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Handmade Gifts from Recycled Materials for Mother’s Day & More!
Do you have lots of creative reuse ideas, but struggle to get them started? It can be difficult to prioritize creative reuse projects in a busy life. So in January 2017, I started a project to make one...
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Sewing Crazy Quilts from Men’s Ties
Did you know that crazy quilts were often made after someone passed away? It was a way to remember that person, by making a quilt from bits of their clothing. This type of quilt became more popular...
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Jen-A-Fusion
Jen Athanas takes apart old clothes, tablecloths, upholstery samples and whatever other fiber comes her way. She reinvents them into bags, scarves, hats, skirts – all sorts of things. Her company,...
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My Parenting Experiment: Learning a New Skill Together
Last fall, I got an idea to take at least one class with each of my children – a class that interested both of us, in a skill that neither of us had tried. My goal for this experiment was to increase...
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Making a Fedora Hat from Lemonade Powder Packages
I have made vests and bags from juice pouches. Juice pouches are easy-to-use in a regular sewing machine. Stephanie with the juice pouch bag that I made her Recycled juice pouch clothing from Trash...
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Sewing a cover for a bolster from recycled upholstery samples
My friend Leanne, the only Iyengar yoga instructor in my area, showed me a heavy bolster or tube-shaped cushion that she uses in her classes. One of the covers on the bolster had torn, and it was torn...
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Ball Creatures
My son Russell & his best friend Keenan love to create comic characters with complex stories. This fall, they developed a group of characters called the Ball Creatures. For Christmas, Russell...
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Stitched Maps of Virginia
At my kids’ school, I volunteer to photograph art projects for various classes, which we post on the website Artsonia. This allows the parents to see the art for the whole class. This week, I...
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Taiko Bachi Bags
This year I have been an apprentice with the Taiko performance group Nen Daiko. My final evaluation, when I might finish my apprenticeship and become a “Nennie,” is in two weeks. Each member of Nen...
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My Family’s Creative Recycling over the Holidays
Let me share some highlights of creative recycling projects by my family members this holiday season: Knitting Socks from Yarn Leftovers My grandmother Rea is a very talented knitter. She is finding it...
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Neck Ties and Dress Shirts: Creative Reuse Ideas for Father’s Day
Dress shirts and neck ties used to be every-day wear – until casual Friday became casual every-day. Now a lot of formal work attire needs to be re-made into something more useful. In episode 18 of the...
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Creatively Reuse Extra Luggage (Suitcases and Backpacks)
A suitcase can be a cat tree and a backpack can be a giant puppet – get creative ideas to make with unwanted or broken luggage. In this episode, we’ll discuss: what to do with an extra or broken...
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T-Shirts: Making Yarn, Alterations and Tapestries
There was a time when people owned only a few outfits. But in today’s economy, we live in a system of fast fashion where clothing can be very inexpensive. The result? Many people have too much clothes,...
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Denim Jeans Recycling
What can you make with jeans that are out-of-style, ripped beyond repair or painted? What can you make with the inseams, waistbands and other components even after you use up the flat panels of fabric?...
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Make a Reusable Gift Tag and Bow
Usually my family makes holiday gift tags from reused holiday cards, but for a more fancy option, I designed a reusable fabric tag inspired by a luggage tag. I also designed a fun gift “bow” from a...
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Gift Wrapping from Recycled Materials
Many people wrap gifts in brown paper bags or fabric, but that is only the start of ways you can wrap gifts without creating trash. In this episode, we’ll talk about: Furoshiki, or Japanese wrapping...
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Memory Keepsakes
Memory keepsakes are items made from clothing when someone passes away. We are heading into the holiday season which can be a very difficult time for people who have lost a loved one. I rely on...
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Sweaters, Wool and Yarn – Creative Reuse
Sweaters that shrink in the dryer. That tiny ball of yarn at the end of a knitting project. That wool suit you are never going to wear again. Let’s talk about creative reuse of sweaters, wool and yarn!...
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Inner Tubes Creative Reuse
Some artisans call it “vegan leather” and that’s because inner tubes can be cut and sewn together like leather. A lot of the projects you would make with leather can be made instead with inner tubes....
