Saturday, August 28, 2010

ReUse Connection

A splendid idea!  ReUse Connection is not live yet but according to the info they have up now, it will be in the next few months.  I predict it's going to be big!  In the meantime, you can follow them on facebook.


From the site:
"Have you ever wanted to get rid of something but didn't want to throw it away...and yet not known what to do with it?  Come visit ReUse Connection and see what people around the world do with everything from old shoes to chemicals to anything you can imagine.

Take Beth, who doesn't want her old CDs to go into the landfill. She posts "CDs" on RC, and global users tell her that they ReUse "CDs" as compact mirrors in their purses, as scarecrow substitutes in their gardens, or as paper weights after they glue them together.


Thursday, August 26, 2010

Vintage Suitcase Friday!

Today I want to share a couple of my favorite repurposed storage ideas.  The first is made from 2-gallon water jugs.


Another idea to corral lots of odds and ends is from kcli and can also be found at Instructables.  


I love this idea!  Look at all those containers being reused!
Can't you just see this with smart looking labels 
and maybe a little Mod Podge action?

Finally, you really need to go see Apartment Therapy's Inspiration: Vintage Storage.  That's where I found this.

These are apple crates available from Baileys Home and Garden 
You should browse around there too! 
Lots of simple, lovely stuff.
It's not clear if they deliver to the US.


Time to link up!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Vintage Suitcase Friday! (and Plastic Bottle Caps)

Did you know that plastic bottle caps are not accepted at some recycling centers?  They are made from a type of plastic (#5) called polypropylene.  You can check Earth911 to see what type of recycling is available in your area.  It says my local Whole Foods accepts #5 plastic (and even Brita filters!) Also worth looking into is Recycle Caps with Aveda is a program in which caps are collected throughout the community, by salons, in school, etc. and then made into caps for Aveda products.

Kiwi magazine has a great idea for repurposing plastic caps.  I would love to find more ideas like this!


Go here to see the directions for making these super-fun magnets!

Time to link up!




Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Write On, Wipe Off Calendar

I wish I had thought of this!  Here is a super idea posted by Katia Ruby at Cut Out + Keep for making a dry-erase calendar out of a picture frame.  The frame must have a glass insert because that is what you will be writing on.  The directions suggest that you should only use dry erase markers to write on the glass.  I would suggest that you write the numbers with permanent marker so they don't rub off when you change your plans that are written with dry-erase markers.  At the end of the month, simply wipe the glass down with nail polish remover and start fresh.


See the directions at Cut Out + Keep

"Cup" Cakes

Here is a wonderful, budget-friendly idea for making a little dessert similar to "Warm Delights".  I call it a "cup" cake because we make it in a coffee cup.  Though it's not nearly as cute as a real cupcake, it sure is tasty!


All you have to do is put 4 tablespoons of cake mix and 2 tablespoons of water in a cup and mix it up.  (Earlier recipes suggest adding 1 1/2 teaspoons of mayonnaise for "instant" egg and oil which you would normally add to the cake mix but I don't find it necessary.)  If you want to get fancy, mix something in before you microwave it: chocolate syrup, caramel, fruit preserves, coconut, chocolate chips, whatever.  Microwave for 30-60 seconds.  You could put a little frosting on it when it's done   The first one I made for my son was a yellow cake and after I microwaved it I put canned cherry pie filling on top.  He loved it!  It's perfect for singles or smaller families that don't want to make a whole cake or 2 dozen cupcakes at once (or fire up the oven on a hot day.  You know what would be a really good topping?  Ice cream!)  And it's much more cost efficient than buying the real "Warm Delights".  You can often find cake mix on sale for $1.  Here is my little repurposing tip: I have found that after you use about 8 tablespoons of cake mix (2 "cup" cake servings) the rest of the mix will fit nicely in a jar that originally held spaghetti sauce and you can just spoon it out when you want it.  Let me know if you try this or what your favorite variations are!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Mila's Daydream

I love this blog I just found called Mila's Daydream. Mila's mom Adele Enersen says "This is my maternity leave hobby. While my baby is taking her nap, I try to imagine her dream and capture it."  She does a beautiful job.  Go check out the rest of the pictures.  They are very inventive and lots of fun! 


