Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
Recently I insisted that the kids have green beans again two days in a row which they hate (the two days in a row part) because DD wanted to do a project with me and I needed two cans for us both to make pencil cups. We covered them with random stamped paper and then used leftover ribbon from a project we had done this summer.
The kids were groaning because they had to have the green beans but I told DD hey, if you want the pencil cup you are gonna have to eat your veggies!!
There are many more moments where I am digging stuff out of recycling or protesting because DH wants to throw something out that don't paint a pretty picture on my obsession, either.
I felt justified when I was able to do a project for 50 Girl Scouts using cereal boxes -- cut em up to make sqquares for the covers on accordion book scrapbooks. DH saw the pile of recycled boxes and how much I was able to use out of it and then "got it"
I love to use recycled items in my craft projects. Someone above mentioned the egg shaped containers Legg's pantyhose use to come in. I can't tell you how much I miss those. And just tonight, as I was cleaning out my son's lunch box, I was looking at an empty Pringles Snack Stack container trying to think of something I could make out of it. Seriously, sometimes I think I need to be committed. Anyway, here's a couple of photos of projects made from recycled items.[IMG]//www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/708634?cat=500&ppuser=87092[/IMG] [IMG]//www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/708643?cat=500&ppuser=87092[/IMG]
Last edited by Wedemeyer; 09-24-2008 at 06:17 PM..
I like to save the mega-large plastic jars that protein supplement powders (glorified whey) come in...yes, we have a workin' out, fairly vain 20-something son...anyway, I don't redecorate them, but use them to mail things to our kids at college in the States.
I generally try not to save things that cannot be used to make a card--that is, they need to be fairly small or pretty flat. Love the decals remaining when you buy postage stamps...
I also repurpose a lot of things taken off commercial cards, inc. the backs of Christmas cards, which often are some nice shades of glossy cardstock!
Oh Gosh where do I begin? If you wash a soda can and cut off the lid and bottom ,lay flat and iron with a towel over it ,it works Great in a cuttlebug.Also almost any plactic sheeting on packages works to. I do alot of collage work and my newest is working on altoid tins, I just about thru a fit when I saw my husband starting to through the kipper snax tin in the trash, Hey I can use that !! Into the dishwasher instead. I,ve also used the plastic containers that hold the gloves in hair dye kits. Nothing is safe anymore!!
It's fanatastic to find so many recycling craft fanatics here. Love reading everybody's ideas. I think they should have a category in the gallery just for us. Wouldn't that be great!
Oh Gosh where do I begin? If you wash a soda can and cut off the lid and bottom ,lay flat and iron with a towel over it ,it works Great in a cuttlebug.Also almost any plactic sheeting on packages works to. I do alot of collage work and my newest is working on altoid tins, I just about thru a fit when I saw my husband starting to through the kipper snax tin in the trash, Hey I can use that !! Into the dishwasher instead. I,ve also used the plastic containers that hold the gloves in hair dye kits. Nothing is safe anymore!!
I have also used soda cans in the cuttlebug. The metal is thin enough you can use craft punches on it too. The added bonus is that it sharpens your punches and dies.
Location: Michigan's Upper Peninsula - by Lake Superior
Posts: 807
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My DH has oatmeal for breakfast every morning...so I decided to cover the boxes with some pretty designer paper...but my eyes land on the wallpaper books I have here to cover them with a more "vinyl-ish" durable nature...so I have recycled the oatmeal boxes with re-cylced wallpaper books into co-ordinating set for the bathroom to hold pads, harpoons and q-tips (which by the way are not re-cycled! LOL I also have about 6 or 8 pretty paper flour bags that I carefully opens and folded to be used for gift bags over the holidays for cookies or loaves of bread. Oh yeah...I am all over this!
I save some card-board things, but I try to think about whether or not it is going to have enough space for things. My mom is into saving the stuff I deem goofy...like the mesh bags and whatnot. I mostly do not want a drawer full of what looks like trash.
__________________ They say house cleaning never killed anyone, but why take the chance?
I buy my potatoes in the heavy paper bags that have the sturdy plastic mesh on the back side - it makes a really neat design if you lay it on cardstock and then roll over it with an inked-up brayer. You can use the mesh over and over.
