reuseable reappearance
A book about the marriage of sewing and reuse over at Sew Wrong.
3/31/2003 04:58:31 PM - 0 comments
reusabit - pop bottle sprinkler
I've been using this idea since it was published in ReadyMade (sorry, don't remember which issue - I'm pretty sure I don't have it, but grabbed it from the website when it was up). Michelle sent me a link to photos of the can in action; there are few other good ideas at the bottom of the page, too.
Super-simple - just pound nail holes in the cap of a 2-liter pop bottle, and presto! Instant plant sprinkler. Especially great if you pre-mix your liquid plant food like I do. I keep these at work, at home, and I give one to anyone who plant-sits for me over school breaks (they love 'em!).
3/30/2003 06:56:44 PM - 6 comments
towel recycling
If you pick up the April issue of Living, you'll find a nice feature article on braiding and sewing strips of towels to make fabulous soft and sturdy bath mats. I think I may have enough old towels to try a small one (though color-coordinating may have to be ignored!).
3/27/2003 10:22:23 AM - 3 comments
plastic bag arts
Plastic grocery bags can have a new, useful life when you crochet them into rugs, bags, etc. Brought to our attention by Celeste on Michelle's lovely discussion boards.
3/26/2003 10:49:22 AM - 4 comments
reusabit - drink mix containers
Better late than never :-)
We drink a lot of diet beverages around here, and sometimes, they have to be uncaffeinated (Water, you say? What's that???). Which makes for a lot of plastic consumption. I'll get to the little individual inner containers later, but for now, the outer cylinders have answered a very specific need quite nicely - as letterbox containers.
If you're not familiar with letterboxing, it involves hiding a rubber stamp and book somewhere out in the wild, and then posting the clues online, so that others can find it. Exciting sport for the otherwise non-sporting. If you are familiar, then you probably know that most people buy Rubbermaid containers for hiding - but that gets expensive if you plan on hiding a bunch, and why use more resources when you've got these wonderful clear plastic cylinders lying around? They're the perfect shape for slipping beneath rocks and logs, with the added benefit of not wearing a large blazing blue lid to tip off uninvolved and potentially destructive passersby.
Other household uses include:
* storage for anything small you can think of - leftover dry mixes, beads, marbles/barbie shoes/army men
* sturdy little shipping tubes (Yes, I've done this! With plenty of tape to secure the lid, of course)
* a makeshift shaker tube for mixing ingredients/cocktails (hold that lid down!)
* quick picnic potato salad totes!
* a low-tech alternative to the parmesan shaker - just punch your own holes in the lid
3/24/2003 08:38:30 PM - 8 comments
short break
I'm leaving for a couple of days, so it'll be quiet here. But I'll post a new reusabit as soon as I return, promise!
3/20/2003 05:42:20 PM - 0 comments
pretties
At Green Glass, they "metamorphose" reclaimed bottles into shiny new glassware. The Galaxy Goblets, made from Westport Rivers wine bottles, are my favorites (if a tad pricey).
3/19/2003 07:56:51 AM - 3 comments
recycled idea/post
I made my Traveller's Pocket Shrine a while back.
3/18/2003 06:40:45 AM - 0 comments
more tin art
Another nice way to embellish tins (brought to my attention by the ever-crafty quidnunc) - with layers of polymer clays.
I've been wondering what to do with my round Altoids/Chocolate Velamints tins - you can't really just paint over the raised lettering. This might just prove the thing!
3/17/2003 10:07:01 AM - 2 comments
new regular feature - reusabits!
Each Friday, I'll post a simple household idea (like the egg cartons for package-packing yesterday). Not craft or project ideas - just (hopefully!) clever ways to reuse something you'd otherwise throw away or toss into the recycling bin. Send me your original idea and I'll post it here. I'll start.
We like pseudo-Italian food around here, lots. So we couldn't possibly live without copious amounts of parmesan.
I never ever throw the shaker containers away when the cheese is finished. Instead I toss 'em in the dishwasher and use them as convenient, dry, shaker-top storage for things like powdered sugar, oatmeal, and baking soda (especially nice if you use it as a facial scrub in the shower).
3/14/2003 10:19:28 AM - 5 comments
packing tip
In a bargain-hunting mood, I've been doing a little eBaying again. Yesterday I received an awesome set of two 50's retro trays ($2.00 - what a steal!). The seller, much to my surprise, had packed them admirably in layers of egg cartons! I don't know why I'd never thought of it.
