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Bottle Beauty
Transform everyday vessels into elegant vases by coating their interiors with glass enamel. -
Belt-Buckle Frames Photo: Minh + Wass
Belt-Buckle Frames
Old belt buckles can take on a new role as miniature picture frames. Gather these curios on a bureau, or display them as refrigerator magnets. -
Button Clock
Instead of tossing extra buttons from old garments, showcase them on clocks, drawers, cards, totes, and table linens. -
Recycled Ornaments Photo: William Abranowicz
Recycled Ornaments
In a few steps, turn cards into darling globes or circles that lock together, ready to twirl. -
Antique Platter Mirror Photo: Don Freeman
Antique Platter Mirror
Just because an antique platter or plate is scratched, cracked, or broken, doesn't mean its useful life has to end. Its patterned border can be used as the decorative frame for a mirror. -
Teacup Lights
Antique teacups that have lost their saucers still make sweet gifts when fitted with candles. -
Eco Gift Wrap Photo: Karl Juengel
Eco Gift Wrap
Americans spend an estimated $2.7 billion annually on ribbons, paper, and bows, and almost all of it winds up in the trash. Why not make gift wrap that's both gorgeous and green by creatively repurposing materials others might toss? -
Bottle Bank
This little piggy (bank) started off at the market as a bleach bottle. -
Recycled Notebooks
These lovely notebooks are a fun activity for the whole family and a great way to recycle paper, which can make a big difference for the environment. -
T-Shirt Bag
Turning an old T-shirt into a reusable shopping or grocery bag is a simple, clever craft to help everyone be "green." -
Cereal-Box Organizer
Make use of empty cereal boxes by turning them into handy holders for your desk. Large boxes work well for books, small ones for supplies. -
Pocket Purse
A kid's favorite outgrown pants can be more than a stylish memory if you turn the pockets into a hip pocket purse. -
Tea-Tin Vases
Vintage and new tins are often decorated with charming, old-fashioned prints and lettering. Clean out these containers, and give them a second life as informal flower vases. We filled one with roses, gomphrenas, and sweet peas. The tins are usually watertight and certainly shatterproof, so you don't have to worry about leaks or breakage. -
Kid-Made Doorbells
Deck the doorknobs with pleasant kid-crafted bells made from used egg cartons. -
Beach Towel Bag
With very little alteration, you can turn one of your beach towels into a tote. -
Wallpapered Glass Coasters
Rescue scraps of wallpaper or other decorative paper and use them to make beautiful glass coasters. -
Cardboard Table and Chairs
Turn a cardboard box into an easy-to-assemble set of doll furniture that your kids will love. -
Wool Tweed Patchwork Quilt
Traditionally, patchwork quilts are made from fabric remnants that are too small to be used in other sewing projects. But for this variation, unworn men's wool tweed sport coats are cut up to provide the fabric squares needed to make this cozy patchwork throw. -
Tin-Can Jack-o'-Lanterns
Create a new Halloween tradition by punching robotlike faces into cans. -
Balloon Ride
Talk about blowing away the competition! This air-powered milk-carton car needs just a huff and a puff to get its little wheels rolling. -
Sweater Mittens
After years of wear, a sweater is usually retired to an attic box or the back of a drawer. But you can give an old sweater new life by using the material to fashion a charming pair of mittens. -
Ribbon Watchband
Replace a broken or worn-out watchband with grosgrain ribbon. -
Ocean Diorama
Conceiving a diorama is an adventure in scale and spatial relationships. Choose a container like a simple sardine tin, then put yourself in the shoes of one of its future inhabitants. -
Wallpaper Cards
After you've repapered your walls, use the leftover scraps to make distinctive greeting cards. -
Paint-Can Cubbies
Don't let your desktop disappear under piles of paperwork. Inexpensive, unused cans can easily become organizing cubbyholes with a modern flair. -
Teacup Pincushions
Don't discard unworn sweaters; give them new life as these charming teacup pincushions. -
Hanging Bird Basin Photo: Wendell Webber
Hanging Bird Basin
Transform a discarded washbasin into a charming birdbath. -
Button Napkin Rings
Call on loose or mismatched buttons to serve as the charming clasps on handmade napkin rings. -
Cardboard-Box Oven
Make this adorable oven from a cardboard box and other materials found in your home. -
Metallic Tray Liner
Leftover wrapping paper gets a fresh start when used to make party-worthy tray liners for serving drinks. -
Tin Can Dog
Making this tin-can dog is a perfect project for you and your kids to do together. Almost everything you need can be found in your tool chest, kitchen cabinet, and recycling bin. -
Ribbon Bookmarks
A specially chosen book is always the perfect gift, and a handmade ribbon bookmark made from leftover scraps of ribbon makes it all the more personal. -
Cork Trivet
They don't just keep your wine from spilling and spoiling; corks can also protect your tables and countertops from hot pots and pans. 1. For a medium-sized trivet, collect at least 50 uniformly sized corks. 2. Stand them upright and arrange them into a tight circle. 3. Surround corks with an 8- to 10-inch metal hose clamp (sold in the plumbing section of the hardware store). 4. Tighten the clamp to bind the corks together and then trim the excess clamp with metal clippers. Cost: about $3 -
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These are some of the cutest crafts and so easy. Most of us have more than one of materials right at home. Great ideas. Thanks
These crafts are so welcome because it is a beautiful way to recycle!
Thank you for putting them togather and please get us more!!!!!!!!
Cecilia