The paper bags from LaSenza also have usable twill. I also use many of the other ideas mentioned here.
And a quick note to the lady using maxi-pads for her Swiffer - a few years ago there was a pattern kicking around to make spa-like slippers using maxi-pads.
aaaah... I have found my tribe... you must all be from my home planet!
I thought that I *invented* 'upcycling'
!!!
LOL!
recycling is taking over my house but I won't give it up... my scrappers are all mommies too so when we do one cute craft we may as well do 22 for the next class holiday!
( we mostly buy treats- peanut-free & well known brands on sale) but put them in fabulous containers!
it's good to have enough junk that you can experiment and have it not cost so much...
I am on the other thread too with all my ideas...
any foldup "good" cardboard box...
( admit it ykwim!)
can be turned inside out and that way the inside can be lined with pretty paper ( less wear and tear on the "good paper")
and then just label the outside extravagantly on the, NOW, Kraft exterior...
works with mandarine orange boxes, bulk canteloupe cardboard crates, pizza and other takeout boxes...
cracker boxes make great kids blocks this way too...
just lightly, almost dry brush paint a masked off square to make a central surface like a classic building block
that is stampable and paintable for the kid ( or you
more later
I just remembered...
I have to pick up the kid!
who says the week....ENDS?
fer who?????
not mommies!
__________________ if your path is boobytrapped you are probably on the right track to treasure BUT if everything is inordinately hard you probably are rushing to the final exam in the wrong place a day early.
I subbed a while back, and am thrilled to see this continuing. Made DH read this so he knows I'm not insane! He grew up in a struggling household, but his family was still ruthless about tossing stuff out. In contrast, when I go visit my grandmother I have to wade through the twist ties and washed plastic food bags to find any kitchen utensils!
The really sad part of that? I snagged the twist ties and made cat toys for all my furry friends for Christmas one year. Twenty five twisties wired together with a big one and fanned out makes a cute little pompom. I ended up with 22 of them - couldn't bear to throw the dratted things away either.
But it's nice to know I'm not the only one! I too have used a maxi pad on my swiffer, covered a nesquick container with paper for a gift, cut shapes from the embossed foil in the cappuccino mix, and currently have 14 velveeta boxes organizing colored pencils, glitter tubes, pearl-ex, and tiny paper scraps or punched pieces (color coordinated, of course).
I save toothbrushes after they've been used for about a year, too, in a velveeta box, no less. DH was pretty grossed out by this until he needed a small brush to clean some part on his new Harley and I was able to produce the perfect tool. I didn't even say I told you so. Didn't have to - he actually admitted I'm the smart one in the family.
I don't think it's smart - it's genetic, and I can't help it. Gotta go - I hear a wrapper being thrown away!
I saved my DD's plastic(Gerber) baby food containers and have all my buttons and different embellishments in them. The lids stay on nicely and they are clear so you can see whats in them. I also saved alot of her formula cans figuring I would use them someday. My house is full of " I'll use this someday" 's. LOL.
Great idea. Too bad my DD is no longer eating baby food! LOL They would also make great little containers to keep glitter in. I like to store my glitter in slightly larger containers so I can shake it right back in off the project I'm doing.
I save all the cardboard inserts that come when I order stamps from ATRS or with my SU DP. I use it to create a lot of chipboard shapes.
My favorite re-purposed item are the Q-tip plastic boxes with the flip top lid. I use one to store my small and medium size acrylic blocks in. I store Nestabilities shapes that I've cut out in another one and card candy that I've made in another. There would be lots of uses for these.
Last night, after our team was murdered on the football field, I staggered out of the concession stand where I had worked carrying a giant pickle jar in a bag and balancing about thirty empty pizza boxes to stash in my car and take to the recycling center today. I grew up with parents that lived through the worst of the Depression. My mother saved EVERYTHING and I swore I would not be like that. I would be modern~ I would throw stuff out! I would not save paper bags, neatly folded, like she did. I would not save cardboard boxes. Genetics must be stronger than I gave it credit for because I save cardboard boxes (well, I DO mail a lot of packages out and who wants to buy a box when I currently have thirty-seven perfectly good boxes in my garage) and I save bags of all types. I just wrap my logic up in new agey speak - it's recycling!
