?????????? 2008: Recent Episodes
Carla Brown, Creative Reuse Bl
If you have kids, you probably have at least a few strings of cheap plastic beads. They get handed out at parties and community events. They are a huge part of Mardi Gras festivities in Louisiana and elsewhere. And they might seem like a great material to creatively reuse into crafts. But actually, they are really not a good item to handle for you and especially for kids.
Every year 20 million pounds of these beads are shipped to the United States, mostly from China, and the majority go to Louisiana for Mardi Gras. After the festivities, the New Orleans sanitation department has to clean them up with front loaders. It’s bad enough that they create tons of litter, but they also contain lead, bromine and antimony among other toxic chemicals.
In this episode, get ideas for how to make your own non-toxic Mardi Gras beads, and find new ways to celebrate this super fun tradition.
DIY Non-Toxic Mardi Gras Bead Necklaces
Beads from rolled up paper or magazine strips
Alpha mom tutorial for paper Mardi Gras beads Atlas Beads – sells paper beads Throw Me Some Green – sells paper beads
View this post on Instagram What every hand should catch during Mardi Gras — handcrafted, meaningful throws! Email info@atlasbeads.com to purchase Atlas Beads. . . . . #sustainable #Iris #Tucks #Endymion #Hermes #frenchquarter #ecofriendly #handcrafted #mardigras #parade #beads #carnival #reuse #recycling #planetearth #handmadejewelry #nolalove #neworleans #nolalove #organic #atlasbeads #nola #frenchquarter #photooftheday #love #madebyhand #saints #southernsweet #environment #gogreen #reuse A post shared by Atlas Handmade Beads (@atlasbeads) on Feb 10, 2018 at 12:29pm PST
Pasta necklaces – You can change the color of pasta by soaking it in vinegar and food coloring
DIY Colored Pasta Tutorial from Hello Bee
“Beaded” necklaces made from plastic straws
Plastic straw bead tutorial from Made by Amanda
Trashmagination-designed Mardi Gras “beads” made from plastic produce bags and plastic table cloths
Inspired by the knotted necklace class offered by Natalie Chanin
DIY Mardi Gras beads from plastic produce bags and table cloths – designed by Trashmagination
I cut up colorful plastic table cloths into squares which I folded up into little balls. I then would wrap the tablecloth balls in the produce mesh nice and tight so it made a little ball, and then I tied a knot to keep it from moving.
Show Details
Script for this podcast episode about making Mardi Gras beads from creatively reused materials The Trashmagination podcast theme music is Kitchen from the Marian Circle Drum Brigade. Trashmagination Pinterest board about Mardi Gras beads
If you like coffee made from K-Cups or Nespresso pods, this episode will inspire you to not only recycle them, but make them into beautiful and useful items. Plus your coffee grounds can be used for much more than just compost.
Trashmagination Pinterest board with ideas for creative reuse of coffee pods / capsules and coffee grounds
My Halloween Costumes Made from K-Cups
Octopus costume, 2002
Zebra Costume from Keurig cups
Compostable Coffee Pods
Glory Brew
Halo Coffee Co.
Reusable Coffee Pods Are Stopping Waste!It works just like a single-use coffee pod, but is kinder on the planet! Posted by 1 Million Women on Friday, December 28, 2018
Nespresso Pod Crafts
Nespresso jewelry on Etsy Alex Aebi’s insects from pods
Nespresso jewelry designed by Kathleen Nowak Tucci, worn by Lily Tomlin in the TV show Grace and Frankie, Season 6
Good job Allyson Fanger for featuring creative reuse art in the show!
View this post on Instagram Bracelets, epaulettes, and purse worn by Lily Tomlin all mine! WOW! Season 6 of @netflix’s @graceandfrankie is filming now. I just may have stayed up all night on Friday to get these pieces made and then hoped with all my might that USPS would actually deliver them on time! Thank you Costume Designer @allysonfanger for believing I could do it! The pieces are made with recycled Harley-Davidson motorcycle and bicycle inner tubes. #lilytomlin #Netflix #graceandfrankie #frankiejewlery #rubberjewelry #rubber #recycle #recycledrubber #recycledrubberjewelry A post shared by Kathleen Nowak Tucci (@kathleennowaktucci) on Feb 5, 2019 at 6:34pm PST
Trash Fashion made from K-Cups and Nespresso Capsules
View this post on Instagram Your choice of material can be inspired by a message you want to convey. Inspired by and constructed using coffee capsules, Sugarcoated, by Shelley Scott (New Zealand), is highlighting the wastage of single-use packaging. Do we sugarcoat the truth around this problem? . . . . . . #worldofwearableart #wearableart #designcompetition #enterourworld #avantgardefashion #costumedesign #fashiondesign #singleuseplastic #packaging #coffeecapsules #landfill #couture #create #inspire #extraordinary #newzealand A post shared by World of WearableArt (WOW) (@worldofwearableart) on Jan 29, 2019 at 10:25pm PST
Nespresso Pod Dress made by Marynel Watters & Flavia Lovatelli as part of the 2016 ecoFAB Trash Couture show Erin Shannon Pennacchio wedding dress made from 500 K-Cups Nespresso Yourself dress design from Junk Kouture 2014
Other Artwork from Nespresso Pods
Craft club makes portrait of Queen Elizabeth in 2016
Australian indigenous artist John Kundereri Moriarty makes art with traditional motifs from Nespresso pods
Coffee in Personal Care Items
How to make coffee ground soap How to make coffee ground salt scrub Trashy Beauty Co.
Coffee in Home Care
Coffee ground cakes to keep garbage disposal or fridge smelling fresh
Coffee grounds to fix furniture scratches
Make stain or paint from coffee grounds
Coffee Ground Painters
View this post on Instagram 17/5/21. When I paint on leaves, I have no specific idea what to paint till I see the leaf, I need to see and stare at it first. So the story on my painted leaves came from each leaf itself. I know it sounds weird but all pattern, shape, texture and color of them let me see the real story. Brewtiful day! "In Search of Divine Reality" made of coffee stains on leaf. #zerowastecoffee & #seniampaskopi #coffeeonleaf #coffeepainting A post shared by Ghidaq Al-Nizar (@coffeetopia) on May 21, 2017 at 6:49am PDT
Make “Texture Paste”
Companies Who Creatively Reuse Coffee Grounds into New Products
Kaffeform makes coffee cups from coffee grounds.
Kaffeform Creates Reusable Coffee Cups From Coffee GroundsInstead of dumping leftover coffee grounds, this company is turning them into coffee cups Posted by NowThis Future on Friday, July 20, 2018
Bio-bean makes logs and pellets for fireplaces or stoves from coffee grounds.
Hear an interview with Bio-bean on Trash Talking with Eco-Warriors.
Show Details
Script for this podcast episode about creative reuse of coffee grounds, coffee pods or capsules (not a transcript but gives the main ideas) The Trashmagination podcast theme music is Kitchen from the Marian Circle Drum Brigade.
Are you cleaning out your unwanted or chipped dishes, inspired by the show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo? Get lots of ideas of what to do with ceramic, porcelain, clay or glass dishes.
Where Can You Bring Unwanted Dishes and Pottery?
Check with local organizations who support veterans or people who are moving in transitional housing, as well as homeless and women’s support centers.
The organization Operation Homefront helps set up households for veterans in some areas of the United States.
On Facebook, there are many Buy Nothing groups where you can get the dishes directly to the people who need them most rather than flooding thrift stores.
If you have vintage Pyrex dishes, you might be able to sell them on collector websites or eBay.
If you have fine china, you might be able to sell them to collectors through the International Association of Dinnerware Matchers.
Can You Put Broken Dishes in the Recycling Bin?
Ceramics are considered to be contamination in most municipal recycling programs . So don’t put broken dishes in your recycling bin. And if you are going to put them in the trash, be sure to securely tape up the broken pieces in a cardboard box labelled “broken dish” to keep your trash collection team safe.
Home Decor & Garden Projects to Creatively Reuse Dishes & Pottery
Check Trashmagination’s Pinterest board of project ideas for dishes and pottery
Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. While the masters of kintsugi will make extraordinary art, it is still possible for those of us who are not experts to experiment with this technique. You only need two materials – a two-part clear epoxy and mica powder.
Water-wise flowers
Glue glass dishes together to make a flower and display in your garden.
