Old denim has been repurposed into many crafty things, but these simple pot holders by Canadian crafter Lise Farynowski caught my eye (OK, they actually caught the eyes of ReadyMade editors as they were sorting through the entries of their … Read More...
Wine Cork Placecard Holders
The online shop Bright and Bold, which offers mostly modish home décor accessories and other fun things you didn’t know you needed, offers this set of reusable wine cork placecard holders. Based on the pristine appearance of these … Read More...
Coca-Cola Car
It’s Sunday afternoon. I’m sipping a Coke with my laptop hinged open, while my husband watches an Indy car race on TV. What a coincidence, then, that I run across this little Indy racer made from old Coke cans. Scott, … Read More...
Go Green! Contest
OK, crafters: Let’s make sure the crafting world is represented in the “Go Green!” Contest presented by Instructables, Popular Science and TreeHugger.
An overview of the contest: “We want to know how you’re reducing your environmental footprint, and … Read More...
The Rebirth of Crayons – Recycled Crayons
Just when I thought there was nothing more striking than a brand-new box of crayons, in walks these recycled crayon beauties I found at starkeyfeather’s etsy shop. They’re made from melting down the leftover little nubs that are typically banished … Read More...
Recycled Rings
Michelle from Recycled Rings takes old rings and turns them into things of beauty by adding colorful embroidered threads. She wraps each stone with several layers of thread and then further embellishes the piece with other fibers, beads or wire. … Read More...
Necktie Skirt
The Etsy shop Hooked on Purses features a sprinkling of upcycled materials, including an adorable toddler necktie skirt made from “pre-loved” multicolored silk neckties. As the description says, it’s “perfect for summer twirling,” and it’s also perfect for the little … Read More...
Natural Mobiles
Grab some inspiration at (or bring a well-funded checkbook to) [tag]SILHO Furniture[/tag] from [tag]mobile[/tag] artist Kevin Inkawhich, who uses [tag]eucalyptus[/tag], tulip petals, gaultheria leaves, pine cones and more to create abstract hanging mobiles. Shown is a detail of his Eucalyptus … Read More...
Conversation (Time)pieces
Artist Debra Dresler, owner of Stroke of Art, is known for creating jewelry, cuff links and watches from recycled objects that reflect the personality of the wearer. Vintage typewriter keys, antique dominoes, used puppy dog tags, vintage tape measures … Read More...
Iron Chef for Crafters
If you live in the Portland (Oregon) area, don’t miss the 5th annual Iron Artist Sculpt-Off — if not to participate then at least to observe recycled art in action. Here’s the lowdown:
The 5th Annual IRON ARTIST Sculpt-Off
Saturday, … Read More...
Shopping Bag Crafts – Part 2
Yesterday I pointed you to a [tag]Craftster[/tag] tutorial on making [tag]Tyvek[/tag]-like fabric from used plastic shopping bags. Craftster once again makes the news today with another shopping bag-related craft in this month’s [tag]craft challenge[/tag]: [tag]Reusable Shopping Bag[/tag] Challenge. Leah, … Read More...
Recycled Shopping Bag Crafts — Part 1
Hop on over to [tag]Craftster[/tag] and take a look at jamiewatchthestars’ detailed tutorial of transforming plastic shopping bags into durable, sewable, waterproof fabric with tons of character. After fusing the bags with an iron, the “fabric” mimics [tag]Tyvek[/tag] (used in … Read More...
4th of July Leftovers
Artist [tag]James McNulty[/tag] does some amazing things with the most under-appreciated part of fireworks: the packaging. He mixes and matches kitschy illustrations with Chinese characters with over-the-top names of fireworks to create colorful [tag]collage[/tag]s. If you live in the U.S., … Read More...
Vancouver Recycled Arts Festival
Straight from the source, here’s a news release from the Clark County (Washington state) public relations office on this coming weekend’s Recycled Arts Festival:
Vancouver, WA – Live entertainment, family-friendly activities, and 50 vendors selling art using recycled items will … Read More...
Techno Bloom
If you’re like me and love to decorate in aluminum, nickel, steel — in short, anything silver-colored — this industrial chic junk box flower (designed by photozz) made from used floppy disks, a dead hard drive and a floppy drive … Read More...
Welcome (and welcome)
Black rubber welcome mats made from recycled tires are fairly common, but any crafter has got to love the color used in these cheerful rubber door mats, made from galvanized metal wire and scrap material from the production of flip-flop … Read More...