Good day friends,
we have a special post today which includes a lovely giveaway which you rarely see on this blog. I was especially enticed by this one because it revolves around living greenly in a creative way. Introducing SEWING GREEN by the very talented crafter Betz White is a fascinating book about taking materials or old clothes that you don't use anymore and re purposing them into better and brighter useful things. for instance my personal favorite in the book on page 44, the woodland draft buster made from an old suit and stuffed with plastic grocery bags. love it! This book is packed with 25 great projects with simple how to instructions and patterns so anyone can do it. learn how to make things such as wallets, aprons from old mens work shirts, pillows and hats from old sweaters and much much more.
Okay now to explain the giveaway part, it's pretty easy, all you have to do is leave a comment of one recycling, reuse, or re purposing crafting idea and we will pick the cleverest idea and post the winner this FRIDAY. Your prize will be a copy of this very BOOK! so you have a couple days to get your brain in gear and throw us an original idea.
here are some great links to follow for more of betz's work and where to get a copy of this book (unless you can win it of course!!!)
Betz's Etsy shop
sewing green
melanie falick books blog
using old clothing to stuff throw pillows works really great!
ReplyDeletexo
Kelly
By the time my third son out grows the cotton knit polo pyjamas they seem to falling apart without the chance of a successful repair (3rd child wearing for 2 years-they are probably at least 6 years old by that point). We have decided to take the usuable areas and cut squares to make the underside of a pieced throw were the softness will be appreciated. We have the same situation with handed down corduroy pants that have been worn beyond repair andI think that similar cut squares could be pieced to create a top. It is fairly hi on the to do list as an eight year can be quite persistant. Watch for it on my blog.
ReplyDeleteMine was a mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.scrapinstyletv.com/portfolio/view_layout.php?layout_id=97242&user_id=5409
you can see it here. Used all the packaging from so of my scrapbooking supplies.
I have a really terrible habit of washing my clothes with chapstick in the pocket. Anyone who's done this knows that it leaves grease spots on EVERYTHING. Even my favorite summer dress :-( I recently learned how to screen print so I have covered all of my stains with cute patterns such as leaves. I think it looks better than the original.
ReplyDeleteYou know how your everyday shirts always get stained with grease and coffee so you can't wear them anymore?
ReplyDeleteI fold or scrunch them up then dip them in bleach to discharge dye them. This breaks up the surface enough that nobody sees the stains, and I get some more wearable time out of the shirts.
I use fabric strips to make "landscapes" and then use them to decorate a T-shirt
ReplyDelete:)
I cut up old t-shirts to make rag rugs. Mostly we have white shirts and they work really well in the bathroom. Cut the shirts into strips, and latch hook them into shelf liner with extra large holes (you can get this at a craft shop or someplace like Target or the hardware store). If it's too slippery when you're finished, coat the back with puffy fabric paint (leftover from another project, of course).
ReplyDeleteI like using those fancy little candy tins to hold notions, etc.
ReplyDeleteamaryllis_wings@yahoo.ca
Im a beginning sewer, in fact am taking my first sewing lesson today on my new machine! I really want to learn to make great items for me and my little one who is due in November.
ReplyDeleteshred old magazines that you don't use anymore, and it makes instant confetti/gift/package stuffing!!! works great.
ReplyDeleteI have been making gift bags using thrifted t-shirts. Cut off just below the arm pit to get rid of the sleeves. Use the existing bottom seam for the drawstring. Sew up the open seams, put in a gift and the recipient has a gift and a bag that they can use for anything they like! Tie dyed t-shirts are my favorite to use. Depending on the size of the shirt, you may get one or 2 bags.
ReplyDeleteMy roommate bought a new desk, and it was packed with some large flat pieces of styrofoam. I wrapped one of the pieces in an old bed sheet and nailed it to the wall. Tada! A free bulletin board. Works like a charm.
ReplyDeleteI make rag rugs, too! Except I use burlap instead of shelf liner. I just wanted shout out to the other fellow rug maker!
I go out of my way to make a commitment to buy Christmas presents that aren't new and unneeded. I really want to give my family and friends something they will enjoy using. I collect supplies and materials from my family to make gifts.
ReplyDeleteI used my granny's old hankies and trims to make zipper pouches.