View this post on Instagram So much new stock in over the last week! Including more of the lovely water wise garden flowers from vintage kiss. Oodles of sustainable gift ideas for your loved ones…from clothing to plants to sculpture and everything in-between! . . . . #supportsmallbusiness #handcrafted #handmadeinsa #upcycling #upcycled #recycle #waronwaste #barossavalley #adelaidehills #mountpleasant #ooak #sustainable #communityfundraising #gardensculpture #shopsmallbusiness #buylocal #mountpleasantnaturalresourcecentreinc A post shared by Recreate (@recreatecommunity) on Dec 14, 2017 at 12:26am PST
“Garden Totem” – glassware glued together in a tower to bring rainbows to your garden
View this post on Instagram Secret Santa present #urbangardenersrepublic #garden_styles #gardentotem #recycle A post shared by Maxine Gallagher (@5madmax53) on Jan 6, 2016 at 5:55pm PST
Teacup and Mug Birdfeeders
View this post on Instagram Brrr, brrr, brrr, it is cold outside my door right now! Which means it's the perfect time to make these homemade suet feeders in chipped coffee mugs. My birds will clean these suckers out…the squirrels probably help, too. But I love making these in the heart of winter so that my yard wildlife have all the energy they need. . . . https://www.sadieseasongoods.com/goodwill-blogging-thrifting-for-the-birdsa-diy-suet-feeder-february-2016/ . . . #SadieSeasongoods #repurposed #repurpose #repurposing #DIY #upcycled #upcycle #upcycling #birds #crafts #hgtv #DIYblogger #crafty #thriftstorefinds #birds #DIYproject #DIYblog #craftproject #reuse #recycled #recycle #recycling #transformation #winter #birding #hgtvhandmade #birdfeeder #gardenart #nwf A post shared by Sadie Seasongoods (@sadieseasongoods) on Jan 20, 2019 at 4:09pm PST
View this post on Instagram #teatime for your #feathered #friends #featheredfriends #birds #birdfeeder #upcycledchina #upcycled #teacup #gardenwhimsy #gardentotem #outdoordecor #happyfriday #etsyusa #differencemakesus #etsyfinds #etsyhunter #etsypreneur #etsyprepromo #bscozycottagecrafts #EtsyTeamUNITY #teacupfeeder A post shared by Bianca (@biancas_cozy_cottage_crafts) on Mar 31, 2017 at 3:35am PDT
Upcycle a Glass Lid into a Bird Bath
View this post on Instagram Casserole dish lids…why are you so common at thrift stores? No matter, because you make fabulous shallow bird baths and waterers AND you're crazy easy to clean. Cuz let's be honest…bird baths can get pretty funky after a while. . . . https://www.sadieseasongoods.com/thrifted-glass-lid-hanging-bird-bath/ . . . #SadieSeasongoods #repurposed #repurpose #repurposing #DIY #upcycled #upcycle #upcycling #crafts #hgtv #bird #DIYblogger #thriftstorefinds #thriftdecor #DIYproject #DIYblog #craftproject #reuse #recycled #recycle #recycling #transformation #birding #birds #hgtvhandmade #goodwill #gardenart #birdbath #wildlifehabitat A post shared by Sadie Seasongoods (@sadieseasongoods) on Jul 23, 2018 at 4:36pm PDT
Teapot Birdhouse
View this post on Instagram Available Anchors away Navy and Gray, a classic nautical combo on this lovely teapot birdhouse. Contact me for details. A post shared by TheSecondhandSongbird (@thesecondhandsongbird) on Nov 4, 2018 at 5:59pm PST
Mosaics
View this post on Instagram We love our bird houses here at recreate. And the cutest little mosaiced homes have just flown in. Garden art, recycled materials, native bird habitat, and community fundraising all rolled into one. . . . . . . . #birdbox #habitat #mosaic #upcycle #recycle #reclaim #reuse #mountpleasant #mountpleasantnaturalresourcecentre #communityfundraising #creativereuse #gardenart #adelaidehills #barossavalley #sustainable #sustainablegarden #sustainableliving A post shared by Recreate (@recreatecommunity) on Aug 31, 2018 at 10:01pm PDT
Artists Who Creatively Reuse Dishes & Pottery
Juliet Ames, The Broken Plate Company upcycles family heirloom dishes into necklaces and other art.
View this post on Instagram Thanks for talking me through this one. She dried with just a little purple shadow in her hair and I adore it. Funny how the imperfections sometimes make things more beautiful. #temporama #recycledchina #silouette #fro #afro #etsy #perfectlyimperfect A post shared by Juliet Ames (@thebrokenplate) on Jan 11, 2019 at 7:10am PST
Valentina Jones cuts plates into statement necklace pendants.
View this post on Instagram Can never have enough…thanks for the photo @abowie99 #oneforeveryoccasion A post shared by Valentina JONES (@valentina_jones) on Jan 4, 2019 at 4:27pm PST
Karen Dixon, Studio Underwood makes necklaces from recycled dishes that look like they were found in an archeological dig.
View this post on Instagram Multi-strand oxidised silver necklace festooned with numerous fragments of 17th to the early 19th century blue and white china. All of these pieces have been collected over several years of visiting the river, and the necklace has been a real labour of love! #rusticjewelry #repurposedjewelry #rusticnecklace #recycled #statementjewelry #statementnecklace #assemblagenecklace #hippystyle #handmadejewelry #necklace #artisannecklace #bohemianstyle #ceramicnecklace #ceramicjewelry #bohemianjewelry #bohemiannecklace #artisanjewelry A post shared by Karen Dixon (@karendixon5920) on Jan 24, 2019 at 9:43am PST
Mimi Kirchner makes tiny worlds in teacups.
View this post on Instagram 6 tiny world pincushions #tinyworld #handmadepincushion #fairyhouse A post shared by Mimi Kirchner (@mimikirchner) on Apr 9, 2018 at 2:42pm PDT
Li Xiaofeng makes dresses and suits from blue and white dishes.
Zemer Peled makes giant spiky sculptures from broken porcelain.
Show Details
Script for this podcast episode about creative reuse of dishes and pottery (not a transcript but gives the main ideas) The Trashmagination podcast theme music is Kitchen from the Marian Circle Drum Brigade. Learn how porcelain is made in this episode of the show How It’s Made:
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 written as pojagi) is that the seams are done in a way so it looks “done” from both sides of the fabric. It is different from other quilting styles made from three layers of fabric. It means bojagi looks delicate but it is actually very strong, and was used to wrap and carry many types of objects.
Learn more about gift wrapping with fabric in this Trashmagination podcast episode
Bojagi Exhibit at the Korean Cultural Center
In January and February 2019, the Korean Cultural Center in Washington DC hosted an exhibit called Tradition Transformed, featuring the bojagi art of Kumjoo Ahn, Julia Kwon and Wonju Seo. I was thrilled to listen to their presentations at the exhibit opening. Here are photos I took at the exhibit.
The Words in my Colors – Bojagi piece by Wonju Seo – featured at the Tradition Transformed exhibit, Korean Cultural Center, Washington DC, January-February 2019
White Wonderland – Bojagi piece by Wonju Seo – featured at the Tradition Transformed exhibit, Korean Cultural Center, Washington DC, January-February 2019
Ramie Bojagi by Kumjoo Ahn – featured at the Tradition Transformed exhibit, Korean Cultural Center, Washington DC, January-February 2019
Blue Wall Hanging Bojagi by Kumjoo Ahn (close-up) – featured at the Tradition Transformed exhibit, Korean Cultural Center, Washington DC, January-February 2019
Bojagi by Julia Kwon – featured at the Tradition Transformed exhibit, Korean Cultural Center, Washington DC, January-February 2019
Like Any Other: No. 55 (Reclining Nude) – by Julia Kwon (close-up)- featured at the Tradition Transformed exhibit, Korean Cultural Center, Washington DC, January-February 2019
Here are some links and videos about these artists:
Kumjoo Ahn’s website
Julia Kwon’s website
Julia’s exhibit calendar – many exhibits in the DC area in 2019
Wonju Seo’s website
My First Bojagi
I watched a tutorial by Vivika Hansen DeNegre to learn how to sew bojagi with my sewing machine. My first piece was made with upholstery samples that were used by interior designers to plan curtains.
Bojagi by Carla Brown, Trashmagination – from upholstery samples
Bojagi by Carla Brown, Trashmagination – from upholstery samples – displayed in window
Bojagi by Carla Brown, Trashmagination – from upholstery samples
I also found inspiration in the work of Kiva Motnyk from the Thompson Street Studio.
Furoshiki cloth wrappingCloth wrapping, known as furoshiki in Japan and bojagi in Korea, is a traditional and waste-free way of wrapping gifts, packing lunchboxes, and much more. Posted by SBS Australia on Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Show Details
Script for this podcast episode about bojagi or pojagi (not a transcript but gives the main ideas) The Trashmagination podcast theme music is Kitchen from the Marian Circle Drum Brigade.
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. In this Trashmagination podcast episode, we’ll talk about ways you can creatively reuse inner tubes whether you are a craftsperson or just want some cool storage and exercise options.
Trashmagination’s Pinterest Board of inner tube projects
Sewing Inner Tubes
Bicitoro – blog about inner tube sewing tips Bicitoro – tutorial to sew a bicycle pannier from inner tubes and oil cloth Bicitoro – tutorial to sew a reflective belt from inner tubes Fantome – baskets from inner tubes and wicker Inner tube products on Kuttlefish, an online store for products made from creatively reused materials
My Inner Tube Bracelet / Cuff
I designed a bracelet or cuff. I perform with a taiko group and my inspiration was the pattern that the tacks or byo make on the drum head.
This is how I punched the holes in the inner tube. I taped it to a piece of scrap wood, then drew a basic design on a piece of paper and punched through the paper to the inner tubes. In most cases, a little bit did not cut through and I cut it with small scissors.