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Bojagi or Pojagi – Korean Patchwork
Bojagi means wrapping cloth. Many bojagi are made from a solid piece of fabric, but some are made by piecing together fabric remnants into a patchwork. One of the most striking aspects of bojagi (also...
View ArticleCommunity Service Through Creative Reuse
Find out how you can build stronger community while also creatively reusing trash. It’s like a 2-for-1 good deed! Crocheting Sleeping Mats Many community groups crochet plastic bags into mats for...
View ArticleBras Creative Reuse
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month so let’s talk about ways you can clear out your bra collection while not filling the landfill. Luckily, there are many organizations that take gently-used...
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Vintage Linens and Needlework Creative Reuse
Pillowcases with ornate embroidered flowers and bluebirds. Handkerchiefs purchased as souvenirs on a cross-country trip. Needlepoint tapestries of horses pulling sleighs intricately stitched with...
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Exercise Equipment from Recycled Materials
Let’s have more fun while exercising! I made a medicine ball and yoga equipment from recycled materials, and brought it to my taiko group. We had a lot of fun incorporating these homemade items into...
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Fundraising with Scrap Quilts
Most fundraisers that involve quilts are raffles or auctions. But I believe there is a better way to build a community of supporters for your organization with the power of quilting. In this episode,...
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Social Distancing: 20 Creative Reuse Activities to Do at Home
If you are staying close to home due to social distancing, you can do these creative reuse activities with items that you likely already have at home so you don’t need to go to the store. Activity #1...
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Monsters from Recycled Materials
My son with fur fabric for his Halloween monster costume Found objects and recycled materials can be a great inspiration for monster sculptures. This week I facilitated a workshop with high school...
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Creative Reuse Trends during Social Distancing due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
People are generously making masks and hand sanitizer, teaching art with recycled materials and using up what they have in the kitchen. These are moments of creative reuse that fill me with gratitude...
View ArticleMoney – Coins and Bills
Artists cut, paint, stack, carve and weld coins. They fold and embroider paper bills. Let’s learn about the ways artists creatively reuse money – coins and bills. This is 100th episode of the...
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Buttons Creative Reuse
If you upcycle clothing, you will build a button collection. Learn about the incredible ways artists work with buttons and get ideas for creatively reusing your own buttons. My Button Quilt Square...
View ArticleVisible Mending
There is a creative reuse trend to mend your clothes with decorative stitches, making the item stronger and also more beautiful. Benefits of Visible Mending People get excited about learning new ways...
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Umbrellas Creative Reuse
Sculpture artists and weavers make mind-blowing items from discarded and broken umbrellas. But there are also many projects that you can make at home with limited sewing or gardening skills. Artists...
View ArticleHow to Make Bags from Recycled Food Packaging
In this tutorial, I share how to make fun bags from plastic packaging. Fruit, nuts, juice pouches and many other foods come in thick plastic packaging. Check out how I upcycle this into grocery bags...
View ArticleRecycle Neckties into a Quilt
I’m very excited that so many people are enjoying my necktie quilt tutorial! Check it out!
View ArticleRecycle Ties into a Quilt – Second Design
My next necktie quilt is done and the tutorial is on YouTube! This quilt is a complementary project to the hexagon design. While the hexagons use the wider section of ties, this uses the narrow...
View ArticleUpcycle Broken Tent Into Playmats or Quilts
My son had a play tent shaped like a rectangular tunnel. Over time, the plastic tubes got bent. I unstitched the panels to upcycle them. This week I made three play mats or wall hangings. For the...
View ArticleUpcycling my Wedding Quilt
When I got married in 1997, I made a wedding quilt to display behind us during the ceremony. But that quilt has changed a lot since then! I made a video about how I upcycled my own wedding quilt into...
View ArticleHow to Refresh Chairs with Denim Seat Covers
Are your chairs looking a little scruffy? I made new seat covers for two of our dining room chairs from upcycled blue jeans. Also, when I took off the old torn cover, one of the chair seats was...
View ArticleMaking a Protective Case for a Japanese Flute (Fue) from a PVC Tube
I play an instrument called a fue or shinobue with my taiko group. The fue are made from bamboo and need to be handled carefully. I can’t quickly buy a replacement if they were broken and they are...
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