Recycled Food Container Gift Wrapping

15th May2013

Recycled Food Container Gift Wrapping

by Dinah Wulf

Who says cereal and cracker boxes can’t be pretty? I don’t know about you, but I hate spending money on gift boxes. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that most people do to, because at every party I’ve been to in the last few years have gift tables, filled with gift bags with tissue paper hanging out the top. Am I right? So, I decided to use what I already had available and came up with recycled food container gift wrapping.

A very special birthday came up recently for my beautiful twin baby God Daughters. Since it was their first birthday, I went all out and bought matching clothes and a couple other things. Since the clothes are still so very cute but tiny, food boxes are the perfect size for their little outfits.

Oh yeah… I better wrap them. I made some coffee filter paper flowers and decided to die the paper flowers as well. After they were dry, I trimmed the ones that went on the smaller boxes with scissors. It was sort of like trimming a real flower. I cut out green leaves out of card stock and hot glued the flowers on, and added ribbon.

Here is a photo of the gift assembled all together. My God Daughter, Jamie is the pink package and her sister Brooklyn gets the purple package.

I bought the chairs at one of my favorite stores, Homegoods. They just happen to have one purple and one pink so I couldn’t resist! Here is the back.

The actual party isn’t for a few weeks, but I can’t wait to show you the Alice in Wonderland extravaganza that I know it’ll be!

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Category : DIY Budget Party, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Baby Shower Ideas, Birthday Party Ideas, Gift Ideas, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose

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30th Apr2013

How to Make a Citrus Floating Candle

by Dinah Wulf

My brother was on Facebook the other day and a friend of his posted a picture of how to make a candle from an orange. I thought that several of these citrus floating candles would be perfect for an evening summer party centerpiece. We were visiting our dad recently and decided to try it out in his kitchen. Here is a quick tutorial on how to make a citrus floating candle.

Materials:

Orange
Knife
Cutting board
Spoon
Cooking oil
Water
Bowl or vase
Lighter

Step One: Cut an orange in half.

Step Two: Using a spoon, scoop out the orange leaving the center pith of the orange is intact. This will be used as the wick.

Step Three: Pour cooking oil into your orange. Any cooking oil like vegetable, canola, or olive oil will work.

Step Four: Carefully light your “wick”. It may take several seconds to light (longer than a regular wick). Note: We sliced the bottom of our orange so that it would not roll. Be careful not to pierce through the bottom. You do not have to do this if you are going to place it in water.

Step Five: Place your floating candle in the desired vessel with water.

Ta-dah! We used a medium sized orange. We were able to burn the candle for about three and a half to four hours. Be careful if you are doing this project with your kids!

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Category : Crafts, DIY Budget Party, Holidays, Special Occasions

Tags : Centerpieces, Christmas, Dinah's Tutorials, Repurpose, Repurposing Ideas, Thanksgiving, Upcycling Ideas, Wedding Ideas

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25th Mar2013

Plastic Cup Garbage Can

by Dinah Wulf

My best friend Jenny had a brilliant craft idea the other day (BTW, it was recently her birthday! Happy Birthday, Best Friend!). She told me that being the busy on the go mom that she is, she always keeps a large fast food plastic cup in her car for all the litter she accrues throughout the day from having four kids. This plastic cup garbage can for her car is very handy; she admitted however her main complaint is that it’s ugly. So, together we decided to make a car garbage can by recycling large plastic fast food cups. Similar to making a recycled drink container sunglasses case or pencil holder.

Here is what you need:

Large plastic cup with a lid
Scissors
Decorative paper
Paper Cutter
Mod Podge
Paint brush
Embellishments like craft punches or stickers (optional)

Here are the cups we used. Make sure it fits in the cup holder of your car! Some are too large. It’s also best if you have a lid to hide the trash.

We picked out some of our favorite patterns and colors and using a paper cutter, cut out strips to decoupage onto the cup. The angles of your strips will vary depending on the size and circumference of your cup… this part is a bit tricky.

Using a decoupage medium, apply several layers onto the cup allowing it to dry completely in between each coat.

Embellish your cup however you’d like. We used craft punches for flowers and circles for the lid and stickers to spell out “trash”.

Allow it to dry completely… tah dah! There you have it… an aesthetically pleasing trash can for your car!

I hope you enjoyed this creative way to recycle plastic!

