Quilts ! I love quilting ..My brick quilt top

A brick quilt top !

I just need to cut my bamboo batting and backing so I can quilt this one ..I will take a photo and post when its completed..For the template I actually measured a standard house brick ..I cut 105 full brick pieces and 14 half bricks..Jack keeps asking me when am I going to finish it ..As I've made 2 more other quilts since..I made a rag quilt last month, which I'll post soon when I get some better photos and one for Jack's bed in blue and white ..

Re-Use Milk Cartons To Make Ice Bricks ! To Keep Your Food Cold !

Reduce,Re-use, Recycle !

We use UHT Long life milk and I'm always thinking how I can reuse the containers !

Here is another great recycling idea..When you have finished the milk, give the carton a good rinse out and refill with water, leave an inch at the top ..to allow for expansion when water freezes...Then pop them into your freezer and you'll have plenty of ice bricks to use when you and your family go on picnics, BBQ's etc..

These are also great to use when you go shopping and buy frozen foods to keep them cold on your way home in a cooler bag..Also in the hot weather you'll have plenty of water, when you're out .. if you are thirsty and also if you need any water for clean ups..These are also great to store in your freezer, as a freezer uses more electricity if its empty ...I'm always rethinking how to recycle and re-use things..Has any one got any other ideas of reusing these milk cartons..You could cut the tops off and use them to grow seedlings ..I've also used them to make gift tags..if you do please share..

How to wrap gifts for free !

I love reusing magazine pages for so many things !

Some are just so lovely.. This photo above is a block of chocolate wrapped up in a page from a magazine ..

that I gave to a friend for his birthday ..I have used them to make lolly bags for my son Jack's birthday, ..used them to make cards..bows for gifts and you can wrap so many small gifts..free wrapping paper ..I rarely ever buy magazines these days ..so expensive ..I have heaps in my sewing /craft room..I used to buy some from our library 6 for 50cents...when I get to the library I can read all the latest magazines for free.. I'd love to hear what else, others use magazines pages for ..I'm also currently working on 2 projects that I'm using the magazine pages for..I'll share with you when completed...

Do you really need to spend money on cards !

Make your own cards from recycling old magazine pages !

I have to admit I love making my own cards to send to family and friends. So much more satisfying for me personally to make my own..I was looking for something this morning in my craft /sewing room and in one of my many ..way too many ..boxes... I found a picture of these roses above that I had cut from a magazine page quite some time back and I had also made this envelope out of a magazine page of beautiful roses ..So today I cut a piece of white card from a sketch pad I bought some years ago to use to make cards cost was $2 and I've made heaps from it already so very cost effective...but if you don't want to purchase any thing you can find card stock that comes in different type of packaging eg  from sheets, boxes etc have a look around and I'm sure you will be amazed at what you can find once you start looking ..So all you need to do is find a lovely picture from an old magazine, cut it out and either glue it to the card stock or use double sided tape ...So I suggest before throwing any magazines out cut some pictures out that you know your family and friends will like and either store them until ready or make up some cards so they will be ready to send when a birthday or special days arrives..That way you will always be prepared and you wont need to rush out and spend money you don't have or if you are short on time ...To me they are gifts from the heart ....

Sorry photo is a little blurry ..But you can see it well enough to get the idea..

August Junk Challenge !Reuse Tyres To Roof The House !

Another great recycled project !
Re-use old car tyres for the house roof ...how cool is that. How clever and creative is this !

A Wooden Shelving Unit We found On The Kerb Side Rubbish Pick-up

Recycled Wooden Shelving Unit !
We found this wooden shelving unit on the kerb side rubbish pick up in our area a few month back.Kevan had been saying he would be happy to make me some shelves for my sewing room to put up on the wall ...So a few months back as the people were coming to collect our areas rubbish we drove down the road to see what was put out and I saw these shelves I thought they would be perfect for my sewing room wall. So we drove back home hooked up the trailer and went and collected them, it sat on our front verandah for a few months and last weekend we went to Bunnings and got all the necessary hardware we needed to fix it to the wall . We got 4 brackets at $2.90 each 8 screws at 50 cents each and some wall plugs and 2 stabilising brackets all for under $20 ....So now I have my shelf up in my sewing room it looks great and can house more of my sewing supplies to free up my table so I can use it for cutting out and other crafts.....

Free Games For Children To Play !

