Tag Archives: upcycle

Craft Label DT: Christmas Decoupage

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A quick and simple decoupage project, these upcycled powdered drinks containers could be used to hold candy canes, breadsticks or even Christmas potpourri. Paint over the drinks containers with black paint/gesso or be prepared to do a couple of layers of the decoupage paper to cover the text/pattern on the containers. Glue on the strips of decoupage paper with the decoupage adhesive and varnish and allow to dry.

Line the pots with paper from the North Star paper pad.

I decorated the blue with the foiled stars from the North Star paper pad in two strips edged with silver peel-off borders. Embellish with a mini gift bow and silver Merry Christmas sentiment. I’ve added a few glittered half-pearls in two sizes as a finishing touch.

I created a wreath effect on the red pot with alternating felt poinsettias and gold mini gift bows before glueing down one of the wooden Merry Christmas sentiments. Quick extra embellishments to finish: gold peel-off borders top and bottom and some gold ‘nail heads’ (sequins would also work here).

As it’s Black Friday, there’s a 3 for 2 promotion over on the Craft Label webshop, so pop over and get hold of the following to do this project!

  • First Edition Christmas Deco Mache decoupage paper: Sentiments / Snowflakes
  • First Edition Deco Mache decoupage glue adhesive and varnish: Matt
  • First Edition Deco Mache brush set
  • First Edition FSC Christmas Paper Pad: North Star 6×6″
  • Simply Creative Christmas Mini Gift Bows: Gold & Silver
  • Simply Creative Basics Felt Image: Poinsettias
  • Simply Creative Christmas Wooden Sentiments: Merry Christmas

Altered Art: Powertex figurines

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It’s been some time since I have had my Powertex and old t-shirts out. This week, however, saw four new figurines completed. For the uninitiated, Powertex is a pigmented liquid textile hardener – add to absorbent fabrics/surfaces, squeeze out, drape and allow to dry. With the addition of varnish and more pigments, it is possible to create faux-bronze finishes.

A bit more detail

Ranging in height from 16½”/42cm to 23″/53cm, they stand on faux-granite wooden bases. The heads and shoulders are pre-cast plaster. Everything else is either a wooden dowel, masking tape, foil or an old t-shirt. I also raided my button box for suitable buttons to make brooches.

Art Journal: Upcycled Tumble Dryer Sheets

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I was cleaning out the tumble dryer filter this morning, and aside from popping some of the fluff outside for the birds feverishly making nests, I noticed a whole pile of tumble dryer sheets in the fluff collection above the washing machine. I’d heard that they make great inclusions in mixed media work (as do baby wipes btw), so I decided (as I do) to make an art journal from them. And a few hours later, a full mixed media journal is complete.

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New Year’s Day Project: Card Collage

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It’s the annual Christmas Party for my studio regulars tomorrow, and traditionally we do a project that upcycles the now defunct Christmas cards and wrapping paper. This time I thought we’d do a little home decor piece ready to pack away with the decorations to bring out again next Christmas. Here’s my example, created in a Tando Creative Mini Printer Tray (laser cut greybeard).

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Half A Pound of Tuppenny Rice… and a few socks

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I’m still in making mode for the church Christmas Fayre… and inspired by yet another Facebook shared video, I have three snowmen families gracing my studio table, one of which has chosen this as their official Christmas card. Nobody mentioned that sports socks are now rarely just white, seemingly requiring colour splashes to be able to match them up when mixed in the gym bag. Good old George at Asda came up trumps though 🙂

And prices have gone up since rice was tuppenny… with each family weighing in at 1333g of Basics rice, that’s more like 3lbs of rice for £1. Doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.

And the pompoms, despite a wonderful gizmo to help, still took an hour to make and sew on. I think it was worth it though for the finishing sparkling touch.

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A little upcycling: converting a cutlery canteen

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I’m determined to have a clear out some of the things I’ve kept as ‘they’ll come in handy’ to make room for things I actually use. To that end, I’ve upcycled a shabby (empty) old cutlery canteen that was previously being kept in my grandfather’s old shed, and then languished in my outhouse/garage and shed for even more years. I stripped out the innards, sanded everything back and revarnished with a dark oak polyurethane varnish. I relined it with ‘antique red’ felt, and it now complements the lounge decor as a handy hidey-hole for the remotes and glasses I find necessary to have the TV in focus.

 

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Eclectic Elements Thread Catcher

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IMG_5583_wI took delivery of my new Pfaff Hobbylock 2.5 yesterday, and after I managed to work out how to rethread it, I of course had to have a go. After a couple of hours yesterday, and a couple more today, I’m officially loving it! I’ve learnt what not to do on it… and that it’s best to have the sewing machine out at the same time. Me being me, I decided to work on a project I’d had in mind for a while, namely to make a thread catcher for use next to the sewing machine. I didn’t like many I’d seen on the web, so I adapted various ideas and made my own. Continue reading →

Greeting Card Art Journal

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I’m meant to be recording tutorial videos this week, but have been kindly handed a cold and laryngitis… so I’m catching up with some of the things that don’t need a voice to action! This is another project that has sat in the corner of the studio for most of the year that I decided to finish for my altered art demo day last week. I’ve upcycled various greeting cards that were saved from birthdays and Christmases into a functional and hard wearing art journal.

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Altered Art Baccy Tin

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I once smoked cigars, back when I had money to burn. Cigar boxes are great for altering. Then came the career change and I switched to an occasional pipe, and no longer were boxes in ready supply. Instead I have an increasing pile of round tobacco tins, as I was sure I would find a use for them (other than hoarding screws in them that is). Well yesterday I had a spark of inspiration (I blame the new medication) and I’ve spent some time using skills with a piercing saw that I picked up at college. A pierced celtic knot allows the contained pot-pourri pong to escape and gives tantalising glimpses of the bits ‘n’ bobs  included. Perfect piece of pungent upcycling!

Top tips:

  • Find stencil patterns to adapt – that way you know whole chunks you wanted to keep won’t suddenly fall into the bin
  • Remove all labels and adhesive from the tin before you start cutting
  • Use a decent piercing saw and a blade with high number of teeth per inch for a smooth cut – change regularly even if you don’t manage to break the blade
  • Use a jeweller’s bench peg to work on as it’s so much safer and easier
  • Regularly clean your cutting surface of the metal burrs – I didn’t at the start and that’s what has sanded off the gold around the edge
  • Mark the cutting lines on the inside of the lid and cut upside down as well – this reduces the bounce of the metal as you can hold it closer to the bench peg
  • Work from the middle out to help keep everything as rigid as possible
  • If you need to flatten out the final piercing, hit with a flat hammer onto a flat surface a couple of times.

Don’t recycle Christmas cards – upcycle them!

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It’s 12th night, all the decorations are down, and the Christmas cards are destined for the recycling bin. But wait… what else could you do with them? Here are three ideas I came up with for making next Christmas’ cards with last Christmas’.

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