**Being the creative recycler that I am, I am excited to partner up with Arrowhead® 100% Mountain Spring Water’s ReBorn™ Bottle made with 50% recycled plastic! Join me and Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water in the recycling movement today! What are some creative crafty ways to recycle a plastic water bottle?** #Spon

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Category : Crafts

Tags : Craft Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, Gift Ideas, Mod Podge, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Upcycling Ideas

3 Comm

20th Mar2013

Recycled Clock Watch Display Case

by Dinah Wulf

I am so excited to have Lilly Meehan back today to share her Recycled Clock Watch Display Case. Be sure to check out her other DIY Inspired thrifty makeover contributions, her upcycled thrift store penny table and her thrift store chair makeover. Thanks again, Lilly for sharing!

Written By: Lilly Meehan, Ventura, CA

I used to collect heart shaped watches. I stopped collecting and wearing them a few years ago. In cleaning out for a garage sale, I decided to do this project. A small clock was purchased at a thrift store. The mechanism of the clock was removed and all the inner workings. Glitter paper was placed as a background and a plastic circle was added for strength. The frame was painted to match. Each watch had the band removed and was cleaned.

Notice that the watch in the 1:00 position is set to 1:00, the watch set in the 2:00 position is set to 2:00, and so on. Some unused post earrings were added for even more bling. The watches in the center are set to my birth date. I was born on July 16, so the top three are set to 7:16. Now I can enjoy the collection in a visual display despite not wearing the watches anymore.

I was going to make it a working clock at first, and did buy a new clock mechanism for that reason. However, it was just so busy as is and it seemed unnecessary to add the watch hands. I made it not to be used in a practical sense but to be a display piece. In the past I have made several jeweled Christmas trees from old rhinestone/costume jewelry, this is along those same lines.

Do you have a project you’d like to share? Submit your DIY Projects or crafts for a chance to be featured on DIYInspired.com!

************* Giveaway Alert!***************

ENTER TO WIN!

Today, my daughter and I crafted with the dogs on our new kid-friendly rug!

You can win your own 6’ X 9’ SmartStrand bound carpet rug. Go to the contest page to enter. SmartStrand carpet is rated #1 in consumer satisfaction… Experience it for yourself!

The contest starts Monday, March 18th and ends April 8th. Please see the registration page for legal rules.

A big THANK YOU to Mohawk Flooring for sponsoring this giveaway!

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Category : DIY Artwork

Tags : Guest Author, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Upcycling Ideas

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18th Mar2013

Stuffed Animal Toy Storage

by Dinah Wulf

Today I had to share my obsession with reuse and repurposing… either that or I’m a hoarder I haven’t quite figured that out yet or at least come to terms with “hoarding”. I turned literal trash into a centerpiece and then into stuffed animal toy storage. Yeah I know. I have issues.

I originally found this plant hanger next to the trash by the side of our house when we first moved in last year. I ended up cleaning it up, painting it, embellishing it, and using it as an outdoor chandelier for my daughter’s outdoor summer birthday party. It was hung in the center of a tent with a nice adult seating area and turned out quite lovely.

I didn’t want to throw it away so I ended up hanging it in my daughter’s room for stuffed animal toy storage. It worked out perfectly because it matched the butterfly wall art, stenciled burlap butterfly wall art, I made and ceiling fan that I installed. Since I used the pearls and beads sparingly when decorating the chandelier, small stuffed animals can easily be taken in and out. My daughter loves it and calls it her hanging zoo (and sometimes her hanging jail, but zoo is much nicer).

When I first saw that pile of unwanted trash, I would have never thought I’d be hanging it in my toddler’s room, but it worked out! This old plant hanger, once dirty and trashy, is now a sweet treasure that I think my daughter will have for several years to come.

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Category : Kid Stuff, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Repurposing Ideas, Upcycling Ideas

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15th Mar2013

Drink Mix Container Drink Sunglasses Case

by Dinah Wulf

The other day I asked on my Facebook page, “I made a decoupage pencil box out of a Crystal Light drink mix container… what else can I make/do with them?? Any ideas?” I got some great suggestions. In particular, I loved the comment made by Lorena Leon-Cruz when she said, “I use them to store my cut up celery and carrots and block cheese in the fridge. I also decorated one for sunglasses. My aunt uses them for her crochet hooks.” Immediately I knew I would take her suggestion and make a Drink Mix Container Drink Sunglasses Case.

Materials:

Plastic drink mix container
Paper Cutter
Ruler
Decorative paper (I used scrapbook paper and an old map)
Mod Podge
Paint brush

Here is the container that I used.

See? It fit my sunglasses perfectly!

I chose some pretty scraps of scrapbook paper and an old map left over from my Recycled map Drawer makeover I did.

Using a paper cutter I cut one inch thick strips approximately 8.5” in length. I used Mod Podge to decoupage the strips to the container.