My hands playing taiko – see the byo pattern? Photo by Bruce Hollywood, April 2016
Inner Tube Projects that Don’t Involve Sewing
Instagram – results for the hashtag #innertubejewelry ArtCycle Bali inner tube jewelry Bicitoro – tutorial to make a mud flap for your bike from a recycled inner tube Garbage bag holder – to hold your garbage bag in your can without falling down Exercise band Plant hanger – Bicitoro tutorial using macrame techniques Rubber bands – big (use the whole tube) or small (cut it into loops) Bouncy Bands – putting a band on the legs of a desk for kids to push against when studying
Artists Who Work with Recycled Inner Tubes
Grace Duval – designs clothing from inner tubes, has won awards in the World of Wearable Art show Nir Ohayan – furniture from inner tubes
Show Details
Script for this podcast episode about creative reuse of inner tubes or rubber bicycle tyres (not a transcript but gives the main ideas) The Trashmagination podcast theme music is Kitchen from the Marian Circle Drum Brigade.
You can put most in paper recycling, but some holiday and greeting cards require more creative reuse. Get tips on where you can send used holiday and greeting cards to help others, or get inspired to make holiday decorations from them.
Where to Send Used Holiday or Greeting Cards
St. Jude’s Hospital – job creation program for teens at the hospital
View this post on Instagram Spreading Christmas cheer! Many thanks to the caring students from #TwitchellElementary for making beautiful handmade cards for our kids! Thank you for thinking of us! A post shared by St. Jude's Ranch for Children (@stjudesranchforchildren) on Dec 11, 2018 at 7:33pm PST
Sainsbury’s in the UK has an annual holiday card collection program from the end of December and to mid-January – Based on card donations, they make a financial donation to the Forest Stewardship Council UK. In 2017, they gathered 98 tonnes of holiday cards[. They also take wrapping paper.
View this post on Instagram Did you know you can recycle your Christmas cards in our stores until 9th of Jan? All proceeds will be donated to the Forest Stewardship Council A post shared by Sainsbury's News (@sainsburysnews) on Jan 4, 2017 at 8:17am PST
Community Cards – Seniors make new cards from old ones and sell them for 50 pence each at community centers. This program has made almost 15,000 pounds since 2013.
Cards for Soldiers sends handmade, blank cards and signed Christmas, thank you, and get well cards to deployed units or service members overseas for the soldiers to use to write to family and friends
Local art programs – your local creative reuse center, art teachers, Sunday school teachers or day care centers
Greeting card section at the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse
Can you sell vintage holiday cards for profit?
Crafts to Make with Holiday and Greeting Cards
Gift Cards and Boxes
Monogram Gift Labels
Wreath Ideas
Star wreath Holly leaf wreath from Better Homes and Gardens Holly leaf wreath from Craftysy Circle wreath
Wreath made from recycled holiday card circles pasted on cardboard circle by Trashmagination
Ornament or Gift Decoration Ideas
Globe ornaments 3-D Ornament Pinecone ornament Canning lid ornament Poinsettia
Mantle or Shelf Decorations
Wooden blocks spelling out festive words like Joy or Peace Houses made from holiday cards Bunting
Ways to Creatively Reuse Printed Photo Cards
Placemats Bookmarks Placecards Simple Garland
Crocheted Holiday Crafts
Holiday Card with Crocheted Trim Crocheted Card Bowl
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bocf1ERgUJT/
View this post on Instagram A post shared by binkyandlola (@binkyandlola) on Dec 12, 2013 at 6:38pm PST
Holiday Traditions
Wish or Gratitude Tree Advent Calendar from holiday cards Holiday Card Book
View this post on Instagram Gratitude tree, decorated by our wonderful audiences @baycourt.tauranga – a big year of change, but I’m feeling very much at home in the beautiful @bayofplentynz #tauranga #gratitudetree #nzchristmas A post shared by James Wilson (@skyekyle81) on Dec 20, 2018 at 1:40pm PST
View this post on Instagram I love Christmas cards and look forward to receiving them all year. I saved them for ages, not wanting to throw them out, but not knowing what to do with them either. A few years ago, I stumbled across an image of a Christmas card book and was sold. I've developed a few techniques for creating upcycled Christmas card books, which I'm sharing on the blog today. Link in profile or paste the URL below directly into your profile. . . . http://www.roseclearfield.com/2017/01/17/upcycled-christmas-card-books-tutorial . . . #Christmascards #oldChristmascards #holidaycards #upcycled #upcycledtutorial #upcycling #upcycledChristmascards #upcycledholidaycards #Christmascardbook #Christmascardbooks #whattodowithholidaycards #whattodowithChristmascards #DIYupcycled #upcycledcraft #upcycledhour #lifestyleblogger #DIYblogger #HandmadeLoves #makersvillage #colormehappy #livecolorfully #creativityfound #kreativblog #DIYhomeproject #DIYforever #DIYprojects #DIYlife #lovetocreate #craftsposure #Imadethis A post shared by Rose Clearfield (@randomcreativeart) on Jan 17, 2017 at 8:07pm PST
Show Details
How to creatively reuse cards that play music or have LED lights Script for this podcast episode about creative reuse of holiday and other greeting cards (not a transcript but gives the main ideas) The Trashmagination podcast theme music is Kitchen from the Marian Circle Drum Brigade.
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!
What to Make with Felted Sweaters Trashmagination’s Pinterest Board of Creative Reuse Projects with Sweaters
Trashmagination’s Hooked Rugs
Will my sweater felt? Tips from Resweater’s Wool Blend Sweater Challenge
Mittens from Felted Sweaters
Pillows
View this post on Instagram
Small 14” snowflake pillows
A post shared by SweaterSnip (@sweatersnip) on Nov 28, 2018 at 8:19am PST
Companies Who Deconstruct Sweaters or Other Materials to Make Yarn
Reunion Yarn in Virginia USA – sells yarn on Etsy and also hosts a membership site for people who deconstruct sweaters
Adelaide Hills Yarn Company in Australia – t-shirt yarn
Darn Good Yarn in New York
Martine Makes in the Channel Islands
Recovertex in Spain
String Harvest in Australia
Twice Sheared Sheep in Colorado
Woolagain in Rhode Island
How Twice Sheared Sheep Unravels and Spins Sweaters at the Same Time
Community Supported Agriculture Model for Yarn Production
Using Up Yarn Remnants Socks my sister knit with my grandmother’s yarn leftovers, modeled by my mom
View this post on Instagram
sunday vibes I am slowly building stock for my #punchneedle update in the new year – I really enjoy making #tufting pillows, it’s like painting and it’s random and I love the challenge of combining the colours and the huge plus is that it uses up remnant #fiberart
A post shared by arounna (@bookhou) on Dec 9, 2018 at 11:39am PST
View this post on Instagram
11 of these little beauties will be listed hopefully very soon as magic yarn balls with a surprise ceramic peg doll by @pretzelpretzelshop in the middle. The are all approx. 25 yards of two-ply handspun yarns using scraps from @allyrous … by the way @allyrous DM me which skein you’d like me to send you! and as always if you seen one that calls to you before I start listing them DM me! $36 includes free US shipping. Did I mention this would make a great stocking stuffer for a fiber lover? #fiberart #yarnstagram #handspun #handspunyarn #nowaste #reuse #handmadehome #handmadechristmas #stockingstuffers #weaving #knitting #crochet #punchneedle #yarnaddict
A post shared by emily primbs (@loomshakalaka) on Dec 7, 2018 at 1:08pm PST
Creative Reuse Artists Who Use Sweaters, Wool or Yarn Northern Smittens
Moreno de Turco
London Kaye
View this post on Instagram
Another #petridish by #elinthomas . . . See prio post for more detail. Thanks #thisiscolossal
A post shared by Oscar Demi-Wilde (@tubili1411) on Mar 21, 2018 at 3:49am PDT
International Back-to-Back Wool Challenge
View this post on Instagram
Knitter's Pride & KnitPro International would like to congratulate the members of Team Groenewoud, who has won the International Back to Back Wool Challenge for the third year in a row! For 2014, they have improved their time by 6 minutes, with a final time of 5 hours, 26 minutes and 31 seconds. Great job, Team Groenewoud! #knitterspride #backtobackwoolchallenge
A post shared by Knitter's Pride (@knitterpride) on Jul 28, 2014 at 10:28am PDT
Show Details
Script for this podcast episode about creative reuse of sweaters, wool and yarn (not a transcript but gives the main ideas)
The Trashmagination podcast theme music is Kitchen from the Marian Circle Drum Brigade.
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 creative reuse for inspiration and healing. I believe it is possible to help process grief and worry by making beautiful things. In addition, when we bring new purpose to an item that was going in the trash or sitting unused, it adds other layers of positive meaning to our efforts.
I read an article about how making art and crafts can be especially helpful to children who are grieving. It helps children to communicate without words. Working on the craft sets aside a time to talk about the loss. And it lets people take abstract ideas and make them into something concrete.
Memory Keepsake Project Ideas Discussed in this Episode Trashmagination Pinterest Board of Memory Keepsake Ideas
Quilts
Runner
Pillows
Teddy Bears
Ornaments
Scarves
Flower Broach
Denim Basket
Hooked or Braided Rug
Memory Keepsake Project Tutorials
Sadie Seasongoods Plaid Runner
Abby Glassenberg’s Memory Bear from Sweaters
Bird Ornament from a Shirt by View from the Fridge
Bird Ornament from a Shirt by Cutesy Crafts
Plaid Scarf by Gina-Michele
Simple Wool Flower Broach by Upcycled Creatively
Denim Buckets by Curly Made
Braided Rug by Wonder Forest
What is Punch Needling?