Seriously, now that I am in the habit of recycling, it's disgusting to me how much stuff goes into the landfill. Yesterday, there was an article in the paper about how a city near us recycled many thousands of tons of materials in their curbside recycling effort with a mere 30% participation. Interestingly enough, right across the same page was an article about the huge cost of a nearby community's new landfill.....Ya know the saying, you do the math? Well, I wish more people would!
I love this thread! I haven't tried it yet but I have "heard" that you can stamp on the hard plastic that is used for packaging everything and from items from the bakery at the grocery store. You can cut it into shapes with a die cutting maching and then you heat it up and it acts just like Shrinky Dinks.
I save any cardboard box that I get and break it down (take the tape off the seam at the bottom so it folds flat). They come in handy all the time, even the small ones for drawer dividers.
I have learned not to save too much as it can really pile up and overwhelm me easily. I try to find a use right away for something except for standards like boxes. Any excess can be donated to the school or any preschool. They are always looking for free supplies to make projects.
Yes, it is kind of funny the things we recycle. I save, International Coffee tins and cover them, they make great banks, candy containers and I've also used them to put gift cards in. Since that is the coffee I drink, figured I ought to do something with the tins and my grandkids love them. I also save the clear plastice mayonnaise containers, haven't used them yet, but I'm still thinking about them. Also, the Crystal Light pastice containers, both large and small, again, still thinking about them. So if anyone has some ideas for these containers, please share.
I made this ensemble for my sister for Valentine's day this year, the middle is a Crystal Light container, covered with DP and candy inside.
It has to be #6 plastic. Check the bottom where it tells you what # to recycle. I saw this in a mag.
Quote:
Originally Posted by flwrldy3
I love this thread! I haven't tried it yet but I have "heard" that you can stamp on the hard plastic that is used for packaging everything and from items from the bakery at the grocery store. You can cut it into shapes with a die cutting maching and then you heat it up and it acts just like Shrinky Dinks.
Those are just great ideas. I tend to save boxes from everything either to contain things, or to break down and use the chipboard from. It's nice to know I'm not the only one
After taking it all in I believe I have found kindred spirits!!!
Tostitos salsa,cheese Dips have the best wide mouth Jars!!!
Crystal light containers make awesome piggy banks!!!
The kids granola bars and fruit snack boxes I cut them in half the other day added some clear tape and poof awesome drawer organizes for all my pens ans markers!!
I could go on but you get the Picture.
Have a great weekend!!!
Shelley
__________________ Semper Fi !!! Still Suporting US forces in Iraq & around the world!!
I just got back from my morning walk with the dags. It's trash day in our neighborhood and as I was walking and seeing all of the recyclable (is that a word?) things in the trash waiting to go to the landfill, it made me feel bad. Piles of cardboard, stacks of bleach bottles, detergent containers, water bottles and even aluminum cans. I live in a tiny town that has no curbside recycling, only oddly named "convenience centers" that are anything but. I didn't start this thread to be about recycling, but I've had a wonderful time reading your comments and ideas. It makes me feel a little better knowing that there are others out there that try to reuse and repurpose things instead of just adding to the waste stream in this overloaded world of ours. I'm proud of ya'll!
Now, just one more thing. I confess. I actually iron used tissue paper from gifts and use it over again. If it's not great looking, I save it for lightweight packing material in packages that I send out. I realized that you could do this after learning to iron my sewing patterns just so they would fit back in the dang envelope.:rolleyes:
Jutta
My Mother and I would always save tissue paper and Christmas paper and reuse it Some papers (foil) would look nice the second time around.
that you were truly in this crafting business over your head? This morning, I emptied a box of panty liners and I was going to break the box down, tear it up and put it in the trash when I got to looking at it. That's some pretty nice, smooth white lightweight cardboard you got there, I said to myself. I'll bet it would look really good if I cut it up in the Cuttlebug. I cut all the nice white bits off and put the rest in the trash. I've reused other things before but never a panty liner box! I can't figure it out. Is this a new high for the recycling part of me or a new low on my cheapskate side?
What was your moment of realization? ;)
Ok, this just made me laugh out loud! It's great to recycle :lol:
I have to admit this made me laugh out loud as well but then made me think maybe I should relook at my pad boxes
This is a great thread! Totally not related to stamping but a great reuse idea- at our preschool they use the 2 larger sides of any cardboard type box (cereal to muffin mix) for craft projects. The kids are making collages? Glues the items to the "clean" (non printed) side. The real up side is that it make a lot of these projects WAY sturdier once all that glue has been added!