Note: Towards the top, where the container is curved, I cut the strips in half due to the angle of the box.

Here is what it looks like when it is dry (approximately 15 minutes).

Here are two more AFTER photos.

This is such a fun and easy DIY gift idea. Some other suggestions from my Facebook page were toy storage, art supplies, and sewing kits. Think twice before throwing away your drink mix containers!

Do you have a project you’d like to share? Submit your DIY Projects or crafts for a chance to be featured on DIYInspired.com!

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Category : Crafts, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Dinah's Tutorials, Gift Ideas, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Upcycling Ideas. Mod Podge

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07th Mar2013

Repurposed Vintage Door Knobs

by Dinah Wulf

One of my favorite things to do on the weekend is peruse vintage flea markets. I have noticed that you can find vintage door knobs in abundance and for a decent price. They come in various colors and styles and in in different materials like glass and metal as well. Sometimes you can even find the original matching door knob plate. I thought I’d put together some ideas for repurposing vintage door knobs. The more patina there is, the more beautiful and unique the project. Here are seven fantastic inspirations for repurposed vintage door knobs.

This is a vintage glass door knob photo holder from Etsy shop, RustiqueArt.

Here is another clever and fun idea for a photo holder.

I love the idea of using a pretty glass door knob as a curtain tie back.

Here is a cute idea from Restoring the Roost in which she made a useful door knob hanger for aprons in her kitchen. She also suggests this for hanging coats in your mudroom.

I love this similar idea for a door knob coat rack using salvaged wood. It doubles as a pretty art piece as well.

A great way to display and organize jewelry, here is a door knob necklace holder.

This may be one of my favorites and one I may have to steal! I like this idea of using the door knob and the plates for holding towels in your bathroom from Not Just a Housewife.

I hope you enjoyed these fun ideas. Can you think of more creative ways to repurpose a door knob?

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Category : Trash To Treasure

Tags : Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Repurposing Ideas, Upcycling Ideas

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05th Mar2013

Easy Coffee Filter Paper Flowers

by Dinah Wulf

Ever since I purchase a reusable plastic coffee filter, I have had extra paper coffee filters in my cupboard. I took them out once before, and was inspired to make this coffee filter wreath that turned out quite nice. Since then I have search for recycled coffee filter ideas and have found quite a few. I particularly liked the coffee filter flowers so I decided to try my own version. Here is a SUPER easy coffee filter paper flowers how-to by yours truly.

Materials:

Coffee filters (4 per flower)
Small rubber bands or small hair bands
Wooden skewer or dowel
Old book pages
Scissors
Hot glue and hot glue gun

There are many tutorials on this but I found this to be the absolute easiest and quickest way to make them. I sat in my craft room for a few hours trying different ways! You can also dye them by dipping the filters in a little bit of food coloring and water and allowing them to dry on newspaper for about 30 minutes. I chose to keep mine white because I like the look of the starch white, old book pages, and green vase.

Step One:

Pinch the center of one coffee filter and bunch upwards as shown above.

Step Two:

Set the first “bunch in the center of a second coffee filter and repeat the same bunching motion.

Step Three:

Repeat Step Two until you have four coffee filters. Using a small rubber band (I used a child sized hair band) and secure the top of the paper flower “stem”. It will look like this.

Step Four:

Cut out paper flower petals out of old book pages.

Step Five:

Add a skewer or wooden dowel as a stem and hot glue on the book page petals.

Here is a picture of a smaller flower. For this one I used four coffee filters, however I cut them about a half inch shorter.

Hope you try it!

Do you have a project you’d like to share? Submit your DIY Projects or crafts for a chance to be featured on DIYInspired.com!

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Category : Crafts, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Centerpieces, Craft Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, paper crafts, Paper Flowers, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Upcycling Ideas

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28th Feb2013

Reading Nook for Kids

by Dinah Wulf

I saw this fantastic idea using spice racks to hold books on Pinterest. I love this reading nook idea because it takes little space, and adds charm and character while encouraging good reading habits to our little ones. When I went to IKEA however, these wooden spice racks were nowhere to be found. I decided to keep looking and stumbled upon some photo ledges that I thought would fit perfectly for a reading nook I had wanted to make for my daughter for her room.

Here is what her wall looked like before. It was plain and sad with an off centered organization board I made last year. Blah and boring!

I found a fun cherry blossom decal and added it to the plain walls along with two photo ledges at a height that would make it easy for my toddler to reach. I hung them off set from one another.

Here is a close up.

I purchased and painted some wooden letters to spell out “books” and “read” with acrylic craft paint. I didn’t originally plan on it saying “read books” but I found an old curb side pick-up frame that I thought would look cute around the words.