Artists Who Make Memory Keepsakes Sherri Lynn Wood and Passage Quilts
View this post on Instagram
I will be talking about quilt making and the bereavement process at Quiltcon Sunday at noon Georgia Marie Wood (1917 – 2003) made in 2004 from fragments of my Grandmother's housecoats, Sunday dresses, and golf shirts. Made as a gift for my father. 78" x 62" . . . . #quiltcon #passagequilting #bereavement #quiltlife #quilting #improvpatchwork #improvquilting #socialpractice #modernquilting #mqg
A post shared by Sherri Lynn Wood (@sherrilynnwood) on Feb 19, 2018 at 9:35am PST
Mary Burgess and Woven Memories
View this post on Instagram
Grandma's jumpers cushion. Jumpers have been felted, cut and handwoven then stitched to the cushion cover. I love finding new ways to use family textiles in ways that remember and honour someone who's gone
A post shared by Mary Burgess (@maryhandweaver) on Dec 11, 2017 at 7:00pm PST
Show Details
Script for this podcast episode about making memory keepsakes made from the clothing of a loved one (not a transcript but gives the main ideas)
The Trashmagination podcast theme music is Kitchen from the Marian Circle Drum Brigade.
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 cloths, and other fabric wrapping options
Gift bags from flexible food packaging
Gift boxes from recycled holiday cards, toilet paper rolls or clamshell containers
Reusable gift tags and bows from recycled materials
There are many benefits to switching from wrapping paper to alternatives. You can:
Save money – Americans spend more than $7 billion on wrapping paper each year.
Avoid frustration – Putting a gift in a reusable gift bag takes less time and coordination that wrapping with scissors and tape. Also, fabric bags usually work better when wrapping gifts with an unusual shape.
Help the environment – If every American family wrapped 3 presents in reusable materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields.
Many types of paper gift wrapping are recyclable by municipal recycling programs except the kinds with foil or glitter. But plastic tape is not recyclable. Tissue paper is challenging because it is often made from already-recycled paper and has shorter fibers.
Even though many municipal recycling programs take wrapping paper, it is filled with ink. Many inks are not made from sustainable ingredients. Removing the ink requires chemicals to prepare the fibers for reuse. So avoiding wrapping paper is a good decision for the environment.
Of course overall, it’s best to give fewer material gifts and instead give gifts that are experiences. But for those items you want to wrap, this is the podcast episode to inspire you!
Furoshiki and Other Fabric Gift Wrapping Options
Tutorial by the Japanese Environmental Ministry that shows how to tie furoshiki in step-by-step graphics to fit different shapes and sizes of gifts
Drawstring gift bag tutorial similar to what I have made before
Fabric gift bag from the sleeve of a dress shirt
Buying Fabric Gift Bags If you don’t want to sew your own reusable fabric gift bags, many crafters and small businesses make them. Search with the term “reusable gift wrap” or “bento bag” on Etsy. Unfortunately, most do not seem to use recycled fabrics.
The company Enfold located in Michigan offers two kinds of sustainable fabric gift bags. They offer gift bags from recycled saris by women who used to work in the sex trade in India. They also sell wraps made from organic cotton.
Wrag Wrap in the UK makes their gift bags from polyester made from recycled plastic bottles. They sell a reusable gift wrap called Crackle Wrap which contains a crinkly inner layer that crackles as the gift is unwrapped.
Gift Bags from Flexible Food Packaging Check out the Trashmagination podcast episode all about flexible food packaging.
Gift Boxes from Recycled Materials Gift box from a recycled toilet paper roll
Triangular gift boxes from recycled holiday cards
Gift boxes made from recycled orange juice cartons
Gift boxes from recycled plastic clamshell packaging / berry baskets
Gift Tags from Recycled Materials Postcardigans in North Carolina makes reusable gift tags from vintage postcards
Trashmagination’s reusable gift tags from plastic packaging
Environmentally-friendly gift wrapping – fabric bag, reusable gift tag, bow from recycled 2L bottle and cap – designed by Trashmagination
Wrapping Bows from Recycled Materials Bow from recycled magazine pages
Bow from recycled balloons
Bow from recycled holiday bulbs
Ppompoms made from t-shirt yarn
Gift decorated by a little forest of evergreen trees
Gift decorated by a ruffle sewn from scrap fabric or kraft paper
Gift decorated with weaving made from ribbons or strips of scrap fabric
Trashmagination’s gift “bow” from a recycled soda bottle
Decorative gift “bow” made from a recycled green soda bottle and cap
Show Details
Script for this podcast episode about gift wrapping without creating trash (not a transcript but gives the main ideas)
The Trashmagination podcast theme music is Kitchen from the Marian Circle Drum Brigade.
You don’t need to buy plastic stuff to have fun on Halloween! Get lots of decorations ideas in this week’s podcast. For ideas on Halloween costumes from recycled materials, check out last year’s Trashmagination Halloween podcast.
Also to see photos of these projects and many more Halloween decorations from recycled materials, check out the Trashmagination Pinterest board.
Halloween Candy Bowls from Recycled Materials
Papier-mâché bowls – My favorite is by the blog The Long Thread. She makes an orange pumpkin one and an white ghost one. She uses an actual pumpkin as the base – the bottom where there is no stem.
Candy bowl from recycled candy wrappers – Finally you can justify eating some of the candy before the kids come trick-or-treating! This design is by Jodi Kahn. You can also glue candy wrappers to a recycled pail.
Frankenstein’s head bucket from a green 2-liter soda bottle
Frankenstein’s head where the kids take the candy from his open mouth – This is made from those rectangular plastic juice containers. It could be the head of Frankenstein, a robot or alien.
Ghost candy bowl by draping a white sheet over a bucket – by one of my favorites, Sadie Seasongoods
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Decorate your Yard with Halloween Decorations from Recycled Materials
Skeleton made from recycled plastic milk jugs – You use one jug for the head or skull, one for the rib-cage and then 2-3 more to make the legs, feet, arms and hands.
Ghosts from broken ceiling fan blades – a Sadie Seasongoods craft
Ghost windsocks from recycled cans – Paint the cans white, turn them upside-down and paint on black eyes and mouth. You add strips of white fabric hanging down from the can.
Giant rope spider web – I made my spider from the black plastic containers found in frozen meals. I made my web by attaching a lot of six-pack rings, but rope is much easier.
Skeleton Halloween decorations from recycled milk jugs
Front Porch Halloween Decorations from Recycled Materials
Milk jug ghost lights – You line up some plastic milk jugs, add ghost faces with black paint or markers, and then stringing white holiday lights inside. It looks like a line of ghosts. You can download a bunch of face templates.
Realistic skull from recycled milk jugs – It requires owning a resin dskull that you use as a base, and then you use a heat gun to melt the milk jugs over the base.
Ghost lights from K-cups – Take white K-cups and draw a ghost face, then attach one on each a string light.
Pumpkin from Tide Pods container
Halloween wreath from old socks
Nail-and-string skull art – My daughter made this inspired by the blog A Beautiful Mess.
Tin can luminaria
Zombie Barbies – from Crafts by Amanda
Glow-in-the-dark Monster Rocks – from Crafts by Amanda
Wooden pallet Halloween decorations – graveyards and fences
Halloween wreath made from recycled black socks designed by Trashmagination
Thread-and-nail skull decorations inspired by the blog A Beautiful Mess
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Indoor Halloween Decorations from Recycled Materials This category of decorations is great if you are hosting a Halloween party. These could also be used to decorate your porch on Halloween night. A lot of these decoration ideas could also be good activity ideas for a Halloween party if you host a party with people who like to make crafts.
Haunted figurines – from Sadie Seasongood – She took old figurines and made them look haunted by painting them black and then giving them red eyes.
Spider’s web from a recycled doily – from Sadie Seasongoods – you stretch the doily on an embroidery hoop and add a little spider.
Ghosts from frosted glass light covers – from Sadie Seasongoods – If you go to a place like a Habitat for Humanity Restore, you can get them cheap. They look like ghosts when they are sitting on a shelf if you add eyes and a mouth. She puts glow sticks inside, but you could string reusable plug-in lights.
Graveyard terrarium – from the blog Just Crafty Enough – This is a variation on a popular craft which involves a recycled glass jar with a little scene inside, and usually some small plants. For this craft, you put a dried out branch that looks like a dead tree, a little gravestone made from Sculpey and dried hay along the bottom.
Bell Jar Spooky Display – the blog Craft Your Happiness shows how to make those old-timey looking jars – called cloches or bell jars – from recycled clear, two liter soda bottles. Inside the jars, they displayed pretend dragon eggs or bird models or other kind of creepy items.
Vitamin or Tylenol bottle to Potions bottle – It involves using a glue gun to add words like “Poison” or “Eye of Newt” and then you paint over that 3-dimensional stuff with layers of paint to make it look old.
Halloween silhouette lanterns – Paint a jar orange or cover it with tissue paper, then add a black silhouette. The blog called Le Coin de Mel shows silhouette designs that you could borrow.
Glow-in-the-dark Skeleton Cross-stitch – by Martha Stewart Living
Eye ball pom pom – By the Mr. P blog
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Show Details I’m still looking for broken or unwanted tents if you’d like to give them to me!
