that I can’t untie it and add more paper if I need to.

4.  String some thread through one of your buttons so the loop is in the back of the button…meaning put one end of your string through one hole on the button.  You are going to want to make a little loop to hold your note pad closed, so you’ll be tying the excess string in the front to make a loop:

5.  Use your needle and thread to sew a button to the back cardboard so the loop you just created has something to attach to.

6.  And there you have it!  An easy to-do list or journal for your needs or the needs of someone else.  Like I said, you can decorate the front and back however you’d like!  And feel free to post your creations and ideas on our Facebook page!

Celebrate creativity every Wednesday with a “Creativi-bee” post, where I share easy craft tutorials, project ideas, and craft collections.

Leave a comment

Filed under easy craft projects

Tagged as , , ,

January 11, 2012 · 1:13 pm

How to Organize Charging Cords

Electronic devices are awesome, but what’s not awesome is keeping track of all those dang charging cords!  Some companies have gotten better at having the name of the company on the cord itself (thanks, Kodak!), but when every charging cord has a USB side and a wall charging side, it’s sometimes hard to keep track of what’s what.

That is, until you run out of toilet paper.

Here’s an easy way to keep cords labeled and untangled so they’re easy to find and use.  All you need is a toilet paper roll, some scrapbook paper, and a glue gun.

Cord Storage

Materials:

  • Toilet Paper Roll
  • Scrapbook paper
  • Ribbon
  • Glue Gun
  • Pen
  • Scissors

Instructions:

1.  Gather your materials.

2.  Lay the toilet paper roll on the scrapbook paper, pretty side down, and measure where the paper needs to be cut by making a small mark with your pen on the paper on either side of the toilet paper roll.  Cut the paper and set extra paper aside.

3.  Glue paper to toilet paper roll and add ribbon, if desired.

4.  On the scrap paper you set aside, write what the cord storage will be holding.  In my case, it’s my cell phone charger.  I just used the other side of this scrapbook paper, which was double sided, but you can use whatever you’d like.

5.  Place your cords inside and store away!

I’ve done this for all my chargers now, as well as  my extension cords.  It’s also a great way to use up leftover paper scraps that are too small for anything else.

Celebrate creativity every Wednesday with a “Creativi-bee” post, where I share easy craft tutorials, project ideas, and craft collections.

Leave a comment

Filed under storage and organization ideas

Tagged as , , , ,

December 14, 2011 · 9:03 am

Clever Storage for Yarn

Here’s a useful and decorative way to store your yarn in plain sight!  Gather some bottles, jars, or containers and wash them thoroughly.  Here’s the collection of bottles I used.

My collection of random jugs and bottles

Take your yarn and tie one end loosely around the top or bottom of the bottle and wrap it around until everything is covered.  Then take the remaining yarn and feed it into the bottle.  You can also just fill the clear bottles or jugs with the yarn, like I did here.

Jug filled with yarn!

With a cardboard circle and a piece of duct tape, create a top for the jug and feed the end of the yarn through the top…so now you can still craft with the yarn as it sits pretty on your shelf!

Top of jug

Now you have cool decorative pieces that are doubling as storage!  You can also adopt this idea when storing buttons and beads.  Use baby food jars or mason jars to store items of the same color and arrange on a shelf for a colorful (and organized!) display!

My collection!

Celebrate creativity every Wednesday with a “Creativi-bee” post, where I share easy craft tutorials, project ideas, and craft collections.

Leave a comment

Filed under storage and organization ideas

Tagged as , , ,

September 14, 2011 · 9:33 am

How to Make Little Pots out of Newspaper

I love this idea of using old newspapers to create adorable little boxes.  You can use these boxes to store paperclips, pencils, cotton balls, or anything else that’s lightweight and small.  These are also awesome for starting seedlings.

My newspaper pots. The big one is newspaper, the smaller one is magazine pages.

There are several tutorials online regarding how to make these cute little pots, however I found this one to be the easiest to follow.  I will direct you there because the pictures are awesome and the author does a better job of explaining folds better than I could ever do.

TUTORIAL ON HOW TO MAKE PAPER POTS

I made one with newspapers to hold my paperclips and then I made another one using magazine pages.  You can make them with newspaper, wrapping paper, etc.  You could even modge podge them to make them more sturdy.

Happy Crafting!

Celebrate creativity every Wednesday with a “Creativi-bee” post, where I share easy craft tutorials, project ideas, and craft collections.

Leave a comment

Filed under easy craft projects

Tagged as , , , , ,

September 7, 2011 · 8:46 am

How to Turn Pie Tins into Wall Art

Pie tarts ain’t just for baking.  Here’s a clever way to display tart pans that you either don’t use anymore or that are just too precious to toss.

I love this idea for cheap and easy kitchen decor.  You could also use pie tarts as unique picture frames or for cool holiday decorations.  If you’re looking to hang the tins on the wall, consider combining average size tins with mini pie tins for a really cool art piece.

Check out various garage sales and thrift stores for worn tins and get crafty!

Celebrate creativity every Wednesday with a “Creativi-bee” post, where I share easy craft tutorials, project ideas, and craft collections.

Leave a comment

Filed under wall decor ideas

Tagged as , , , , ,

May 11, 2011 · 8:49 am

Round Tee Shirt Rug

Put them to good use!  I have saved all of my marching band tee-shirts from back in the day and they are literally just sitting in a drawer.  I feel terrible throwing them away…but I never wear them and have no idea what to do with them.  Then I came across this brilliant idea to turn tee shirts into a one of a kind floor rug.  Sounds like I have a fun weekend project coming up!

One of a kind summer rug!

All you need are several old (or new) tee shirts (about 12 should do the trick), scissors, and a 33″ hula hoop.  Get full directions here.

Celebrate creativity every Wednesday with a “Creativi-bee” post, where I share easy craft tutorials, project ideas, and craft collections.

2 Comments

Filed under easy craft projects

Tagged as , , , ,