Play Noughts and Crosses !
Or some people call it tic tac toe.
Jack and I play this some times when we are waiting for the school bus in the morning, we have lots of fun. Jack usually beats me but in this photo I beat him, I think I taught him too well. Another great thing is it's free, where we live there is lots of limestone rocks which we use as chalk. This is something the kids can do if you have concrete slabs or paving as it washes off really easily, so find some limestone rocks and have some fun. These are the types of things I did as a child as we didn't have very much money and needed to be creative to amuse ourselves. As a young girl I often played hop scotch with my friends at my house in our back yard as we had concrete slabs leading up to our back door, those were the good old days when we amused ourselves for hours playing game outside. Another game we often played was a game called sevens and we needed a tennis ball and a brick wall. Again we would play this for hours, we also played knuckle bones, which we got the bones when mum would cook lamb or some times we would just use 5 rocks. Boy things are so different these days, we also played quoits, which I plan to make in the near future and I will do a blog post.Another free game we used to play with our boys when they were little if we went to the park we would all collect honkey nuts and have a target perhaps a tree or large rock and see who could throw the honkey nut closest to the target.These are such great games to play outside in the fresh air, great for hand eye co-ordination, keeping active, they create great family memories and they are free.I'd love to know what did you play when you were children, please post and share with me and my readers. Maybe it's time to teach our children some of these games.

A Great Use For Little Plastic Bread Tags !

 
This is such a great idea, could save the wrong appliance being unplugged when there are so many cords together. Finding the right one can be a little tricky sometimes. I love reusing things that would be just thrown into the rubbish bin....

Re-Use Old Tooth Brushes !

Re-Use Old Tooth Brushes !
When your tooth brushes are ready to be replaced, instead of throwing them away, I store them in my laundry cupboard for cleaning things like my kitchen and bathroom drains, they are also great for scrubbing around your water taps around the sink ,bath and basins. They can also be great to use when scrubbing the shower recess, they clean the grout; in the corners and around where your shower screen is, they can also be used to clean vases and other items that are hard to reach by any other means.They can also be used to clean and polish shoes with, they can get in all the nooks and crannies. I would also imagine they would also be great to use to clean jewelery, by gently scrubbing around stone settings and between the links etc.I figure I might as well get as much use out of them as possible before they go to landfill. Another use I just thought of, you could cut the bristle head off and use as icy poles holders ( buy all the same brand to get the same shape the small children's ones would be great like the red one in the photo ) I would wash them in nice hot soapy water before using them.You could also use them to make toy flags ....to stand them up use blu-tac or something similar.What other things do people clean with their old tooth brushes,or other uses for them,please post and share with us all.

Free Cellophane Bags !

Why Not Reuse Cellophane Packaging !

Just lately I thought when I was about to open a box of tea bags, why not open it carefully and reuse the cellophane bag. I got a pair of scissors and carefully cut the top off and slipped the bag down off the box.You could use them for packing gifts in, like home made biscuits, truffles, chocolates etc or home made crafts. You could fold them all neatly and store them until needed , great for Xmas time or use them for lolly/chocolate/truffle bags...You have paid for them why not re-use them, great to use for lunch boxes to store biscuits,muffins and cakes. I try to reuse most packaging, if you have a really big box of tea bags cut in the middle then take both ends off box, then you have two bags. I love reusing,  reducing & recycling ! Does any one else do this, is it something you would do !

What To Do With Those Plastic Bottles ! Part 3

 What To Do With Those Plastic Bottles ! Part 3

These are so easy to make and so much fun to use, so if you have made the containers using the bottoms of the bottles then here is a great use for the other end of the bottle, make ball catchers. Its up to you what size you want to make, all you need is some heavy cotton or string ,plastic bottle of course and a little ball , you could use a ping pong ball, a plastic golf ball a rubber super ball , i used a plastic ball covered in velcro that was used for a game Jack doesn't have any more it fell apart. So how to make I tied the string to the ball as it has velcro cover it I tied it around that , but you can make a hole in another ball with a large needle threaded with heavy cotton or string and pierce the ball thread through and tie a few knots at the other end then tie the other end around the neck of the bottle. The length of the string again is up to you, you could experiment to see what works best I just guessed , my ball will sit in the bottom of the catcher so I would say double the lenght of the bottle. Now the object of the game is to try to get the ball inside the catcher with out touching the ball while holding the neck of the bottle. Its lots of fun, make one for all the family and have competitions who can get it in first, then who can get it in the most, lots of fun and lots of laughs. Also it is great for hand eye co-ordination . Just another recycled project , so for very little money you will have so much fun , they could be great to make for a child's party or adult party ....lots of laughs +lots of fun +very little cost. So stay tuned for part 4 coming soon to a computer near you !lol !:) 