Here another photo. It turned out quite nice.

My daughter actually picks up and reads her books more often now because they are displayed. No longer hidden in her organization cubes, her books are now easily accessible and a constant reminder that she has them!

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Category : Kid Stuff

Tags : Dinah's Tutorials, Repurpose, Storage Ideas

7 Comm

25th Feb2013

100 Creative Ways to Recycle

by Dinah Wulf

I am very close to publishing 500 posts on this blog in less than two years! Geesh!! Looking back, many of these posts (if not all) are focused on reuse and repurposing. I thought I’d put together a round-up of some of these amazing ideas I have found over the past several months. Once you get the repurposing and upcycling bug, you see the world differently. All of a sudden, you become a hoarder of toilet paper rolls and spaghetti jars. You even think twice before selling a piece of furniture on Craigslist. I stopped at 100, but I know there are many more! They range from furniture transformations, craft projects, and home décor and organization ideas. Some are quite simple, and some will take some DIY experience. Here are 100 Creative Ways to Recycle. Here we go!

8 Ways to Recycle Coffee Filters

16 Stylish Headboards

7 Unique Repurposed Table Ideas

5 Repurposed Storage Ideas to Update an Entryway

15 Ways to Reuse Old Shutters

10 Ways to Repurpose a Door

6 Upcycling Ideas for the Kitchen

My Top 15 Recycled Craft Projects of 2012

7 Ideas for Repurposed Furniture in your Bathroom

11 Upcycled Lighting Ideas

I hope you enjoyed my recycling inspired round-up. Like I said, there are many more on this blog… at least one hundred I know for sure!

What are some creative ways that you recycle? Are you a toilet paper hoarder like me?

Pass it on!

Category : Trash To Treasure

Tags : Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Repurposed Furniture, Repurposing Ideas, Storage Ideas, Upcycling Ideas

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22nd Feb2013

Painted Colored Glass Vases

by Dinah Wulf

I went thrift store shopping the other day in search of some new projects and came up empty handed. I even went to five different thrift stores. On my way home I pass Goodwill. Being the cheapskate I am I didn’t plan on stopping in because I think their prices are too high, but having an already unsuccessful trip, I turned in. As I walked through the doors I hear that there was a 50% off sale on green tagged items today over the intercom. Score! I ended up purchasing some glass vases. I decided that painted colored glass vases would be a nice touch as decorative accents in my kitchen.

Pictured below are the glasses I purchased. I got all five of them for $6.95! When looking for glasses to paint, pay attention to the shape and texture of the glass to achieve your desired look. Take the time to make your own arrangement on the store shelf to help you decide which ones to purchase.

Here is what you need:

Glass vases in varied sizes and shapes
Acrylic craft paint in the desired colors
Paint brush for each paint color
Paper plates
Damp paper towel

Step One: Once you have chosen your vases, clean them with soap and water and dry them thoroughly.

Step Two: Apply a generous amount of paint. I mixed my paint first because I could not find the exact color I wanted.

Step Three: Slowly tilt and turn the vase to cover the inside of the glass. When you reach the lip of the vase, use a paint brush to neatly apply the paint and cover the entire inside of the glass.

Step Four: Allow the paint to dry.

Here are some after photos:

Note: I use these vases for decorative purposes only. Do not fill with water or wash in the dishwasher.

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Category : Crafts, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Centerpieces, Dinah's Tutorials, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Repurposing Ideas, Upcycling Ideas

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19th Feb2013

Upcycled Designs by mush.room studio

by Dinah Wulf

I e-meet so many inspiring and creative artist every week, especially on my Facebook page. Recently, I had the honor of meeting Vicky from mush.room studio. Mush.room studio is a collaboration of architect and design. They turn ordinary objects such as newspaper or glass bottles into fabulous yet useful art. I wanted to share some of these unique creations with you today. Here are six Upcycled Designs by mush.room studio.

This is a custom made floor lamp with an old metal structure, bottles of Coca-Cola, and wooden bottom.

Here is a clever table lamp with a black shade from an old jar and newspaper sculpture.

This is a unique Marilyn Monroe inspired lamp with a metal structure and a piece of salvaged drift wood for the base.

Made from an old drawer and reused as a shelf, this piece is painted inside with the Abraham Lincoln quote, “I am a slow walker but I never walk backwards.” This may be my favorite one. I would have never thought to have put a quote on the inside of the shelf. It’s a nice touch that can be personalized. Also pictured are custom made cushions with one –of-a-kind designs.

