Trash to Treasure Crafts

Trash to Treasure Crafting

• Asian 'to go' boxes - these can be made into unique evening bags. Iron a fusible web to a beautiful fabric scrap, refold the box, trim and add a black tassel.
• Bed Springs - they're "popping up" everywhere as candle holders as Christmas tree toppers and as a base for cut out wooden items. They often have cute sayings attached. For example, A wooden heart saying Hope Springs Eternal.
• Calendar pages can be framed as a grouping or cut and used as embellishments on notecards.
• CDs can be painted as ornaments, used as a dish for candles, broken for Mosaic tiles, strung into a mobile, used as coasters, painted as magnets, made into a Clock, or used as a photo frame magnet.
• Coffee Cans with plastic lids - cover with decorative paper or paint and use whenever you give a gift of cookies or baked goods.
• Chop Sticks - can be painted and used as hair ornaments.
• Clear Plastic Yogurt Lids - back with school photos or childs art work and add a magnet.
• Chipped or Broken China - To completely break cover with a towel and hammer into smaller pieces. The broken pieces can be added as a mosaic to a Rectangle Wood Serving Tray , terra cotta pots, saucers, or try a Mosaic Stepping Stone.
• For clothing beyond repair or donation - before you rip it into scraps make sure to cut the buttons off for another project. If your childs t-shirts are taking over or they've out grown them think about making a quilt with them. Cut equal squares from the design area and they'll have a warm cuddly reminder of their childhood. For a special pillow sew up the bottom, stuff and then sew up the sleeves and neck.
• Doors can be hinged together to use as a screen or room divider. The door can also be used with legs added for a table surface. (Taller legs for a writing surface or shorter legs for a coffee table depending on the size of the door.) The screens can be painted any number of ways. Perhaps painted with large tropical plants for an informal, or modern look or topiaries for a more traditional look. An early American scene would be appropriate for Americana, or Traditional.
• Empty Diaper Wipe containers - the square ones are the right size for photo storage.
• Empty 35 mm film cannisters can be used to hold collected seeds. Make sure to label them.
• Empty Tissue boxes can be used as decorative dispensers for plastic bags.
• Fabric Scraps - Tear strips of scrap fabric approximately 1" by 8" and tie to a long piece of jute that has been knotted at each end. Slide strips close together and cover entire length. Hang as a garland on the tree, above doors or windows or drape across the mantle.
  Torn fabric strips can also be wound around styrofoam balls and collected into a large wooden bowl.
• Fur - either as a complete coat or in pieces fur can be used as costume embellishments, on nut crackers
• General Foods International Coffee Cans - these are just the right size to hold crayons.
• Glass Jars - these can be painted and votive candles can be added or use the jar for storage.
• Old Jeans can be used: to cover a binder (add the pocket and belt loops for a fun look), make into placemats (use bandana napkins and store in the pockets), purses, totes, and aprons.
• Jewelry - while a necklace may be no longer your cup of tea take a look at individual beads or components.
• Jewel Cases from CD's can be made into photo frame magnets.
• Lampshades - If the skeleton is good these can be recovered with fabric or a variety of papers.
• Make this unique bowl from recycled magazine pages
• Placemats can become purses or totes.
• Puzzle Pieces - Gather the pieces together for Christmas Ornaments. Glue to cardboard in a wreath shape, spray paint and add a hanger. They can also be used to glue around a frame or magnet.
• Old Quilts can be turned into vests, lampshades, teddy bears, patches, Christmas stockings, embellishments, or used to upholster foot sools.
• Tin Cans can be used as ornaments. I have drilled holes into the sides of old spice tins, added cinnamon, greenery and a gingerbread doll and hung with curled wire.
  To turn a can into a luminary remove the label, spray paint, fill with water to freeze, tape on the design and then hammer a series of holes. Once the water has melted add your candle.
• Toilet Paper Tubes - these can be slices, covered with paper and used as napkin rings.
• Postage stamps/Maps - these can be decoupaged onto any surface.
• Luggage - These can be painted or base coat and decoupaged.
• Jeans Pockets - Cut the pocket off the jeans and paint a design. Add a pencil and pad of paper and a wire hanger and you've got a casual message center. Or add a miniature stuffed animal for a decorative touch.
• Iron Tissue paper to reuse it and wrap around a roll of wrapping paper.
• Junk mail - make your own paper.
• Old License plates - roof for a bird house.
• Old picture frames - add 2 handles and make a tray or try making a memory under glass.
• Old Stockings - Crochet a great bath mat that'll wash and dry quickly. Or try crocheting old plastic grocery bags for an outdoor mat.
• Old Greeting cards - can be cut into To/From Gift Tags.
• Old Napkins can become pillows or chair covers.
• Old Photos or duplicates can be turned into gift tags or postcards.
• Look for Purses that can be painted
• Spoons Mount a collection of spoons on a board (basecoat or crackle the surface to go with your decor. Mount them with the bowl bottom against the board then bend the handle to form a hook. Good with bunches of dried flowers, candles, or dish towels.
• Stained Table cloths can be renewed either by painting or rubber stamping. Cover the stain and then add a border. Coordinate the napkins and you've got a designer set.
• Old Sheet Music or the Sunday comics can be used on a paper mache bowl.
• Empty seed packs or sachets can be embellished with dried or silk flowers, ribbon and lace. Add wire or ribbon to hang.
• Wide mouth jars can be crafted into a whimsical 'chicken noodle soup' decoration. Insert a stuffed chicken, dried egg noodles and a hand lettered label. Or start a new line of products: 'Pork and Beans' or 'Beef and Barley'. Or save your jars for food gifts such as Friendship Soup
• Wallpaper scraps - either from a left over roll or a book. Cut apart flowers in a similar color pattern, add a few birds, fruit pieces, or butterflies and make a swag over a doorway.
• Wooden hangers can be painted or antiqued and used to display vintage clothing.