Thursday, August 12, 2010

Vintage Suitcase Friday!

Last week we had the best turn out so far for VSF.  I hope it keeps getting better and better!  I love to see your ideas and share them with my readers.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Repurposing Recyclables Part 1

I have a lot of SoBe life water bottles right now.  A lot!  I have been playing the Heads or Tails game online (hoping to win a MacBook Pro) and I keep winning buy 1 get one free coupons.  The SoBe drinks were on sale buy 1 get one free last week at CVS so I got a bunch for free (CVS paid for their "one" and the coupon took care of the other "one").
I have been playing around to see how I could repurpose thesebottles and here's what I've come up with so far.


Please pardon the grainy phone photo!  I tried cutting them and realized that they are most easily cut in a spiral.  I cut just a little of this one and left a cup on the bottom.  When I showed it to my 6-year-old he begged me for it.  It stretches like a slinky and might be fun storage for little things in a kid's room.


Here is one that I colored with permanent marker and then cut 
all the way instead of leaving a cup at the bottom.  Party!




A bugcatcher?
This was made by cutting off a top portion and inverting it into the bottom portion.  It's just one bottle, pay no attention to all those others you see!  I don't know if the opening is narrow enough to trap the bugs but in theory if you do this with a regular water bottle and put something in the bottom like juice or ripe fruit you can trap fruit flies and more.  It's based off similar ideas I have seen on The Idea Room and Instructables.  If you have any ideas for reusing SoBe bottles or any plastic bottles, I'd love to hear about them!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Vintage Suitcase Friday!

I have been thrift store shopping and dreaming and reading this week.  Needless to say, no projects have been finished but this is a vital part of the creative process, is it not?  
I have discovered some lovely books at the library, the "Pretty Little" series by Lark Books.  I have checked out Pretty Little Pincushions (again). 



I also have Pretty Little Presents and Pretty Little Purses & Pouches and still others have been placed on request.  I read these books and study their pictures with a ticklish feeling in my brain as I am inspired to create variations and new things.  I have decided that what puts the tickle in "Thrifty Tickle" is the need to create, the delight in a new idea.  Sometimes (er, quite frequently) when I come up with an idea for something whether it's updating a tired calendar or replacing the cinnamon in cinnamon rolls with basil and lemon, I laugh out loud.  I really do. 

Time to link up!  Grab a button from the sidebar and tell all your friends!  This link party is still in its infancy, let's make it great.  I can't wait to see what you've redone or repurposed!




Some Project Ideas for you

Have you seen the pamphlets at Hobby Lobby in the fabric section?  They have some interesting ideas in them.  You can download them here.  Also click here to get Hobby Lobby's weekly coupon.  You might want to bookmark the link.  The link doesn't change but the coupon does.  This week it's 40% off one regular priced item.  Last week it was 30% off Rustoleum or Krylon spray paint (no limit!)
Speaking of Krylon, their website has lots of spray paint project ideas and techniques like this one.


Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Thrift Store Trip

I went to the thrift store yesterday. A few months ago, it would have been news if there was a day when I hadn't been to a thrift store. I have been trying to declutter, use what I have and stay out of the stores. (I am proud to say that I started my Totally 80s theme week with the purchase of two 97 cent cans of black spray paint and the only other thing I ended up buying for my projects was a 35 cent spool of ribbon (on sale at Hancock) for The Boot!)

Look what I found on my little outing!


No date tiles and it cost four times 
more than the other one--four whole bucks!
Ready for a transformation? 


I'm thinking of making pincushions with this stuff.
 Another theme week?


And finally, it's nice when you find something for a buck
that doesn't need any work!


Monday, August 2, 2010

Turning "Trash" into Fashion

I was looking at some different repurposing ideas and came across this.  There are some interesting ones here but why do they have to call it "trashion"? *groan*

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