• Categories

  • "Green" Living ideas
  • Children's Activities
  • Children's Crafts
  • Crafts
  • Garden
  • Halloween
  • Happenings At Our House
  • Home Décor
  • MYO Gifts
  • Organize
  • Party Décor
  • Party Favors
  • recipes
  • reuse aluminum pie pan
  • reuse boxes
  • reuse broken appliances
  • reuse cans
  • reuse chopsticks
  • reuse clementine box
  • reuse glass bottles/ jars
  • reuse ice cream containers
  • reuse lamp
  • reuse paper
  • reuse plastic bottles
  • reuse sweaters
  • reuse wood garage door
  • reuse x-rays
  • Sewing
  • Uncategorized
  • Valentine's Day

• Archives

  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008

• Newsletter

  Get eco friendly craft ideas delivered straight to your inbox.

  Email Address (required) First Name (optional) Last Name (optional)

  We'll never spam or give this address away and you may unsubscribe at any time

I made a whole bunch of these pillows; they make great gifts!

Using the right sweaters you can create a pillow with a nautical or patriotic look.

How-to:
1. Set aside unwanted or damaged sweaters in desired color(s). Keep in mind that thinner sweaters are easier to sew.

2. Print out the ball stencil that I made and use it to make your own stencil out of a cereal box or other scrap cardboard. Large Ball Stencil -Small Ball Stencil

3. Use your stencil, a rotary cutter, and a cutting matt to cut out the pieces of the ball. If you don’t have a rotary cutter yet, trace the stencil and use fabric scissors to cut them out. You will need 6 pieces per pillow. In addition, you will need two small circles: one for the top and one for the bottom. I just free hand cut the circles two at a time so they are the same size. Alternatively you can trace a small glass or other small round circular item. Keep in mind that the circles have to be bigger than the desired finished size because the raw edges are turned under.

4. Lay out the pieces in a flower shape to help you visualize the pattern and to see how the colors look together. I suggest you find 3 colors that look nice together and then cut 2 pieces of each color or pick 6 colors one piece of each color.

5. Stack the pieces in the pattern order of your choice. Take the first two and sew (right sides together) along one side leaving about ¼ inch seam. Then sew the next piece on and the next until all 6 pieces are together. Don’t bother to place pins because sweater fabric is so stretchy and each piece might stretch a different amount. Also don’t worry if you have a bit of a hole on the top and bottom of your ball because these spots will be covered up by the circles.

6.Sew up the last seam (ball should still be inside out) leaving about 3.5 inches un-sewed.
7.Turn your ball right-side out and add stuffing through the hole you left.

8.The last part is to hand-sew the stuffing hole closed and hand-sew the “buttons” on the top and bottom. Turn under the raw edge as you sew along.

To make your own clipboard, you will need to find a thin scrap board. If it isn’t the right size, you will have to cut it to fit standard office paper. If you don’t want to bother cutting your board, ask around until you find something approximately the right size. Paint it with spare paint from your shed or leave it natural. When it dries completely, attach a clip like the one in the photo. The clips can be found at office supply stores.

Clipboards like these have a lot of uses. Drawing is just one.

If you are using your clip board to leave messages you may want to attach a pencil to your clipboard with a piece of string or ribbon. This clipboard was made from the top of a wooden box of liquor and the string was found at a second hand store.

Also see: Adding pictures to clipboard clips, salvaged laminate flooring clipboards, and using clipboards to display children’s artwork.

 

Happenings At Our House: July

This morning when I was outside checking for squash and zucchini to harvest, I took time to cut some flowers off my hydrangea bush nearby. This hydrangea that I planted a year or so ago is looking great. No shortage of blooms on it. I can’t locate the tag I got with it but I think I’ve identified it as Hydrangea paniculata. It is so nice to gather a bouquet of flowers that are as clean and fresh as a summer’s day. Corny but true. When landscaping, don’t overlook white flowering plants or underestimate the beauty they add.

This is a fun yet easy thing to make and try out with the kids.
How-2: Collect about 100 toilet paper roll tubes (the number depends on the size of your TV). You might want to ask your friends to help, it really shouldn’t take too long. You will also need a stapler and a cover. The cover can be made of a large piece of velum or any semi transparent paper or plastic (even wax paper or thin white fabric will work). I used a piece of plastic. Staple the tubes together; stapling seems to be the fastest and most secure method of connecting the tubes. Then glue or otherwise attach the cover and it’s ready. The TV Pixilator has the best light show if a bright children’s cartoon or something similar is playing.

These numbers were cut out of previously used pie tins. I think they are made of aluminum actually. The silver numbers add a little sparkle to your buffet table or jazz-up your bar. HOW-2: Find a font you like on your word processor and print out the numbers in the size best suited for your display. Then place the printout on the tin and trace; pushing down so you leave an impression in the tin. Then grab a pair of scissors and cut out. Alternatively, I decided to draw the numbers on free hand. Be as creative as you like. I mounted the numbers on salvaged chopsticks using a glue-gun and displayed them in an arrangement of vases.

I hope you enjoy Fun In the Making where I share some of the projects I am working on. You may or may not notice that there is a subtle theme to my posts. All of the projects use recycled, salvaged and/or re-purposed supplies in part or all of the project. The point being that we don’t have to spend a lot of money to have something really great. Also, I care about the environment (our environment) it makes sense to create something new out of something old; one thing less piling up in our landfills. You will also find posts about gardening or projects utilizing natural or renewable items.

Come back often to see what’s new.

Jane

• Search

• Sponsors