Script for this podcast episode about Halloween decorations from recycled materials (not a transcript but gives the main ideas)
The Trashmagination podcast theme music is Kitchen from the Marian Circle Drum Brigade.
Last month, I was interviewed on the podcast The Sustainable Minimalist, hosted by Stephanie Sefarian. Check out that episode because Stephanie is a great interviewer! In today’s Trashmagination podcast, I will share some tidbits from that interview.
To give some context, Stephanie’s podcast is for people who are simplifying their lives or learning about minimalism. A stereotype of minimalism is that the main goal is to reduce your possessions and downsizing your home. That can be a big part of the process – but it is just one facet of minimalism. It can also mean simplifying your schedule by learning to say “no” to commitments and being intentional about how you spend your time and money.
Stephanie asked how one might work towards a minimalist lifestyle if you also want to pursue creative reuse as part of an environmentally-conscious lifestyle. Just like there are stereotypes about minimalism, there are stereotypes about creative reuse. People imagine that to make items from recycled materials, you must store crates of recyclables in your home, which would not seem to align with minimalist goals.
There are ways to do creative reuse that do not involve giant crates of recyclables. In this episode, I share strategies to help you achieve your goals of minimalism AND creative reuse!
How to Set Up Your Home to Be Both Minimalist and Still Do Creative Reuse
Step 1 – Figure out what you want to collect
Step 2 – Store what you collect in a way so you don’t forget about it
Step 3 – Getting rid of collections that you realize you are not going to creatively reuse either because your interests have changed or you are moving somewhere and can’t store it anymore.
How do you know what to collect?
Look at the trash and recycling items your family generates
Start a Pinterest board of ideas for what you could do with that material
Match a “making skill” to the trash/recycling material
Only collect items that delight you
Tell your friends what you are collecting
How to store materials until you use them
Clean and deconstruct
Set maximum collection amounts
Set maximum “keep” times
Store in clear containers
What to do with collections you decide you don’t need anymore
Many trash and recycling items can have value if they are in quantity, clean and stored neatly
People might want your recycled material collections if you show how to use the materials
Design projects around materials
Check out the robot craft I designed to use up my gray plastic cap collection
Show Details I’m still looking for broken or unwanted tents if you’d like to give them to me!
Script for this podcast episode about minimalism and creative reuse (not a transcript but gives the main ideas)
The Trashmagination podcast theme music is Kitchen from the Marian Circle Drum Brigade.
Did you know that most chewing gum is made from plastic? Chewing gum is not typically recycled, so every piece of gum becomes one more item that goes into landfills or oceans. Learn about an innovative designer who is finding efficient ways to gather chewed-up gum and make it into plastic products, as well as artists who incorporate gum and wrappers into their work.
Throughout history, people chewed substances that were not plastic. Ancient Greeks chewed a resin from the Mastic tree, Mayans chewed a tree resin called chicle, and many native peoples chewed spruce gum. Around 1850, people started chewing paraffin wax, which is made from petroleum. Today, most chewing gum is made from a type of plastic called polyisobutylene, which is the same material as you find in bicycle inner tubes.
GumDrop – Collecting and Reusing Chewing Gum When it comes to chewing gum recycling, the most exciting story is a company called Gumdrop. British designer Anna Bullus decided she wanted to find a way to recycle chewing gum. She knew that it costs many municipal governments a lot of money to scrape chewing gum off sidewalks. She figured out a way to collect gum using her giant pink bubble-shaped containers made from recycled gum themselves, and then transform them into plastic products.
Non-Plastic Chewing Gum Options
Glee Gum – in Rhode Island – some packaging is plastic (gum pouches) – they also sell Halloween-sized packages in cardboard
Simply Gum – in New York City
Chicza – in Mexico – foil in the packaging
Projects to Make from Gum Wrappers Make a dress or purse from gum wrapper chains
Make a coiled vase or bowl from gum wrappers
Gum wrapper vase
Gum wrapper bowl
Make collage art from the foil wrappers
Get inspired by Charlie DeCano of the Etsy shop Awkward Charlie to make foil collage art.
Here’s a foil wrapper art tutorial:
Decoupage a pair of shoes
Decorate your fingernails
Start a fire in an emergency
Artists Who Incorporate Gum or Wrappers in their Art Maurizio Savini
Note: he doesn’t actually chew the gum before using it, but warms it with a hair dryer
Sophia Matveeva
Ben Wilson
Ben has painted more than 10,000 blobs of chewing gum stuck on sidewalks around the world.
Luisa Caldwell
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Other Items Mentioned in the Episode Extra Gum commercial
Make jewelry, home decor and even musical instruments from bicycle parts such as chains, spokes, rims, gears, brake cables, handlebars, pedals, seats and frames. You will never look at a bicycle the same way again after listening to this podcast episode and checking out the Trashmagination Pinterest board of items to make with bicycle parts.
Places to Bring Functional Bicycles You will need to find the organizations in your region, but here are three examples of organizations and how they gather bicycles.
Vietnam Veterans of America – national organizations who pick up bicycles
Bikes for the World – community organization which organizes community pick-up events
Community groups who train youth mechanices such as Phoenix Bikes in Arlington, Virginia or Gearin’ Up in Washington DC.
Artists Working with Bicycle Chains John T. Benedict
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Carolina Fontoura Alzaga
Young-Deok Seo
Projects You Can Do with Bicycle Chains Bicycle Chain Bracelet
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Bicycle Chain Holiday Star Ornament
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Basic Welding Tutorial
Bicycle Spoke Projects Bicycle Spoke Bracelet
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Bicycle Spoke Ornament
I love the designs by WinterWomanDesigns in New Hampshire.
Bicycle Spoke Kalimba
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Bicycle Pedals Made from Recycled Materials Bioplastic made from 70% rice husks and 30% recycled plastic bottles
Wood
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Leather
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What to Make with Bicycle Rims
Bicycle rim Tree of Life sculpture from wire
Tree of Life sculpture from t-shirt yarn
Bicycle Rim Wreath – attach whatever items you want around the edge instead of using a bent metal hanger
Bicycle rim display for cards, such as holiday cards – you attach the cards to the spokes with clothespins
Pot rack
Bicycle rim Christmas tree – Learn more about bicycles being made into Christmas trees from recycled materials
Crocheted design in bicycle rim
Crochet a piece to go over your back wheel as a skirt guard from the spokes.
Stained glass spinner – If you do stained glass, this is a fun project to attach triangles of color to the spokes for a garden decoration – http://www.fleamarketgardening.org/2013/05/07/make-a-stained-glass-garden-spinner/.
Bicycle rim Pole Trellis where the rim is mounted on the top of the pole so the rim is laying flat, and strings hang down for the plants to climb
Bicycle rim Circular Clothesline
A Garden Dome or Sphere
Bicycle rim fence trellis
What to Make with Bicycle Gears
Giant stained glass suncatchers like VeloGiolelli
Giant LOVE sign
What to Make with Bicycle Handle Bars, Seats and Frames Picasso set the standard for the creative reuse of handle bars and seats when he made a sculpture that looked like a stylistic bull’s head from these materials.
Two companies who make these bull’s heads for home décor or bicycle storage are:
Upcycles in the Netherlands (which they call the “Velodeer”)
Upcyclist Art
On my Pinterest board, you’ll find a lot of furniture and lamps made from bicycle handlebars, seats and frames
Check out Willie Cole’s piece in the Metropolitan Museum of Art made from bicycle frames
Bicycles and Knitting or Yarn Cyclo Knitter by George Barratt-Jones
Asma Chaudhary
Asma Chaudhary and her amazing bicycle trailer art
Betz White
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Bicycles as Art Marcel Duchamp
Tylur French ].
Jarbas Lopes
A series called Cicloviaérea or “Aerial Bikeway”
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David Clement from Jemicy Upper School
Discussed in the most popular episode of Trashmagination about recycled art contests
Bicycle Art by David Clement, Jemicy Upper School
Amazing Experiences on Bicycles My goal is not only to help you make more stuff from bicycles, but to have more amazing experiences. Here are three examples of people designing experiences from bicycles.
The Austin Bike Zoo
Welcome to The Bike Zoo! from The Bike Zoo on Vimeo.
My daughter and I had the opportunity to ride one of the Austin Bike Zoo butterfly bicycles at the World Maker Faire in New York City in 2013
Steven Baber
Composed a song called Bespoken made from sounds that he gathers from bicycles
Johnnyrandom | Bespoken from Johnnyrandom on Vimeo.
Merche Blasco
Composed a song to be played with bicycle bells
Show Details I’m still looking for broken or unwanted tents if you’d like to give them to me!
Script for this podcast episode about creative reuse of bicycle parts (not a transcript but gives the main ideas)
The Trashmagination podcast theme music is Kitchen from the Marian Circle Drum Brigade.
You can make mosaic tiles, toy hover crafts and hand weights from discarded CDs and DVDs, and that’s just the start of the many beautiful and useful items you can make. Let’s talk about:
crafts you can make with CDs or DVDs, as well as the CD cases (jewel cases) and spindle cases
where you can donate or sell unwanted CDs and DVDs
artists who incorporate CDs and DVDs into their work
Trashmagination’s Creative Reuse Craft Rating System There are unfortunately a lot of very ugly and non-recyclable crafts made from CDs and DVDs. So this is a good time to review my creative reuse craft rating system that evaluates whether the craft is:
useful and/or beautiful
for educational or celebratory purposes
strong
made from recycled materials – how much?
encouraging imaginary play
easy to take apart and recycle the parts
My goal is to only share crafts that score well. Learn more about my creative reuse craft rating system.