These are custom handmade signs made from old wood or drift wood with sayings like “home sweet home”, “imagine”, and “dream “. You can use them as ornaments, gift embellishments, or hang them in your home.

Thank you so much, Vicky for sharing your designs! Don’t forget to show your support on the mush.room studio Facebook page!

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Category : Inspiring People

Tags : Repurpose, Repurposed Furniture, Upcycling Ideas

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11th Feb2013

8 DIY Girls Room Ideas

by Dinah Wulf

My daughter and I were playing in her bedroom the other day. She wanted me to lie down on the floor and tuck me in, just like Mommy and Daddy does. She brought me her pillow, her blanket, and two of her dolls. As I laid there I looked around at her room and realized that I have made a lot of the things in her room so I thought I put together a roundup of 8 DIY Girls Room Ideas and tutorials that I have done.

Stenciled Butterfly Wall Art – I made this out of an old (ugly) painting, burlap, stencils and craft butterflies.
Plant Hanger Chandelier- Every girl, especially tween girls who walk into Mia’s room LOVE this chandelier and thinks it’s so cool. To think I made it out of a plant hanger I found in a trash pile on the side of the house when we first moved in!
Butterfly Wall Art- I made these one day literally out of boredom from left overs in my craft closet.
Lampshade Update – OK, so I didn’t technically make the lamp shade but I did dress it up a bit with ribbon and a butterfly J
Ribbon Organization Board – Another recycled project, I made this out of an old painting and my daughter’s first baby blanket.
Refurbished Play Table – This was an old Disney princess table that was about to be thrown away. I picked it up and re-painted it and added cushions and fabric to the seats.
Updated Storage Bins- Thought I’d give these otherwise boring bins an inexpensive facelift.
Updated Sconces – Just add the desired paint to some thrift store sconces and voila!

There you have it! I made most of these from unwanted items and turned trash into treasure…well, at least for my daughter!

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Category : Kid Stuff

Tags : Craft Ideas, Decorating Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, Repurpose, Upcycling Ideas

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16th Jan2013

Upcycling Ideas for the Kitchen

by Dinah Wulf

Writing this blog, I see so many amazing and creative upcycling ideas. Upcycling is when you take something old or unused and turn it into something more useful and beautiful. It’s not a new idea by any means; rather I think it has become more of a fun a trend in today’s tough economy. I’ve done my share of recycled craft projects but some people just amaze me with the things that they create. Today, I wanted to focus specifically on upcycling ideas for the kitchen.

This if a fun idea from Sweet Something Design. She turned a “hideous glitter tray” she found at a discount craft store, spray painted it a glossy white, and covered it with recycled bottle caps that she also spray painted in her favorite Summer time colors. With a layer of acrylic water on top, she turned this unwanted tray into a fabulous serving tray.

Now this upcycling idea is pure genius. I would have never thought of it. This is a recycled child’s puzzle play mat turned into a kitchen mat from DIY Show Off. With a little primer, paint, and creativity, she created New Orleans poster inspired kitchen floor mat.

Oh how I wish I had the source for this one! I found this on Pinterest a long time ago, saved the picture, and lost the source. L If anyone knows, please leave a comment to I can give them credit! This is an old cabinet door turned into a lovely menu board! Who wouldn’t want this in their kitchen???

A fabulous idea from Life Hacker, this is an old fence turned kitchen peg board!

OK, here’s another one I lost the source for!! I feel horrible. Again, please let me know if this one is yours! This upcycled lighting idea is unique FOR SURE and I can’t picture it in any other room BUT the kitchen. They are colorful vintage colanders turned chandelier!

Fun fun fun! This next piece of inspiration is from The Crafted Sparrow. Turn that jar of pennies sitting in your closet into fabulous kitchen wall art!

So many ideas, so little time. Hope you enjoyed my favorite upcycling ideas for the kitchen!

Here are some more fun trash to treasure ideas and tutorials! In case you missed them!

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Category : Trash To Treasure

Tags : Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Upcycling Ideas

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10th Jan2013

Craft Room Ideas

by Dinah Wulf

We moved into this house in February of this year and we never used the office. I housed all my craft supplies in the closet, and had an old desk, filing cabinet, and office chair in it but that was it. So this year when my husband asked what I wanted for Christmas, I thought it’d be the perfect opportunity to turn the office into a craft room. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to share my reveal and put together some helpful craft room ideas.

Here is the room before with a picture of the closet.

Eventually, I would like to do some more garage sale and thrift store shopping and refurbish some furniture to add (that’s why you can’t see the right side of the room…. Ha!), however to start the organization process, IKEA had an explosion in this room. We bought the shelving and craft table there, as well as the blue metal kitchen cart I used for my sewing machine and fabric. If you look at the first picture above you can see the bar stools I upcycled as well. Here’s a close up of the kitchen cart.