3/13/2003 08:48:50 AM - 3 comments
silly break
When I saw the cute wrestler over at quidnunc, I just felt compelled to make a little eco-conscious mascot for the site. Meet Alterra:
3/12/2003 09:17:58 PM - 5 comments
reuse as life
American tramp art is thought to be developed by skilled itinerant European immigrants in the late 1800's-early 1900's. They carved and layered pieces of wood from cigar boxes and produce crates to make furniture and other objects to trade or sell (woo, lot of conjunctions there). It's a folk art still practiced today, one that gave a new life to these four men.
3/12/2003 08:25:10 AM - 0 comments
another project, of sorts
Your old books are depressed. Set them free.
3/11/2003 09:34:44 AM - 2 comments
pyros gone good
"What started off as a strange fascination for melting bottles in campfires (don't try this at home) became a perfected (but top secret) technique by which bottles are flattened into this unique 100% Recycled Product."
3/10/2003 10:38:43 AM - 0 comments
that age-old problem
What to do with those unwanted CDs? George Radebaugh uses them to create sculpture. I particularly like the fish.
I contacted him about the possibility of folks sending him their CDs, but he says he's got more of the standard size than he'll ever be able to use. However, if you happen to have any of the credit card-sized CDs, drop him an email.
3/09/2003 09:34:52 AM - 3 comments
pleather
Check out these fashion designers who work with recycled rubber:
Gaelyn and Cianfarani
Vampire Technology (erm, kinky)
Zuss Fashion Design
Not stuff you'd find me wearing (well, not outside Detroit, at least), but I kinda like these.
Via MeFi.
3/08/2003 04:38:33 PM - 1 comments
well, that wasn't pretty
Having some technical difficulties (read: Jennie's completely inadequate grasp on things CSS, even though she thinks she knows what she's doing at least marginally) there for a bit, everything should be okey now (even in Netscrape) thanks to the live-in Web Guru.
3/07/2003 09:05:38 PM - 0 comments
new
Film Canister Stamps - nearly instant gratification.
3/07/2003 04:31:13 PM - 3 comments
welcome!
Hello, and welcome to the Reusablog. The idea has been brewing for ages - hoorah for sudden fits of motivation! Things are a bit spare right now, I know. But I've got lots of concepts bubbling around, and a whole world of Web to trawl for more.
It's all about creative reuse in lieu of recycling or wasting, my lifetime fixation resulting in a wild array of levels of success. My hope is to develop and discover truly useful and artful objects from would-be discards, and share them all here with you.
3/07/2003 11:14:43 AM - 8 comments
A book about the marriage of sewing and reuse over at Sew Wrong.
3/31/2003 04:58:31 PM - 0 comments
reusabit - pop bottle sprinkler
I've been using this idea since it was published in ReadyMade (sorry, don't remember which issue - I'm pretty sure I don't have it, but grabbed it from the website when it was up). Michelle sent me a link to photos of the can in action; there are few other good ideas at the bottom of the page, too.
Super-simple - just pound nail holes in the cap of a 2-liter pop bottle, and presto! Instant plant sprinkler. Especially great if you pre-mix your liquid plant food like I do. I keep these at work, at home, and I give one to anyone who plant-sits for me over school breaks (they love 'em!).
3/30/2003 06:56:44 PM - 6 comments
towel recycling
If you pick up the April issue of Living, you'll find a nice feature article on braiding and sewing strips of towels to make fabulous soft and sturdy bath mats. I think I may have enough old towels to try a small one (though color-coordinating may have to be ignored!).
3/27/2003 10:22:23 AM - 3 comments
plastic bag arts
Plastic grocery bags can have a new, useful life when you crochet them into rugs, bags, etc. Brought to our attention by Celeste on Michelle's lovely discussion boards.
3/26/2003 10:49:22 AM - 4 comments
reusabit - drink mix containers
Better late than never :-)
We drink a lot of diet beverages around here, and sometimes, they have to be uncaffeinated (Water, you say? What's that???). Which makes for a lot of plastic consumption. I'll get to the little individual inner containers later, but for now, the outer cylinders have answered a very specific need quite nicely - as letterbox containers.
If you're not familiar with letterboxing, it involves hiding a rubber stamp and book somewhere out in the wild, and then posting the clues online, so that others can find it. Exciting sport for the otherwise non-sporting. If you are familiar, then you probably know that most people buy Rubbermaid containers for hiding - but that gets expensive if you plan on hiding a bunch, and why use more resources when you've got these wonderful clear plastic cylinders lying around? They're the perfect shape for slipping beneath rocks and logs, with the added benefit of not wearing a large blazing blue lid to tip off uninvolved and potentially destructive passersby.
Other household uses include:
* storage for anything small you can think of - leftover dry mixes, beads, marbles/barbie shoes/army men
* sturdy little shipping tubes (Yes, I've done this! With plenty of tape to secure the lid, of course)
* a makeshift shaker tube for mixing ingredients/cocktails (hold that lid down!)