For examples of CD and DVD crafts that would not score well, check out this collection of 25 crafts.
Projects that Involve Cutting and Baking CDs Note that many crafts that involve cutting and baking can only be done with CDs and not DVDs.
Loraine Brummer has a tutorial where she uses suncatcher paints on CDs to make little dishes with her granddaughters.
Fancy Tat Crafts in the UK sells baked CD dishes already made.
Mugsy Makes takes a stamp and ink to put designs on the CDs before she cuts them to make tiles.
Another crafter uses acrylic paint to make tiles in all sorts of colors.
The crafter Made By Fate does not remove the silver stuff, but cuts up the CDs as they are to make silver tiles.
Danny Seo makes a mirror tray with tiles from CDs.
No-Bake Projects that Involve Gluing Items to CDs Many Indian crafters such as Seema Tungare make wall or car decorations to celebrate Ganesha. They also make tea light holders or diya holders.
Many crafters paint mandala designs on clear CDs with puffy paint and then fill in the colors with stained glass lacquer.
Crochet artists make designs that stretch over CDs and DVDs.
Making Toys from CDs and DVDs Toy stove top – When you make a child-sized play stove from a cardboard box, CDs or DVDs can be the burners where they put their play pots and pans.
Balloon Hovercraft
Hand weights – Danny Seo built his own set of hand weights by putting a whole bunch of CDs and DVDs on a 12 inch threaded metal pipe and securing them with ½ inch nuts.
Made from CD Jewel Cases Many people use clear jewel cases the same way you would use picture frames.
Grid photo frames – A blogger named Trie expanded a photo to a very large size, and then cut the photo into squares the size of a jewel case. She then hung them on a wall side by side to make a huge portrait with jewel cases put together in a grid.
Clear Christmas light boxes
Greenhouse from Jewel Cases – It holds together well because the jewel cases open on a hinge, and so you glue the open doors of the jewel cases together to make a strong structure.
Handheld Maze Toy – The blogger Teri Dimalanta from Giddy Giddy designed an ingenious craft from a jewel case and the crafting supply known as Wikkistix which is a wax-covered string.
Stained glass effect on a window – The blogger Simply We attached a multi-colored jewel cases to a window with double-sided tape.
Made from CD or DVD Spindle Cases Toy Birthday Cake – The blog CraftPatisserie covered a small spindle case with felt and felt flowers
Where to Sell or Donate Functional DVDs Some websites pay for your DVDs if they are in good condition, such as Decluttr.com.
12 websites who pay for DVDs – recommendations from April 2018
Donate DVDs to DVDs for the Troops – Often people are serving in places where they don’t have access to Netflix but they could watch movies, so they appreciate our DVDs.
Artists Who Work with Recycled CDs and DVDs Sean Avery builds elaborate animal sculptures by cutting up CDs and DVDs.
Mirco Pagano and Moreno De Turco make portraits of famous musicians such as Bob Marley, Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson by laying out the CDs on a flat surface.
Leticia Bajuyo builds giant tunnels that look like black holes from huge numbers of CDs.
Elise Morin and Clémence Eliard build giant installations of thousands of discarded CDs.
Bruce Munro does installations with thousands of CDs, such as Waterlilies.
Belèn Hermosa designed a chair made from 4,000 CDs
Vanessa Silva makes jewelry using those techniques I described about baking the CDs.
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Show Details The only craft I made from CDs so far has been a dress. I was participating in a contest with friends called GISH or the Greatest International Scavenger Hunt which involves doing a whole bunch of stunts and photographing them. The challenge I was doing involved making a dress from e-waste and then taking my photo as if I was a mannequin in a shop window. So I punch a bunch of holes in some old CDs and then tied them together with twist ties. I made a neckpiece from some coaxial cable. I went to my local Ann Taylor store which was the only one nearby that had mannequins in a shop window and asked the people working there if I could take my photo wearing this dress in the shop window. It was a quiet day and they got a real kick out of it.
Modelling my CD dress in the shop window at Ann Taylor, August 2016
I’m still looking for broken or unwanted tents if you’d like to give them to me!
Script for this podcast episode about creative reuse of CDs, DVDs, jewel cases and spindle cases (not a transcript but gives the main ideas)
The Trashmagination podcast theme music is Kitchen from the Marian Circle Drum Brigade.
How many plastic containers in your home could you replace with glass containers? When you watch videos of home tours by zero waste enthusiasts, you will notice that almost everything is in a glass bottle or jar. In this podcast episode, you’ll get inspired to look with new eyes on everything in your home. The simple glass bottle or jar can cause a chain of events that will lead to a much more sustainable life.
This topic was requested by my friend Alexis, who also inspired the episode on creative reuse of worn-out or mismatched socks. You can inspire a future podcast episode by sending any creative reuse questions to trashmagination@gmail.com!
Alexis said that she has beautiful glass bottles and jars – too beautiful to put in the recycling bin. She had already made a beautiful centerpiece by filling a bottle with LED lights. I never spent a lot of time thinking about glass jars and bottles because I know there are good markets for recycled glass. I wanted to focus my attention on items that would definitely go to landfill. However, it is better for the environment if we reuse jars than recycle them. It takes a lot of energy to pulverize and reconstitute glass, let alone transporting heavy glass from place to place.
There is a machine that can pulverize a glass bottle and make it into sand in only a few seconds. This sand can be used in industrial processes instead of harvesting sand from the environment, and there is a golf course in Laguna Beach which replenishes their bunkers with sand made from pulverized glass bottles. While it looks cool to see the glass pulverized instantly, there absolutely must be better ways to creatively reuse this material.
When I was growing up, we went to the Pop Shoppe where I was allowed to choose one bottle of soda for my family’s six pack, and we returned the bottles every week. Nowadays, my family purchases our milk in reusable bottles that go back to the farmer for reuse over and over. In Europe, there are better systems for recovering glass bottles and reusing them for the same purpose until they are too scratched up or chipped. Mason jars are extremely popular for many Pinterest projects, and many things you do with mason jars can be done with regular glass bottles and jars too.
This podcast talks about:
ways to creatively reuse glass bottles and jars that don’t require you to change the bottles and jars in any way
reuse ideas that involve painting bottles and jars
reuse ideas that involve cutting or melting bottles and jars
artists near you who want your beautiful glass bottles and jars
a fun vacation suggestion which is to visit glass bottle houses!
Creative Reuse Ideas for Glass Bottles and Jars in Your Home How to remove stubborn labels from bottles and jars
Bottle organizer with hose clamps – keeps glass containers from sliding off a sink or counter top
Square wooden box to hold jars – keeps glass containers from sliding off a sink or counter top
Make a mason jar into a shaker jar with a recycled lid
Painted bottles with puffy paint for a “sea urchin design” by Danny Seo
Bottles decorated with paper napkins or tissue paper decoupage
Painted Jars
Color Me Happy – teacher gifts with school-supply-themed jars
Halloween jars / lanterns
Glass paint on decor items
Puffy painted dots
Harry Potter potion bottles
Candy jars from recycled bottles and old spindles or candle sticks
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Foods to Make in Recycled Glass Jars and Bottles These are ideas beyond canning.
Salads – Lettuce keeps longer in pre-made salads stored in glass jars
Homemade vanilla, orange and lemon extract
Apple cider vinegar
Sprouts
Kombucha or other fermented items
Elderflower cordial
Yogurt cheese (labneh)
Creative Reuse Ideas for Glass Bottles and Jars in your Yard or Patio Patio Torches
Bottle Trees
Homemade bottle tree
Purchased bottle tree at Gardeners.com
Christmas tree made from recycled green bottles
Glass Bottle and Jar Crafts that Involve Cutting or Melting There are tutorials that say you can cut glass bottles and jars with string and acetone, but I have heard that mostly does not work or leaves a jagged edge. Most artists recommend a basic bottle cutting tool which sells for about $20-40. Making crafts from bottles and jars can be a great craft business for someone who likes to do the same steps over and over with precision.
Candle holder
Drinking glass – by removing the neck of the bottle
Candle in a glass – by pouring in wax over a wick
Garden cloche or terrarium – These are like mini-greenhouses. You cut off the bottom of a wide transparent glass bottle and then place them over baby plants
Bottle slumping – looks like the bottle was melted flat and requires a kiln
Stained glass window – You can make these from the circular bottoms of glass bottles
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Recycled Glass Artists Who Might Want Your Colorful Glass Bottles and Jars
Evolution Glass – Virginia
Fisher Recycling – North Carolina Glass Eco Surfaces – North Carolina
Zero Waste Home Tours These are very inspiring to see how these families have replaced almost all plastic containers with glass ones.
Oberon and Laura Carter in Tasmania
Aline Gubri in France
Aline’s book is called Zéro plastique, Zéro Toxique.
Bottle Houses
Bottle Houses in Prince Edward Island, Canada
Tom Kelly Bottle Houses (a whole ghost town!) in Nevada
Cary’s Desert Bottle House – an Air BnB made of recycled bottles
Current and Upcoming Exhibits by some of my Favorite Creative Reuse Artists
In Michigan, there is an exhibit by Michelle Stitzlein called Industrial Nature at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts – only until September 7, 2018!