I loved this table because it had extra storage in the legs.

I also organized the drawers according to materials.

I added wire baskets from the dollar bins at Target for added storage as well.

The DIY colored glass Mason Jars I made were perfect to organize the items I use all the time and made them easily accessible.

I hung a magnetic board on the side of the shelving unit and added little magnets to small plastic bottles to store some notions and small beads.

On the top of my shelving unit, I displayed my white frame, a free curb side score.

I also placed my repurposed spice rack up there…

And I used some glass containers and made some recycled craft jars filled with DIY necessities to display on top (both pretty and useful).

On the unfinished side of the room I hung my craft organization board I made from a free, unwanted, and ugly painting I found.

Lastly, I hung a little inspiration from a Blogger Socal Social I attended. It was part of my swag bag! It says, “Your spark can be a flame and change everything” by E.D. Nixon.

Pass it on!

Category : DIY Tips and Tricks, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Craft Ideas, Mason Jar Crafts, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Repurposing Ideas, Storage Ideas, Upcycling Ideas

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03rd Jan2013

Recycled Craft Jars

by Dinah Wulf

OK, I’m not going to lie. Sometimes I purchase things because of the packaging. If I know I can reuse things, I feel like I get my money’s worth. That’s what initially attracted me to Sir Kensington’s Gourmet Scooping Ketchup. OK, the packaging was a bonus but I also liked that the ketchup is an all-natural healthy alternative to the average commodity ketchup… much better for my little Mia! It has half the sugar and half the sodium of regular ketchup! So, after I used up my jars (BTW, I used it in my turkey and vegetable meatloaf…. And it was amazing), I decided to turn them into Recycled Craft Jars for my new craft room (that post coming soon).

Here is what you’ll need:

Clean Sir Kensington’s Gourmet Scooping Ketchup Jars
Drill
Drawer Knob
Old Book Page or magazine or scrapbook paper
Circle craft punch
Scissors and/or paper cutter
Ribbon
Double sided tape or glue

First, I cleaned out my jars (a regular and mini… so cute and perfect for glamping).

Next, I cut out an old book page to fit around the existing label; two inches wide for the regular jar and one inch wide for the mini jar.

I also covered the regular sized jar with some decorative ribbon.

Using a circle craft punch, I cut out a circle for the lid and attached it with double sided tape. I didn’t cover the mini jar because the knob I chose has a base that covers the label perfectly.

After the top is covered, drill a hole in the center of the lid.

Insert your drawer knob.

Ta Dah! Super adorable recycled craft jars or anything jars! I used mine for beads and straight pins. I have made these before with Mason Jars and they make the perfect candy jar and gift.

Pass it on!

Category : Crafts, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Craft Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, Gift Ideas, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Sponsored, Upcycling Ideas

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02nd Jan2013

Top 15 Recycled Crafts and Projects of 2012

by Dinah Wulf

It is so tough to figure out what the top projects are for the 2012, especially when you have to sort through over 200 posts I wrote this year! I ended up narrowing them down specifically to recycled, repurposed, or upcycled projects. All of these got a lot of love from social media. They have been liked, shared, pinned, tweeted, emailed, stumbled upon, you name it! Here are my Top 15 Recycled Crafts and Projects of 2012. Enjoy!

A quick and easy project, this Recycled Coffee Bean Sack Pillow is an inexpensive way to add style to your outdoor patio furniture.
Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping out of recycled grocery bags is the way to go for any occasion.
There are several tutorials out there for this one! Here is the quickest, cheapest, and easiest way to make DIY Colored Glass.
I found these night stands for $5.00 each! Here is how I Refurbished Garage Sale Night Stands.
What do you do with all those fabulous cards you receive every year in your mailbox? Recycle them of course into a Recycled Christmas Card Ornament. This craft was re-pinned over 500 times and counting on Pinterest!
Another steal for five bucks, here is a fun Garage Sale Bench Makeover I made by adding a cushion and pretty fabric.
A SUPER inexpensive way to add flair to your guest room, here is how I made Shoe Box Lid Wall Art out of old shoe box lids and stencils.
A popular retail wreath that you can no longer buy was circulating through social media this year. Here is my version of a Recycled Book Page Butterfly Wreath.
From an old iron plant hanger I found in a garbage pile, I made this Repurposed Plant Hanger chandelier for my daughter’s bedroom.
Another super easy and fun way to recycle those old Christmas cards is to make Repurposed Bottle Cap Magnets out of them!
You know you drink out of those plastic water bottles all the time! Make Recycled Water Bottle Flowers to embellish gifts or other craft projects.
This is a fun macramé tutorial I did to make a Recycled Mason Jar Lantern that is perfect for your back yard or patio.
Another fun water bottle project, make these Recycled Water Bottle Butterflies, a project easy enough for the kids to do.
This little sucker is pretty darn sturdy and has still lasted this whole year. Here is how to make a Recycled Magazine Bowl.
I reused an old painting I no longer loved and my daughter’s first baby blanket to make a Recycled Painting Organization Board.