 

Another Use For Those Plastic Bottles ! Part 2

Another Use For Those Plastic Drink Bottles !
So you're all probably asking if I use the tops to make some funnels, then what can I use the bottom for ! That's a great question ! It was sitting on my table the bottom of the bottle that is and it got me thinking & thinking what else could it be used for, then I thought why not fill them with lollies,
truffles for gifts for family and friends. use for bowls to take dips, nibbles, snacks to parties or picnics. fill with pretty soaps, hair accessories for gifts. fill with lavender to put into rooms in the house to smell nice, fill with bi-carb to put into fridge or any where to remove unpleasant odours. I remember seeing years ago in a magazine using them to make a pomander you get the two ends put in some holes then fill with lavender or potpourri then glue them together tie around the middle with some lace/ribbon and hanging in clothes cupboards. You could also fill with herbs & spices to keep pantry smelling fresh. You could put a lovely row of lace around the top edge and use on dressing table/bathroom to fill with things like, eg make-up /hair accessories/ nail polishes etc. You could use it for a jelly pudding mould. As you can see in the photo I have made a few containers to store all Jack's bits and pieces, I'm really impressed with how great they are, I have used one for his tiny Lego car, his tiny Thomas collection & track, his rubber collection and his magnet sets. They could be used for so many things, they are great  for kids stuff as they can see whats in them. Jack has so many collections he is a collector. These ones are made using the 2 litre drink bottles, I made two more using the one litre drink bottles. We don't get plastic bottles very often, I save most for my ginger beer making,I like to buy soda water occasionally.Well when I get some more I'll be making Jack some more to store all his stuff.  All you need to do is cut the desired size with a craft knife and neaten up with a pair of scissors, cut one for the bottom and one for a lid, you can make what ever size you like.You are only limited by your imagination as to what they can be used for. If your kids have lost boxes and packets for puzzle pieces make some of these, then they can see what's in them. I'm so looking forward to hearing what every one else thinks , I'm impressed  with my idea.This is my latest mission and if you are a regular follower you will know I get really excited about recycling and making useful stuff instead of just throwing it away. I'm always looking for storage ideas. I have some more uses for the tops as well so stay tuned for the next exciting adventures of ideas for using plastic bottles, I bet you're all on the edge of your seats waiting lol :)") well you'll have to wait until tomorrow all going well. You all have a great day , its raining here today which is lovely,we never got any rain last month, so hope we can get our rainwater tanks full, well our drinking one at least. Don't you just love the smell after its rained, one of my all time favourite smells.

Make Your Own Funnel !

Make Your Own Funnel ! 
I made my own funnel from recycling a 2 litre plastic drink bottle.Just by cutting the top end off the bottle with a craft knife, about half way, that way it can fit more in it and saves spilling any thing.Its really great to use for transferring things like herbs & spices,flours, rice & lentils from bags or packets to glass jars or other containers, because of the wide neck it rarely gets blocked up and if it does just push a knife in that will unblock and get the contents flowing again. It saves so much mess by not spilling stuff all over the kitchen bench. If you haven't already made one give it a try. You can use if for liquids as well of course. Just another recycled project and its free

Clothes Peg Carrier !

Clothes Peg Carrier !
Here is my latest recycled project.
We buy envirocare sensitive body and hair cleanser. It comes in different sizes but we buy the 5 litre container and it lasts us a little over a year.I have been thinking other then putting them into the recycle bin, what can I do with them. A few years ago we used to take them back and they would be returned to the company and refilled,but apparently for health reasons they stopped doing this, which was a shame.Any way back to thinking of ways to reuse them,I thought what about a peg container/carrier. So I cut the section out as you can see in the photo with a cutter, which was very easy to do. It has a handle so makes it easy to carry out to the clothes line. What do others think, would it be some thing you would make yourself. I would love to hear your thoughts, please post and share.  What  else could they be used for ? You could put a few drainage holes in the bottom and grow herbs or plants maybe a strawberry plant or two.

Reuse Pickle Juice To Make More Pickles !