Aurora Robson – exhibits in West Nyack, New York, at the Arboretum at Penn State University and in a gallery in Omaha, Nebraska – I would especially love to see her plastic sculptures that are housed outside and which glow at dusk due to solar lights.
Sayaka Ganz has an exhibit opening at the North Caroline Arboretum in Asheville on September 22 called Reclaimed Creations.
Thomas Dambo’s giant trolls built from recycled wooden pallets are on view at the Morton Arboretum near Chicago and he just built a new troll in Breckenridge, Colorado.
Show Details At the end of this episode, I ask for people to give me broken tents and colorful shampoo bottles. Learn more about this project here!
Script for this podcast episode about creative reuse of glass bottles and jars (not a transcript but gives the main ideas)
The Trashmagination podcast theme music is Kitchen from the Marian Circle Drum Brigade.
Art and crafts from cigarette butts? Disgusting! But creative reuse artists cannot be stopped! You will be amazed by what people have made from thousands of cigarette butts, plastic lighters, cigarette packaging, cigar boxes and cigarette vending machines.
Many cigarette artists began as litter volunteers, participating in beach clean-ups around the world. In 2017, volunteers in the International Coastal Cleanup picked up 2.4 million cigarette butts – it was the most common form of litter. More than five trillion cigarette butts are tossed per year, so if there was ever a type of trash that needed creative thinking, this would be it!
You can see many project ideas on Trashmagination’s Pinterest board on cigarette butts, plastic lighters and related items.
Amazing Art Made from Cigarette Butts Taylor Lane – The Cigarette Surfboard
Vissla and Surfrider Upcycling Contest – Entries Due September 13, 2018!
Taylor Lane was the 2017 winner in this contest. Design a surfboard or other water craft from recycled materials and win a prize
Creators & Innovators Upcycle Contest 2018 from Vissla on Vimeo.
Jason Mecier’s Celebrity Portraits
A post shared by Jason Mecier (@jasonmecier) on Jul 28, 2018 at 8:07pm PDT
A post shared by Jason Mecier (@jasonmecier) on Jul 13, 2018 at 9:07pm PDT
Other Cigarette and Plastic Lighter Artists
Sea Angels – beach clean-up organization in Florida – art from cigarette butts of marine life
Shelly Marshall – sea turtle from 1,200 cigarette butts
Susan Scott – Marine life art from plastic lighters in Hawaii
Michelle Doherty jewelry from plastic lighter components in Thailand
Tom Deininger “Filter Rabbit” – sculpture from cigarette filters
Jesus Bubu Negron – carpet from cigarette butts
Flore Garcia Boure – dress from cigarette butts – if you love this dress, check out the Trashmagination podcast episode on trash fashion!
Many items made from cigarette packaging – such as dresses, purses, sketchbooks etc!
Cigarette Vending Machines and the Art-o-Mat One of my favorite creative reuse projects! Art-o-Mat refurbishes cigarette vending machines to sell art Search to find a machine near you! Artists contribute art and get paid when the art sells through these machines. The art has to be at least as small as a cigarette box. Follow Art-o-Mat on Instagram to see examples of art sold in the machines, and announcements of where they are installing new machines. In the Washington DC area, where I live, every District Taco restaurant has one, as well as the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
A post shared by Art-o-mat (@artomat) on May 19, 2018 at 4:36pm PDT
Ways to Discourage Smokers from Littering Ballot Bin
Terracycle Cigarette Recycling Program
Indian Company Core Enterprises Recycling Cigarette Butts
Show Details At the end of this episode, I ask for people to give me broken tents and colorful shampoo bottles. Learn more about this project here!
Script for this podcast episode about creative reuse of cigarette butts, plastic lighters, cigarette packaging, cigar boxes and cigarette vending machines (not a transcript but gives the main ideas)
The Trashmagination podcast theme music is Kitchen from the Marian Circle Drum Brigade.
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? In this episode, we’ll explore the ways people have been creatively recycling denim jean fabric for thousands of years, and get project ideas you can make today.
Where to Donate Jeans Blue Jeans Go Green
Levi’s and Dockers
Madewell
How to Update, Repair and Make Your Own Jeans Jeans Hacks
How to Shorten Jeans and Keep the Original Hem
When patching kids jeans, make a hole into a monster mouth!
Insert elastic in the waistband to make the jeans fit your shape better.
If you like to doodle, you can draw on jeans with a bleach pen to make them into a work of art.
Sew Your Own Custom Ginger Jeans with Closet Case Patterns
Sew Your Dream Jeans – Online Sewing Class from Heather Lou on Vimeo.
Trashmagination Projects Made from Recycled Denim Jeans Over-the-Door Toy Organizer from Recycled Jean Back Pockets
Toy organizer from recycled jeans
Giant Cushion Chair from Recycled Denim Jeans
Nora tests the new Huggle Pod cushion
Ointment Organizer
Scar Care pocket on Ointment Organizer
Ointment organizer from recycled denim jeans
Upholstered Dining Room Chair
Dining room chair reupholstered with denim jeans
Denim Recycling Projects that I Want to Make
Beads from rolled denim jean scraps by Harmony Lawrence
Coil basket from denim jean inseams
Coil necklace from denim jean inseams inspired by LoveandDream
Whale toy designed by Finnish artist Valaan Villapaita – combines blue and gray denim
Lunch or Snack bag which reuses the leg of the jeans with minimal sewing and closes with a belt
Denim quilts – Check out the Trashmagination Pinterest board for recycled denim jeans to see all the denim quilts I want to make.
Artists Who Make Items from Recycled Denim Jeans Kymberly Leicester from Grubbee makes dribble bibs from recycled jeans and will donate 50 percent of sales to the Jeans for Genes campaign in Australia.
If you donate to the http://Jeans for Genes campaign in Australia, Angela Van Boxtel will crochet your old jeans into a rug. Her son has a genetic disease.
A post shared by Angela van Boxtel (@angela_van_boxtel) on Jul 22, 2018 at 3:45pm PDT
Katrina Rodabaugh – slow fashion advocate – book comes out October 2018 called Mending Matters: Stitch, Patch, and Repair Your Favorite Denim & More
A post shared by Katrina RodabaughSlow Fashion (@katrinarodabaugh) on Jul 24, 2018 at 2:12pm PDT
Pam DeLuco is a paper artist who makes books from jeans.
Karen Stevens makes adorable pencil cases from recycled denim. Many feature her signature image of a moon embroidered tiny facial features.
A post shared by karen (@kzstevens) on Jun 29, 2018 at 10:10am PDT
Jean Shin made an installation called Alterations from blue jean legs stiffened with wax She also did a recent installation where she made sandbags from jeans called Levee.
A post shared by Jean Shin (@jean.shin) on Jul 1, 2018 at 6:32pm PDT
Claire Armstrong from the blog Pillar Box Blue makes a lot of upcycled crafts from denim jeans.
A post shared by Claire Armstrong (@pillarboxblue) on Jul 13, 2018 at 11:12am PDT
Yarn Made from Recycled Denim Jeans
BettaKnit Love My Jeans yarn from Italy
Venne Eco Jeans yarn from the Netherlands
Wol zo Eerlijk from the Netherlands
Wool and the Gang from the United Kingdom
Other Resources Mentioned in this Podcast Episode
My Summer Job Sorting Textiles
Home Insulation made from recycled denim jeans
What is Japanese boro?
Sri Threads – specializes in boro pieces
A post shared by Creative Workshop Space (@thewindsorworkshop) on Oct 24, 2017 at 2:38pm PDT
Show Details
Script for this podcast episode about denim jeans recycling (not a transcript but gives the main ideas)
The Trashmagination podcast theme music is Kitchen from the Marian Circle Drum Brigade.
Even if you don’t have kids, playgrounds can be a great case study in creative reuse. Come learn about playgrounds made from recycled tires, wood, metal, plastic, cardboard and fabric.
Playgrounds from Recycled Materials Ruganza Bruno’s plastic bottle playgrounds in Uganda
Plastic bottle designs in Crete in a wire fence
Thomas Dambo’s Shark from Waste Wood
Thomas Dambos’s Six Forgotten Giants from Waste Wood
Recycled Skateboard Swing
Tri-wizard Tournament Cardboard Maze at Denver Public Library
Boxwars – adult cardboard play event
Basurama’s Playground from Recycled Water Tanks in Taiwan
Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam’s Crocheted Playgrounds
How to Build a Cardboard Slide
Knit or Crocheted Water Balloons
Crocheted water balloon pattern by Left in Knots
Etsy provider of reusable water balloons
Playgrounds that Encourage Creative Reuse and Recycling of Materials Adventure Playground on Governor’s Island, New York City
Glamis Adventure Playground, London
The Land, Wales
The Land (Teaser) from Play Free Movie on Vimeo.
Free Range Playground, Denver, Colorado
FreeRange Playground – Risk Taking, Child Led, Free Play for Denver Kids from Leslie James on Vimeo.