Here are some more fun trash to treasure ideas and tutorials! In case you missed them!

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Category : Crafts, Trash To Treasure

Tags : paper crafts, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Refurbishing Ideas, Repurpose, Repurposing Ideas, Upcycling Ideas

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27th Dec2012

DIY Craft Organization Board

by Dinah Wulf

This painting I found was in a pile of unwanted garage sale items about to hit the trash. Lucky for me, I was able to salvage a few of them before their journey to the garbage dump and ultimate demise. I am re-doing my office into a craft room…yay… and wanted to turn this old painting into a craft organization board. I made an organization board for my daughter’s room with an old painting and her first baby blanket, but for this one, I wanted to make it a little different. With a little tender loving care I literally turned this piece of trash into my treasure.

Here is a Before and After shot.

Materials You May Need:

Old Painting (best if it’s free!)
Paint or spray paint in the color of choice
Paint brush
Painter’s tape (optional)
Material (amount depends on the size of the frame)
Ribbon
Staple gun and staples
Hammer and nails (depending on frame)
Pliers
Imagination (this one is free too!)

Step One: Disassemble your frame.

For this particular frame the canvas popped right out. It was nailed to the frame, so I had to carefully remove the nails. At this point I cleaned both the canvas and frame as best as I could.

Step Two: Paint your frame.

This frame has a fun natural fiber edge to it (score!) so I had to use painter’s tape to protect the edges. I used left over paint I had from other projects. Otherwise, I would have spray painted it because it would have been easier and faster. I applied two coats of paint.

Step Three: Cover the canvas.

While I was waiting for the paint to dry, I covered the canvas with some utility fabric that I bought using a staple gun. I added a pocket for extra storage, and ribbon as well. I played around with the ribbon until I got my desired pattern. I attached the ribbon using the staple gun as well.

Step Four: Reassemble the frame.

For this particular frame, I had to nail the canvas back onto the frame.

Here are a few After photos.

That’s it! This project was so fun for me, and now I have a fun piece for my new craft room! Sneak peek coming soon!

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Category : Crafts, Kid Stuff, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Craft Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Repurposed Furniture, Repurposing Ideas, Storage Ideas, Upcycling Ideas

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19th Dec2012

Recycled Coffee Bean Sack Pillow

by Dinah Wulf

I purchased these coffee bean sacks from a flea market a while ago. They have been sitting in my craft closet just waiting to be transformed. Ever since we remodeled our patio, I knew I wanted to make this Recycled Coffee Bean Sack Pillow. I knew it would look fabulous on my new outdoor furniture. It also helps that the wood looked perfectly refinished thanks to Teak Master. Here is how it turned out.

So, you know my issues with sewing. So here is the spot where I make a disclaimer… since I’m not confident in my sewing skills, this is not a tutorial (in my head anyway), it’s rather a post showing you how I made this. I’m not sure if it’s right or wrong. I just know how I happen to make it!

First I cut out the area of the coffee bean sack that I wanted to showcase. I cut it about an inch and a half wider and longer than my pillow.

I pinned it inside out using straight pins.

I broke out my sewing machine and… yep… you guessed it… sewed in a straight line, leaving an opening for the pillow.

I turned the pillow case right side out and inserted the pillow.

Next, I pinned the opening to make it easier to hand stitch.

Finally I hand stitched it closed. The beauty of working with a burlap sack is that you can’t really notice the hand stitching.

Voila! Now you have a fun Recycled Coffee Bean Sack Pillow! Here are some after photos.

If you need some tips on how to care for burlap, I have a few for you!

Here are some more fun trash to treasure ideas and tutorials!

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Category : Crafts, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Dinah's Tutorials, DIY Burlap Crafts, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Repurposing Ideas, Spring, Summer, Upcycling Ideas

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10th Dec2012

Happy Meal Toy Memory Ornaments

by Dinah Wulf

I don’t know about you but I am guilty of going through the McDonald’s drive thru every once in a while. My daughter loves it, so maybe twice a month she gets to go. Just like when I was a kid, she loves getting the toy in each chicken nugget Happy Meal that we order. Most if the time, the toy sits in a toy bin and eventually gets thrown away. I have to admit there are some toys that are just too cute to be trashed. My best friend was throwing a box of Happy Meal toys away and I stole these out of the box to make these Happy Meal Toy Memory Ornaments. .. that’s right… literal trash to treasure! After all, we ARE big fans of Hello Kitty in this household!