Reuse Pickle Juice To Make More Pickles !
After Kev finished the dill pickles yesterday, I sliced up half a fresh cucumber and placed in the jar after about 24 hours they should be ready to eat. I have been doing this for years, I say why waste the pickle juice reuse and save money. Use juice from dill pickles,gherkins or other pickled vegetables. Use until all the flavour has gone maybe 2 or 3 times . Why not give it a try if you haven't done it before. Then you could mix it with some vegetable oil and make a salad dressing I always use extra virgin olive oil, you could also add some finely chopped herbs for extra flavour& maybe a dash of honey.

Make Gift Bags Using An Old Street Directory !

Make Gift Bags Using An Old Street Directory !
This will be my last post of uses for an old street directory, I hope you all enjoyed the different ways of recycling an old street directory, and use some or all of the ideas to recycle your own. So this one is making gift bags which are very easy to make again I have done a tutorial for making gift bags using old news papers, but I think these ones look a little nicer. Here is the link to the tutorial I did previously http://simpleliving-sherrie.blogspot.com/2010/08/news-paper-gift-bags.html
These gift bags I have just folded over the tops but you could add ribbons /jute/paper to make handles. So easy to make and they look great. Here are some others uses for using an old street directory, use them in scrap booking I don't do scrap booking but think it is a great budget idea as I've seen the prices of some of the papers they use. Make lolly bags, seed packets, Xmas crackers, line your draws and shelves,make paper chains,paper lanterns, sewing patterns, paper templates,cover school books,origami projects,I'm sure there are so many more great ideas. Does any one have any other great ideas to share with us, if so please post and tell us. If i think of any more ideas I will post them !  

Cover Tins Using An Old Street Directory !

Cover Tins Using An Old Street Directory ! 
I have done a post some time back about covering tins, but this one I have covered an assortment of tin sizes , These would also make great gifts for the kids to make for gifts, would make great gifts for male family and friends. The largest tin is a 3 litre golden circle juice tin which I have been using for some years now, so decided to cover it, a large fruit tin great for pencils, pens and textas. The skinny one great for rulers and scissors and smaller one for glue sticks. They are very easy to make, I used double sided tape to stick the paper to the tins but I have also used glue in the past .Just another way to reuse the old street directory.

Make Your Own Gift Wrap From An Old Street Directory !

Make Your Own Gift Wrap From An Old Street Directory !
It's so easy to make cut out pages I used my craft cutting knife then glue the pages together to required size, when glue is dried roll up on a cardboard tube , I had this one left over from a roll of gift wrap. Now when I need gift wrap just roll out cut required amount to wrap gifts. It's really free gift wrap from something I used to just throw away. Looks great . What do others think ? so please stay tuned for the next exciting adventures of uses for the old street directory ...doesn't get any better then this . I have a friend who would probably say to me "get a life" That's ok this is my simple life , getting pleasures from the really simple things! I don't need big things to get excited about ,they rarely happen, so I'm very contented with getting excited about recycling, that can happen every day in my life ! I know our bank balance is growing so I'll have the last laugh when people snigger !And also trying to do my bit in helping look after our beautiful planet.

Make Your Own Envelopes From An Old Street Directory !

Make Your Own Envelopes From An Old Street Directory !
I have posted before about making envelopes, but not from an old street directory. I think these look great, they look as if they are meant to travel, if you know what I mean. They are very easy to make just make a template from an old envelope the size you want to make then cut out, fold then glue edges. Way too simple, again some may say why bother, but I say why not, just another recycled project, saves a little money to buy the things we cannot make. To make them quicker, I cut about 6 at a time, I used paper clips to hold the paper together then cut.I put a strip of double sided tape on the inside flap so you just peel off the paper to seal the envelope. I picked pages that had mostly blue with the print at one side so it's easier to see address on the front. You could also make larger envelopes and line them with reused bubble wrap to send parcels.

Cover Notebook/Journal Using An Old Street Directory !

Cover Notebook/Journal Using An Old Street Directory !
So easy to do and they make great gifts for every one especially males in your circle of family and friends . They would also be great to give them to family and friends that are travelling and you could make a label for the front saying persons name then travel journal . If you have pages that you are going to make one maybe you could use pages where the recipient lives, nice for children with their street address on it . They are very easy to cover, I used double sided tape but you could also use a glue stick and decorate the cover to suit the occasion if you wish . I also covered a pencil to match , I just cut paper to size put doubled sided tape and rolled it so end over lapped .Just another way to reuse what we have. I think they would make great gifts !