Other Resources Mentioned in the Episode
Trashmagination Pinterest board of playgrounds from recycled materials
Map of Play by Kaboom
Study on use of tires in playgrounds
Monstrum – Danish playground designer using sustainable timber
Theory of Loose Parts in Play and Design
Adventure Playground, Berkeley California
Play Free Movie
Show Details
Script for this podcast episode about playgrounds made from recycled materials (not a transcript but gives the main ideas)
The Trashmagination podcast theme music is Kitchen from the Marian Circle Drum Brigade.
What can you make from wooden clementine boxes? I designed a clementine box craft called a lenticular photo display using the triangular wood shapes from clementine boxes. Check out this simple but visually striking craft, along with many other ideas on my Trashmagination Pinterest board for clementine boxes.
Photos of my Lenticular Photo Display from Clementine Boxes You need to see it from multiple angles to get the full effect!
Lenticular photo display made from clementine box triangles – crocus photo
Lenticular photo display made from clementine box triangles – rose photo
As a business card holder
Decorating Ideas to Make with Clementine Boxes
Chalkboard-Paint Placecards – The blog Family Chic showed how to take the triangle shapes and paint them with chalkboard paint. Then they can be used as placecards on the dining room table.
Tiny Chalkboard Signage – You can paint the flat pieces of the clementine box with chalkboard paint and attach string or ribbon to make little signs. This can be show instructions at a potluck dinner table or it can be a gift tag on a bottle of wine.
Shadow Boxes – A shadow box allows you to frame three-dimensional items. The blog Pop Sugar made a shadow box by painting a clementine box with gold paint. They filled it with a magical winter scene made with cotton batting, tiny evergreen trees and white lights.
Gift Boxes – Clementine boxes can be a great way to put together “kits” for friends or teachers. For example, you could put all the ingredients to make a cocktail. Or cleaning items for a housewarming gift. Or baby items for a baby shower. You can paint the box in a color that matches the gift items. Or you can use Mod Podge to decorate the box with scrapbook paper. When people come to visit, fill a clementine box with items they might need and store it in your guest room. Another gift idea is to wrap up the triangles from clementine boxes as kindling for someone who has a fireplace or who likes to go camping.
Storage Items to Make with Clementine Boxes
Ribbon storage – By adding dowels, some crafters store ribbons in clementine boxes. You can roll out what you need.
Scissor Storage Box – Turn the box upside down and drill a hole big enough to let your scissors slide in. This could be especially helpful for a teacher or scrapbooker who has many shapes of scissor blades.
Add handles – A blog called Homestead and Gardens gave a clementine box a big upgrade by adding two dowels at each end to make nice handles.
Add burlap – If you want to creatively reuse your burlap rice bags, you can cover clementine boxes with burlap.
Shelves – I saw a LOT of examples of clementine boxes as shelves. Often this involved painting the bottom of the box in bright colors and putting them up as a collection.
Desk Organizers – Clementine boxes can stack on top of each other. You can take out one side of the box to make a file organizer. Or you can stack them and paint a word on the side to show what goes inside the box. They can be used to hold fruits and vegetables which do better outside of the fridge such as tomatoes, onions, melons and potatoes.
Greenhouse – You can grow plants in clementine boxes. Some people add a plastic canopy to make it more like a greenhouse, but many plants grow well without it.
Toy Ideas from Clementine Boxes
Doll Bed – Back in episode 34, I talked about making dollhouse furniture from recycled materials. A clementine box makes a great doll bed because it fits most dolls. Sew a little mattress, quilt and pillow, and the box already looks like a four-poster bed. You could even add a canopy.
Doll Couch
Doll Table – Turn a clementine box upside down to make a doll-sized table. You can paint it or cover it with a tablecloth. You can even make little place mats as a family craft.
Toy Car Storage Center – Put toilet paper rolls into a clementine box until it is completely full. Then your child can put a car into each little parking spot [].
Color sorting game – Turn a box upside down and circle the holes in the base with different colors of marker. The kids drop tiny pompoms or beads into the holes that matched the color using chopsticks.
Ring toss game – Put bottles in a clementine box and people throw a ring to see they could get it around the bottle.
Show Details
Script for this podcast episode about ways to creatively reuse clementine boxes or crates (not a transcript but gives the main ideas)
The Trashmagination podcast theme music is Kitchen from the Marian Circle Drum Brigade.
Bread tags or clips may seem like a small item, but when you realize that there are millions of them in the world, it adds up. Made from type 6 plastic, or polystyrene, they are often not accepted by municipal recycling facilities because they are too small to be sorted by automated recycling machines. However, there are people who are finding ways to recycle and reuse them around the world – so get inspired today!
Where Do Bread Tags Come From? The company which makes bread tags in the US is called Kwik Lok is located in Yakima, Washington. Great Big Story made this video about the story of bread tags:
Where to Send Bread Tags In South Africa, check out Breadtags for Wheelchairs:
In the United States, check out Danielle Cares for Chairs.
In Australia, check out The Breadtag Appreciation Society and The Breadtag Project.
How to Reuse Bread Tags See inspirational photos of these ideas at the Trashmagination Pinterest board for bread tags or clips.
Put it on the end of a roll of tape so you don’t have to use your fingernail to start a new piece.
Stick them on the pages of a book to make tabs to quickly find a spot in the book.
Label cords hanging behind a desk so you don’t have to guess which cord goes with each device.
When you serve wine, put them on the stem so people can find their own glass. These are sometimes called “wine charms.”
If you wear the type of flip flop that has a little piece that goes between your toes, and that part breaks, you can put a bread tag under the sole to hold it in place.
Use it as a guitar pick.
Make a shaker toy or abacus from bread tags – and if you can’t picture that – check the links on the Pinterest board that I made for bread tags and clips
The blog “Raising Dragons” makes an alphabet or math activity by writing letters or numbers on bread tags. For one activity, the kids pick up a bread tags by sucking through a straw and lifting them into a cup.
Amanda Formaro has a very cute style that she applies to bread tags in order to make bread tag monsters, bread tag gingerbread people and bread tag snowmen. She paints the bread tags first and then adds details including googly eyes. If you add a safety pin to the back of these designs, they can become pins or “swaps” if you are a Girl Scout.
You might remember Noah Scalin – I mentioned him back in the episode on shoes. He wrote a book called “Skull-A-Day. Skull #24 was bread tag skull design made from three white bread tags and some safety pins.
Various artists incorporate bread tags into their designs of birthday cards.
There is variability in the cut-out shape of bread tags. Some look like a heart while others look like an X, or a bunch of other shapes. Ismael Cavazos doodles on and around bread tags. Sometimes he draws two hands cupped in the shape of a heart, or a little squirrel or a tiger.
Building Community with Bread Tags Besides gathering bread tags to raise funds for wheelchairs, here are examples of artists who did projects with bread tags that I think could be fun to do within a community such as a classroom.
The Bread Clip Appreciation Society made a world map from bread clips.
The Eco-Teacher made a Periodic Table of Elements from bread tags.
S.J. Wang shared a photo on Twitter of an adorable cat that he made from a bread tag, and then lots of other people started sharing their own designs of kitties, puppies and a rhinoceros [].
Edwin Godfrey took on a project in 2017 which was to find a bread tag for each day of the year stamped with the date. On his Instagram feed poplatags, he posted a photo of the bread tag each day and then he would make videos of them in order.
Gavin Moores made giant mandalas from bread clips.
Mango Sea makes sea turtles, jellyfish and sharks from bread tag and balloon tag pieces that they find washed up on the beach in Australia.
Artists Who Make Complicated Items from Bread Tags
Stephanie Watson sewed a wedding gown from 10,000 bread tags in 2013.
Paul Schultz is an architect who incorporates bread tags in some of his designs. He made a wall in a kitchen from layers of plexiglass with bread clips suspended inside. He also made a public art project with a backlit display featuring bread tags.
Ahna Adair made rings from bread tags. She stacks bread tags on top of each other, glues them and then drills a hole the size of a finger.
Beth Taylor made planets and moons from melted bread tags.
Elizabeth Saveri paints wonderful scenes and portraits on bread tags.
Cute Items Made from Bread Tags
A post shared by Shani (@rarepearstudio) on Mar 13, 2018 at 4:28am PDT
A post shared by Raising Dragons (@raisingdragons4) on Jun 11, 2018 at 4:15am PDT
A post shared by Ismael Cavazos (@ismael.cavazos) on Jun 1, 2018 at 7:20pm PDT
A post shared by breadclipappreciationsociety (@breadclipappreciationsociety) on Sep 2, 2017 at 4:00pm PDT
A post shared by Ecoteacher (@the_eco_teacher) on Apr 30, 2018 at 3:20am PDT
A post shared by Eleanor (@eleanordraws) on Mar 11, 2016 at 2:12pm PST
A post shared by @mangosea_scienceeducationart on Nov 20, 2017 at 10:53pm PST
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A post shared by Elizabeth saveri (@elizabethsaveri) on Feb 9, 2017 at 1:13pm PST
Other Resources Mentioned in this Episode
Family, Career and Community Leaders of America – They have many leadership contests, but I am especially excited about the one related to recycling
How Bea Johnson does zero waste grocery shopping – including buying bread without packaging
Show Details
Script for this podcast episode about ways to creatively reuse plastic bread tags or clips (not a transcript but gives the main ideas)
The Trashmagination podcast theme music is Kitchen from the Marian Circle Drum Brigade.