* quick picnic potato salad totes!
* a low-tech alternative to the parmesan shaker - just punch your own holes in the lid
3/24/2003 08:38:30 PM - 8 comments
short break
I'm leaving for a couple of days, so it'll be quiet here. But I'll post a new reusabit as soon as I return, promise!
3/20/2003 05:42:20 PM - 0 comments
pretties
At Green Glass, they "metamorphose" reclaimed bottles into shiny new glassware. The Galaxy Goblets, made from Westport Rivers wine bottles, are my favorites (if a tad pricey).
3/19/2003 07:56:51 AM - 3 comments
recycled idea/post
I made my Traveller's Pocket Shrine a while back.
3/18/2003 06:40:45 AM - 0 comments
more tin art
Another nice way to embellish tins (brought to my attention by the ever-crafty quidnunc) - with layers of polymer clays.
I've been wondering what to do with my round Altoids/Chocolate Velamints tins - you can't really just paint over the raised lettering. This might just prove the thing!
3/17/2003 10:07:01 AM - 2 comments
new regular feature - reusabits!
Each Friday, I'll post a simple household idea (like the egg cartons for package-packing yesterday). Not craft or project ideas - just (hopefully!) clever ways to reuse something you'd otherwise throw away or toss into the recycling bin. Send me your original idea and I'll post it here. I'll start.
We like pseudo-Italian food around here, lots. So we couldn't possibly live without copious amounts of parmesan.
I never ever throw the shaker containers away when the cheese is finished. Instead I toss 'em in the dishwasher and use them as convenient, dry, shaker-top storage for things like powdered sugar, oatmeal, and baking soda (especially nice if you use it as a facial scrub in the shower).
3/14/2003 10:19:28 AM - 5 comments
packing tip
In a bargain-hunting mood, I've been doing a little eBaying again. Yesterday I received an awesome set of two 50's retro trays ($2.00 - what a steal!). The seller, much to my surprise, had packed them admirably in layers of egg cartons! I don't know why I'd never thought of it.
3/13/2003 08:48:50 AM - 3 comments
silly break
When I saw the cute wrestler over at quidnunc, I just felt compelled to make a little eco-conscious mascot for the site. Meet Alterra:
3/12/2003 09:17:58 PM - 5 comments
reuse as life
American tramp art is thought to be developed by skilled itinerant European immigrants in the late 1800's-early 1900's. They carved and layered pieces of wood from cigar boxes and produce crates to make furniture and other objects to trade or sell (woo, lot of conjunctions there). It's a folk art still practiced today, one that gave a new life to these four men.
3/12/2003 08:25:10 AM - 0 comments
another project, of sorts
Your old books are depressed. Set them free.
3/11/2003 09:34:44 AM - 2 comments
pyros gone good
"What started off as a strange fascination for melting bottles in campfires (don't try this at home) became a perfected (but top secret) technique by which bottles are flattened into this unique 100% Recycled Product."
3/10/2003 10:38:43 AM - 0 comments
that age-old problem
What to do with those unwanted CDs? George Radebaugh uses them to create sculpture. I particularly like the fish.
I contacted him about the possibility of folks sending him their CDs, but he says he's got more of the standard size than he'll ever be able to use. However, if you happen to have any of the credit card-sized CDs, drop him an email.
3/09/2003 09:34:52 AM - 3 comments
pleather
Check out these fashion designers who work with recycled rubber:
Gaelyn and Cianfarani
Vampire Technology (erm, kinky)
Zuss Fashion Design
Not stuff you'd find me wearing (well, not outside Detroit, at least), but I kinda like these.
Via MeFi.
3/08/2003 04:38:33 PM - 1 comments
well, that wasn't pretty
Having some technical difficulties (read: Jennie's completely inadequate grasp on things CSS, even though she thinks she knows what she's doing at least marginally) there for a bit, everything should be okey now (even in Netscrape) thanks to the live-in Web Guru.
3/07/2003 09:05:38 PM - 0 comments
new
Film Canister Stamps - nearly instant gratification.
3/07/2003 04:31:13 PM - 3 comments
welcome!
Hello, and welcome to the Reusablog. The idea has been brewing for ages - hoorah for sudden fits of motivation! Things are a bit spare right now, I know. But I've got lots of concepts bubbling around, and a whole world of Web to trawl for more.
It's all about creative reuse in lieu of recycling or wasting, my lifetime fixation resulting in a wild array of levels of success. My hope is to develop and discover truly useful and artful objects from would-be discards, and share them all here with you.
3/07/2003 11:14:43 AM - 8 comments