There was a card in the church bulletin this morning letting us know some news from the Christian radio station. Before reading this thread, it would have gone in the trash. However, it has piano keys all along the bottom and my SCS brain said that I'm sure I can do something with that. Maybe combine it with the CB musical notes folder. You ladies always get me thinking. I frequently dream about stamping, too.
I recently got a wedding invite that had the prettiest sheer chocolate colored ribbon wrapped around it with a pretty bow and also the inside
envelope had gold foil lining it. You KNOW where all that went! lol
Then last year when I wanted one of those clear plastic ribbon holders that
cost about $20 I started looking around for what I could use instead.
I had a 5 quart plastic ice cream tub with a wire handle that I had washed
and kept to use for 'somethng' someday. I punched
holes all around it and on the lid and put pieces of ribbon thru the
holes and it looks pretty good and even has a handle for carrying and is
light weight.
I search yard sales and estate sales for ribbon and rick rack and lace and
buttons etc. That is where 75% of mine comes from.
And of course I have a cheerios and a pie box that is nice and white inside, folded up and ready to take down to my craft room on my next trip downstairs.
Oh man, when I realized I was in too far, was just about a month ago when I noticed the 6 cute buttons on my 26 month olds shirt were a PERFECT pink pirhouette color and a 3/8" round flower shape. It is her "barbear thurt" (translation: strawberry shirt) and I suddenly was convinced it was too small for her, therefore she didn't need it and I could tear the 6 buttons off. But then I saw her worried upset look as mommy was telling her "no more strawberry shirt" and it made me feel guilty.......... so, naturally, I decided to go to Hobby Lobby and buy some cheap buttons to replace the perfectly pink pirhouette ones that I *needed*!
IT'S TERRIBLE!!!!
That is sooooo funny!!! LOL My chuckle for the day. You are very resourceful.
These International tins are great for storage. Years ago they changed the top of the tin - it used to be straight (much better for storage) and added a kind of lip. I even called the company to complain.
Back to the topic. The foil like top is great to mat an image or emboss in the Cuttlebug.
I have said this on other threads - I even resort to buying new (huge) gift bags at the dollar store for embossing.
Boy, do I ever know what you mean. I've become incapable of throwing away any type of glass jar. My favorites are from Tostitos queso dip (perfect for storing primas and dewdrops) and spaghetti jars (great for little treat gifts or money jars). It's pretty sad how often we're having nachos these days.... but I really want all my storage to match!
I laughed out loud when I read your last sentence. That is so me. I love reusing things, but I need things to match. My dh always rolls his eyes at me when I mention needing something to be even or to match. He just doesn't get it ;)
Chiming in on the panty liner theme: My housekeeping high came when I used maxi pads on my Swiffer Wet Jet. The sticky on the pad holds nicely while I mop. The wings fold over the sides and stick nicely. The thing is super absorbent. The extra long pad cover the entire mop head. The maxi pad is disposable. The maxi pad is waaaaaaayyyyyyyy cheaper than the Swiffer pads. I gave myself an award for this idea. ha ha.
And now back to our regularly scheduled programming....
(Love this thread!!!!! It made my day!)
This is tooooo funny! and incredibly resourceful! I hope you gave yourself a super wonderful reward for this one!
To keep your jars coming - make one of these for a change:
- creamy mexican soup . . . leftover chicken bits or ground beef, chicken (or beef) broth, leftover bits of corn, rice, beans, peppers, black olives, onion . . . even carrots and green beans
Goals for 2015 50 scrapbook pages/50 cards---progress 35/50 cards Complete my daughter's wedding scrapbook album Spend more time enjoying my friends and not so much time obsessing on work!!!
I noticed this way back when I noticed that the light bulb boxes (the old kind) were made out of nice corragated cardboard! I loved using that on my cards. I have to say my garbage I throw away has gotten smaller but I now have a bunch of stuff I have to store - My recyclables for crafting!
I have saved the bows that are on the front of my bras. The problem: I haven't used them yet because I'm afraid my girlfriends might recognize them! LOL