I also made hankie table runners by stitching them in a line.
I sewed felt soap animal pockets for my cousins out of old wool sweaters.
I made bird seed holders and personal bird baths out of old tea cups and bowls for my aunts and granny.
Not only were these great gifts that provide much enjoyment but they also were very sentimental to my family members since they were repurposed out of things from our family.
The ratty t-shirts I have picked up on my travels are being repurposed into pillows, and when paired with old canvas travel bags that keep the wonderful memories without the armpit stains
ReplyDeleteI cut up my plastic bags from the grocery store to make fun little pom-poms. They look so cute as a topper on a present.
ReplyDeleteI also love to re-upholster old furniture and fix old things I find in flea markets.
I like the idea of taking the pockets off of denim (jeans or skirt)sewing them together to make a small change purse.
ReplyDeletemelodyj(at)gmail(dot)com
My husband eats a lot of tuna, so I have been reusing the cans (washed out of course!) and making them into pin cushions! :)
ReplyDeletei am making my son a quilt from cut up sweaters, shirts, t-shirts, sheets etc. I coming out quite nice
ReplyDeleteI shred junk mail and advertising circulars -- then put it in the cat's litter pan. My cat actually prefers it to clay litter, it breaks down faster after disposal, and putting the junk mail to this use gives me a smug feeling of satisfaction.
ReplyDeleteI am so attracted to old hankies but don't know what to do with them--now I make pincushions and put a tiny bit of lavender in...ahhh, so calming (even when sewing is a wee bit frustrating :)
ReplyDeleteawesome giveaway- woohoo! thank you lots.
ReplyDeletei cut out the good parts of my children's outgrown and stained baby clothes and burp clothes. i piece them together to make little projects for them, like small funny plush and baby doll blankets, and other neat little scrapling doo dads.
I used my daughters old logo t-shirts to make her a memory quilt. This was much better than using them for dust rags (which I do with the ones that did not fit into this scheme!). I also take my husbands old shirts and cut them into continuous strips and use the strips as yarn to crochet rag rugs. They make such sturdy, useful rugs. a.haun@sbcglobal.net
ReplyDeleteI used two old bed sheets that we were no longer using, a pink one and a white one, cut them in strips and crocheted a rag rug for my daughter's bathroom. Turned out really cute!
ReplyDeletei've been searching for clever shelving ideas from repurposed items... my favorite ideas so far are taking all of the drawers out of a dresser and stacking them as a modular bookshelf and things like old wooden-framed windows (with the glass still in them) or old wooden skis to make unique shelves.
ReplyDeleteas for crafts, i've been using my husband's stained or torn chinos in lieu of flannel for facing inside bags. it's just as sturdy and because his pants are khaki-colored, it doesn't show through the outer fabric or the lining fabric.
I have no super cleaver ideas- which is why I should win- my thought is that if I had the book - I would have super ideas flowing! :-)
ReplyDeletei study in textile printing/ textile designer ( don't really know how to say it in english )..and i take all the textile that i dont use to make some buttons/pins.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful giveaway and hopefully I can finally turn my luck around and be the proud owner of this beautiful book!
ReplyDeleteFor me, reusing what I already have always comes down to paper. I go through so much paper or I happen to accumulate hundreds over time such as: print outs, magazines, snail mail, junk mail, homework, grocery bags, newspaper, wrapping paper, etc etc..
It is such a big part of our lives and it can be applied and manipulated in endless forms. Some of the many reuses I get from paper are: make my own envelopes, collages, remake my own paper with cool textures and colors, stationery, artwork, stencils, wrapping paper and the list goes on..
A lot of this probably sounds familiar and I hope it does because then you understand how amazing it is to keep reusing our paper and take care of our trees :)
-Karen
penoppi@gmail.com
what we've had fun doing at home is refreshing the outside when the inside is not too bad, just out of style. for example, instead of replacing the chipped and ugly fake gold hardware on the cabinets and doors, my husband and i sanded and spray-painted them matte silver. instead of buying new buttons for clothes, i've been recovering them with fabric.
ReplyDeleteI made the cutest dog bed out of too-small-for-me jeans. The back pockets worked great on the side of the bed to hold special treats for my pup to find.
