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

Recycle Crib Ideas That Won't Put You To Sleep

Cribs are always such a sad thing to have to toss.  Not only are we sad to see our kids grow up, but there is basically few places to give away old cribs.  I always try to give things away on freecycle or to the town swap, but what if you don't have these outlets or no one wants to take it off your hands. Mom's today are fearful of used cribs as they may have a recall or be unsafe.

So, what can you do with those old cribs to keep them from landing in a landfill? Upcycle.

Here is a fun group of recycle and refashion ideas for old cribs and playpens that won't make you or your baby cry!

Here is a no  brainer from absentjackacres.webs.com--you could make a pet pen too!

from casasugar.com a work or utility bench that certainly can be made with a crib!

A very useful cart from treehugger.com

Lovely hutch with directions from somedaycrafts.blogspot.com

A crib bench from dejavvcrafts.blogspot.com

For the sewing room- a thread center from blog-craftzine.com

Craft station from http://tipnut.com/craft-station/ with directions 

from country home a message photo board from Country Home

This one might be a bit funky but for a vintage feel or a treasured old family crib--fun crib shelf from HGTV

What else can you do with old cribs?

• Suspend the sides on your shed ceiling to hang things from
• Make a dog gate 
• Make a fence for a small garden
• Use it as a trellis for hanging vines
• Make a garden bench
• Put 2 sides together and make a sturdy clothes dryer

Let us know what you have done!

© jag all rights reserved

Sew...You Want to Recycle

Sew simple ideas to help you reshape, remake, repurpose and refashion things for your sewing room.

There are some simple things you can do like make tables from your old sewing machines, frame doilies and vintage needle packages that bring nostalgia to a sewing room or sewing area.  Here are some irresistible ideas for organizing and decorating that will make you want to find a place for a sewing area even if you don't have one!

 Love this idea from blog-craftzine.com, A used crib side makes a great holder for threads or ribbons-Just add nails!

Jars and tins make great containers for small items like buttons and pins

Utensil trays make a perfect organizer for sewing threads and other items.  There are some pretty nice vintage wooden ones out there, too

This is perfect for a guys sewing area.  A fun gift for the single male.  A truck pin cushion!  What else could you make into a pin cushion?

Here' a great idea for a portable sewing center, use a vintage suitcas, it's  attractive to display and small enough to put under a bed.

And from honeygirlstudio.blogspot.com another suitcase version with dowels for thread or to hang things

More jars--always great for the home crafter

An old organizer--who say it needs to be just for tools?  A vintage tool box would work as a sewing kit for a the single guy, too!

Old spice rack and bottles-perfect for sewing items and baubles.

Display old laundry items...adding to the vintage clothing theme.

Frame an old sewing ad or needle packet as decoration

hang a clothesline for vintage kids clothing or works in progress from curbycloset.com!