The Art of Recycled Christmas Trees

Here are some unique alternatives to the Christmas tree made with recycled materials:

From Novotel in Hong Kong the Bottle Christmas tree

The light bulb Christmas tree from instructables

The fence post Christmas tree from Inspiration for home

Christmas Tree made from Old Hard Disks

Christmas Tree made from Recycled Cardboard

Christmas Tree made from Recycled Glass Water Bottles

Christmas Tree made from Mountain Dew Cans

Christmas Tree made from Recycled Packaging Boxes

Christmas Tree made from Electronic Junk

Christmas Tree made from Recycled Beer Bottles

Christmas Tree made from Recycled Wood Pallets

Another  magazine tree from Salihan Crafts

The R's of Gift Wrapping Save Green

This year when you are wrapping all those gifts be creative!  All the while, you will be saving Earth and saving GREEN.  Use reusable bandanas, scarves, dishtowels, shopping bags, baskets, containers and other creative options to package up your precious presents.  Don't forget kids art work, music sheets, newspaper, vintage ads, brown paper bag etc.

Try covering a box in momentos and photos that pertain to a friend. Items from their favorite places or a trip you had together.  Adorn it with Moms buttons,  junk jewelry and pictures of her kids.  Think out of the box and into the person!

Not so creative?  Use old maps, recycled wrap, food boxes, food storage boxes, covered baking pans, or cans. Basically the sky is the limit.  Draw on it, cover it or just add a bow.

Here are some fun ideas to spark your creativity:

From Country Living 

The newspaper wrap.  This is lovely!  Try using the funnies, too.

From Eyestigmatic.Blogspot jewelry containers

From Green Earth Goodies  Map Wrap

from Urban Woods Walker The juice box box

From Michelle Kaufman Recycle Art the wine rack.  There are many other upcycled wine rack ideas out there!

From  Katies Nesting Spot an upcycled chocolate box, tin or oatmeal container

A reusable shopping bag--add a bow!

Memory box by Just Picture This

The furoshiki (wrapping cloth) originates from Japan Check out the tutorial at Instructables.

  

Another cute upcycle idea...old patterns found on Flicker.

Make your own boxes from Planetpals.com  Ideas and patterns to make these and many more.

Be A Sport And Recycle

People use their creativity to recycle and upcycle all kinds of things and make something useful and clever, so why not sporting goods!  So, next time you have some leftover sporting goods.  Think Upcycle. Even Re-cycle! You can be a winner.

Here are some fun samples of sporting goods, gone green, that deserve an olympic medal:

Upcycled Skis make a chalet warm 'n cozy with this coat rack from Trash to treasure

Bicycle gears are made for this clock...wonder if it ticks? By Liz on Etsy

By far one of my favorite Bike clocks. What turns the spokes or the hands? From Cool Material

 Hockey puck door knob scores big from Doorknob.com

Skateboard picnic table is a trick that won't have you doing a tailside

The classic bicycle planter.  This is one, one never tires of riding by

Another clever use for skateboards-perfect for an upstairs kids room that won't make them board. From Ecoscraps.com

The boat planter makes a garden that's smooth sailing.  From Kelley Loves Wordpress

This ski lounger is quite clever and colorful for Apres Ski from Epikski.com

The bike rim rack won't have your head spinning looking for a pan. Perfect for the bachelor home or college apartment. From Wordpress

Put a Cork In It...Or On It! Recycle.

A lot of fun ways to recycle corks and upcycle your life!

By now you have seen the usual upcycled cork board...but who knew that you could make furniture, birdhouses, trivets, wall base boards, baskets and even a jacket from corks.

Here is the best collection of cork upcycle ideas I could find.  Some are easy and some beyond even me!

Enjoy:

Oh so simple and a nice way to remember a special occasion!

Make cork stamps!  Great for the crafty ones and kids.

Wine Glass Charms from Planet Green

Bring a wine bottle to a friend in one of these Wine Bottle Holders! How festive. From Etsy.

Cut them up. Use these for the bottom of items like vases and lamps so that they won't scratch your table,  or put them behind photographs to level them on the wall.

A cork basket...Bring it to a friend with a bottle of wine and a chunk of cheese

A cork Tray...nice way to show off your cork collection that is functional and can update an old tray.  Tray the same with a tabletop!

 

They must have glued corks to a ball.  Nice looking!  A bowl of these would be nice, too.

This is cute for the holidays...why not add photos and make a year round photo board.

Another wreath idea ...  There is a "how to" video for this here

 A chair made of 3,000 corks. From the Gabriel Wiese gallery  

A comfy place to sit during a wine tasting Party!

Hmmm...how comfy is this to wear.  For the wine steward? From Yemma Hart, in Missouri

Perhaps one piece de resistence is ths a truck by artist Jan Elftmann, which is covered in 10,000 corks. She also had a display of her Cork Bowling Alley at the Minneapolis Institute of Art click through to her site for videos and more of her art.

Of course we could not end without a cork board!

....Oh and a cork stopper for the push pin holder for your cork board.

So, you are not at all crafty, I am told Whole Foods will recycle your corks for you, too.  Either that or put your collection on Freecyle for some crafty person to make something creative!

© judith gorgone planetpals.com all rights reserved

A Taste for Upcycled Wine Bottles

Here's a way to recycle those expensive and not so expensive wine bottles, that lets their bouquet last for a long time.

Whether you leave on the label or take it off, there are a myriad of interesting solutions that any novice can do.  Tools you will need can range from a bottle cutter to a candle.

Have fun and create a mood that will allow your guests to taste the old world and some new upcycled charm.

Take a sip.  Enjoy the taste for upcycled Wine Bottles that we rate "Brilliant, Sweet and not so Nutty":

From www.greenwinebottles.com as a grouping these look cool!  Just a simple bottle cutter will do.

This is a great mood light for a arty or nightlight for a kitchen or bar from www.factorydirectcraft.com.  You can make your own label, too!

A little more complicated but lovely.  I have seen this with labels left on and with no added decor, also.  Used as a coin tray, jewelry catcher, butter dish..cork holder for your bar...or just plain decoration...use your imagination. From www.flickr.com/photos/wingnutmagnet

De-lightful!  So contemporary.  Attach several color bottles together to achieve this ceiling fixture. from WellsPhere.com

From www.luxeandlillies.blogspot.com.  How's that for Party Mood.  Why not a wine tasting party!

Also from luxeandlillies.blogspot.com Wine Bottle Candle holders...elegant enough for fine dinng.

This is simple...one of those 60's recycle favorites.  Use a bottle cutter, that's all!  This one by www.Etsy.com/bodhicitta

From www.treehugger.com a wine Bottle wall.  You can also make one that has scattered wine bottles here and there instead ofs olid coverage...that look is nice, also.  Did you know, you can even use them as insulation this way. See greenbuilding for that info.

Love, love, love this one!  Even a small area of a bar would be nice with this idea. From www.winebottle-blog.wahaca.co.uk

This candleholder takes a little woodworking,  but interesting none the less from www.stephenbretland.com

Light up a room with a prized wine from www.etsy.com/storque.  Make it your way--old charm or contemporary!

© judith gorgone www.planetpals.com all rights reserved