ReplyDeletethough they may not be completely original, here are a few things I've been up to to recycle-craft....cut old clothing o sweaters to make chunky yarn to knit with, made my husband's favorite sports thirts from high school into a throw quilt, made fleec hats from old fleece jackets, used old sewing patterns to make wrapping paper & tags for a gift, used paper scraps from scrapbook projects to make a box of thank you cards.
ReplyDeleteSo excited to see this book on the market...we should all be recycling & saves use much-needed cash too.
I made a pat of butter for a stack of fabric toy pancakes (I made from a pillowcase) out of a no-longer used swaddling blanket. Ok, 2 pats of butter, but it's VERY low on calories, so it's allowed! ~H
ReplyDeleteI have "shrunk" old wool sweaters by boiling them in hot water and cut them up for mittins using two different fabrics.
ReplyDeleteI use the colored parts of cereal boxes and other food cartons: I either a) use my scalloped circle punch and make gift tags, or b) I make envelope liner templates for various greeting card envelopes that end up in my collection; the lightweight cardboard is the perfect thickness for this.
ReplyDeleteDust jackets on young children's hardback books are pretty much useless--they just get torn or are asked to be taken off every time the book is to be read. My daugher loves books and has quite the collection. So, I have taken all of her book dust jackets and am storing them in my gift closet. I use them, instead of wrapping paper, to wrap birthday gifts for children. Using strips of scrap fabric for a tie adds a nice touch.
ReplyDeleteI cut up old cotton t-shirts and use them for cleaning and such.
ReplyDeleteCut nice corners off envelopes (a pretty good size is needed) and use them as bookmarks ... just slip them onto the corner of the page.
Also, not really a reuse but an attempt to use less, we use cloth napkins rather than paper.
I like to use old tablecloths or sheets to make purses, aprons, or other items of clothing. Oh, and once I felted a wool sweater and made it into a purse.
ReplyDeleteThis is a bit of a luxury craft item! I reused some fabric scraps and made a coffee cup sleeve for those times that I forget my thermos. I feel awful throwing away a coffee cup and a bulky sleeve, so now I always keep one or two fabric ones in my purse!
ReplyDeleteI had a big box of broken crayons that no one ever wants to use. We took off the wrappers and melted them down in a mini muffin pan.
ReplyDeleteI love the results and they are so great for young kids to use.
You can see the final results HERE
Meg
Onourwayonline.com
I took a pair of jeans that were too short for my preschooler but still fit her in the waist and turned them into a skirt by sewing two triangles of fabric into the front and back where the inside seam used to be (very Wonder Years).
ReplyDeleteI also made a coordinating jacket by 'quilting' fabric scraps onto a stained sweatshirt that I took apart at the seams. There's no need to piece the scraps - just lay them on the sweatshirt pieces and sew all over them until they're well attached. Sew the sweatshirt back together when you're done. Cut up the center and use binding to finish the edges.
My wedding is coming up and my fiance and I are doing a "birds and bees" theme and trying to be as eco-friendly as we can. I'm taking pages from a few wedding magazines that I bought to create strings of origami cranes to hang at our reception. We're also using beautiful long eucalyptus leaves that we find in the forest to make name "cards" for our guests at dinner.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the contest!
I made a tea cozy from my daughter's outgrown sweatshirt.
ReplyDeleteI am going to make a baseball-themed quilt with patches from all of my old softball team t-shirts when I was a kid. I played for six years and still have all of my old uniforms. I think it will be really cute.
ReplyDeletesarahbcrawford(at)gmail(dot)com
I recently bought a pattern to upcycle my daughters' tee shirts into cute and funky panties... sounds silly I know, but with all of the cute embrodery and patterns on their tees I can't wait to put them together.
ReplyDeleteI've been making things from old things since I was very young. It started with doll clothes, and worked up to furniture. It's not a sewing project, but the most recent object is a lamp I made from an antique table base that I salvaged. Any fabric, wood, or almost any material gets reused around here. The most recent fabric/sewing projects have been shirts for my twin boys from their father's & cousin's old clothes. It's always been my passion, and not just for thrift. It's the creative challenge - to come up with a project from an existing object or material with it's unique limitations. Resourcefulness has always been interesting to me.
ReplyDeleteKaren