All you need for this is:

Drill
Frame Eye Hook
Ribbon
Marker (to write the date)

This works for practically any Happy Meal Toy that you want to keep. You just have to find the right spot to drill the hole.

The frame eye hook screws in nicely.

Add a ribbon and write the date and tah-dah… instant memory ornament! Happy Meal toys are great because they are typically light weight as well, easy to hang, and won’t weigh down your branches.

OK this one was already a Christmas ornament but here it is anyway!

Consider repurposing other items as memory ornaments like action figures, Legos, small doll accessories, keys, or board game pieces. You can also glam them up a bit by adding a little sparkle with glitter or gems.

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Category : Holidays, Kid Stuff, Kids Craft Ideas

Tags : Christmas, Craft Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Upcycling Ideas

2 Comm

27th Nov2012

CD Tower Advent Calendar

by Dinah Wulf

I was so excited to make an advent calendar this year because my daughter is finally old enough. I searched online for some inspiration and saw some great advent calendar ideas but none that I really wanted to do. Then one day, I was getting my guest room ready for some visiting friends and saw a CD tower that I had from college. I currently use this piece of repurposed furniture to house guest room necessities like towels, toiletries, pens, paper, and such. The cubbies are so useful and would be perfect to hold little wrapped gifts for my advent calendar… and it’s RED! Here’s how I made my CD Tower Advent Calendar.

This project only costs me $20, including all the little trinkets and presents inside. I know that’s a little more than most advent calendars, but still budget friendly. I bought items in the dollar bins that had three or more items in a package and broke the package up to save money. Some things I bought were pens, erasers, candy, stickers, hair clips, plastic play jewelry, and the last one… the grand finale… a Dora Explorer jump rope that costs $1.50.

I bought red and green paper sacks and different types of ribbon to embellish the packages (of course using my coupons AND shopping on black Friday). I used circle craft punches and printed numbers and letters on my computer. I thought the circles were perfect because they looked like ornaments. I punched a small hole on top and added ribbon for each number ornament. I also alternated the colors. With my left over paper and ribbon, I made a “days til Christmas” banner to go down the middle on the CD Tower.

Here are some more pictures.

Hope you like it!

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Oh! By the way! Uncarved (it that a word?) pumpkins last forever! Geesh! So I had to turn my Hello Kitty pumpkin into a Christmas Hello Kitty!

Until tomorrow!

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Category : Holidays, Kid Stuff

Tags : Christmas, Dinah's Tutorials, Repurpose, Repurposed Furniture, Repurposing Ideas, Storage Ideas, Upcycling Ideas

5 Comm

05th Nov2012

Shoe Box Lid Wall Art

by Dinah Wulf

I’ve said it a hundred times and I’ll say it again! I’m cheap! Let me add to that; I may have an acute hoarding problem as well. Wait. Is “acute hoarding” and oxymoron? Anyway, I recently painted my guest room and I wanted to add some DIY wall art so I decided to recycled some shoe boxes and make shoe box lid wall art instead of buying paint canvases from the craft store. They turned out great, I must say!

Here is what you’ll need:

Shoe box lids (Papa sized, Mama sized, and Baby sized)
Craft Paint
Paint brushes
Stencils
Spouncers (sponge stencil brush)

I started off by choosing my color pallet and laying out my shoe box lids in the arrangement I wanted to hang them. Next I painted each box lid a different color. I used two coats for each. Using stencils and spouncers, I added my design by carefully saturating the tip of the brush, removing some excess, and stamping the paint down onto the stencil in an up and down motion. This helps prevent bleeding. Allow each box to dry in between stencils.

I ended up hanging each lid with a thumbtack. You can add rubber putty at the tip of your thumbtack to prevent slipping. For one of my paintings I added a clock (I’ll show you that tutorial later).

Here are some more after photos.

Tip: I have used many different brands of craft paint in my day and I have to say that the easiest and best to work with is Martha Stewart’s craft paint. It goes on like butter! For these I used the satin finish… oh and I used her stencils too!

Here are some more fun trash to treasure ideas and tutorials!

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Category : Crafts, DIY Artwork, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Craft Ideas, Decorating Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Repurposing Ideas, Stenciling, Upcycling Ideas

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