Showing posts with label reuse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reuse. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

10 Minute Organizational Project

Hi, friends - Here's a quick post to show you an even quicker project you can do by yourself or with little ones.  If you decide to do it, I'd love to see some photos!

I will start by saying,  in yet another way I am becoming my mother - I am recycling empty glass pickle, olive, and jelly jars.  It seems a shame to toss them in the recycling bin and go buy something to use for organizing my bits and bobbles!  So to spruce them up a bit and disguise their former use, I decoupaged some fun paper and even some newsprint on the lids.  If the food label extended to the side rim of the lid, I glued ribbon around the edge (like the black jars pictured.)

Your little ones can help you trace the lids on paper, cut out the circles, and even "paint" the glue/water mixture on the tops.  I used roughly 2 parts White Elmers Glue mixed with 1 part water to stick the paper circles to the lids, and then painted over the paper on the lids with the glue/water mixture to give it a nice finish.  I have Mod Podge, but decided to save it for something fancier like decoupaging photos.  You could certainly use it if you have it on hand.

Have fun!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Ideas for the Little One(s) in Your Life - and my citrus pillow cover

I was just doing a little Sunday evening catch up on some of my favorite blogs and came across a simply genius idea at Rhythm of the Home from Sutton Grace's Erin Woodword.  As I commented on Sutton Grace's blog, I can easily see the possibility in a funky flea market find, but to see the future of an MDF entertainment center is sheer brilliance!  And so I must share it with you...

Check out this play kitchen repurposed from an entertainment center by Erin Woodward of Sutton Grace.  Here are the pics; click on the link to see the how-to.  I am so inspired!  If it weren't after 9 p.m., I'd go hunting for an inexpensive entertainment center at my local thrift store!!







If you're looking for outdoor fun for your little one(s), you might want to check out this resource, 25 Easy Nature Play Ideas for Preschool Yards from Green Hearts Institute for Nature in Childhood.  At their website you can also download a copy of A Parents' Guide to Nature Play.  Very cool, very fun ideas that just might buy me some time to garden this summer, and help our little "O" grow his appreciation of nature at the same time. 

Finally, here's my fun little project of the day.  A pillow cover made from a vintage sheet and some vintage ball fringe bought at last weekend's fundraising garage sale.  It's such a fun, bright, splash of color that screams CITRUS or SHERBET or FRESH SQUEEZED.  I simply love it and can't wait to look at it again when I awake first thing tomorrow morning!  Nighty, night!  ~J

Sunday, March 14, 2010

I was thrift store...when thrift store wasn't coooool...

Sunday is quickly becoming my new favorite day of the week for an unexpected reason, the sale at my neighborhood thrift store!  On Sundays they have a $.99 sale on clothing tagged with the colored price tag of the week.  Sunday is also the day that the next color of price tag goes 50% off for the upcoming week (and at the end of the week, the clothing items with that color tag are $.99, and so on.)

Now that you get the specifics of the sale, let me tell you what you can score on the cheap - pop-it beads for your 3 year old, a set of hot wheels knee pads for said 3 year old, random art supplies, vintage wedding dresses, felt, fabric, yarn, trims/bias tape/lace/rick rack, a bag of misc. sewing supplies, games, movies, and a Michael Crichton book your husband hasn't yet read!  Vintage sheets, pillow cases, scarves, belts and more are also prized finds.  Finally, any clothing item made from leather or suede, silk, or any other more expensive fabric.  You see, I don't wear them - I cut them apart and use them in my latest projects!  Take a gander at a few of this week's finds.

You're looking at a pair of silk pants, a silk skirt, and a red patterned skirt above, each purchased for $.99!

Here they are with a couple of their friends; a fuchsia taffeta shirt and 2 taffeta napkins (which were $.20 each I might add.)

This is so beautiful!  For what I'd spend on a yard of fabric I got 2 bags worth of gorgeous inspiration!  I see pillow covers, wrapped headbands, wrapped bangle bracelets, a runner for my dining room table and so much more.  I'm reusing items already in our stream of goods, thereby being some shade of green.  Need I say more?  Are you as excited as I am?

I wasn't always this excited about thrift store finds.  When we were young our mother shopped at thrift stores (a family of 5 on a teacher's salary...not surprising.)  Looking back, we got some pretty neat things there, but along with them came a certain amount of sour grapes because they were from a thrift store and not a department store.  Needless to say, today I'm very thankful for the patience to scour the racks and bins in search of "treasure" and equally thankful that I was introduced to thrift stores so early in my life, allowing time for my appreciation of them to grow.  It's a pleasure now to hear my son call it "the arts and crafts store" and see his face light up when he finds a whole pail of beads and string that mom says, "sure honey, we can buy that" because it only costs $.99 after all!   

As I prepare to sign off for today, there is a pic of some fabulous vintage scarves (or kerchiefs, perhaps?) that I scored today.  I see one at the center of my table with a vase of fresh, spring flowers on it.  I see another on my nightstand, a book and glass of water sitting atop it.  Finally, I see one wrapped around my ponytail (if my hair gets long enough for that sometime soon!)  How about you?!  How would you use these beauties in your life?