ReUseIt Crafts

Boo in a Bag…

2011-10-07T08:22:00.001-04:00

My daughter insisted I make some Halloween decorations at a time when I was obsessed with reusing plastic grocery bags …the ghost, witch and spider were the result of this fixation…

Boo is my favorite, very quick and easy, plus, you can hang him indoors and out…The spider and witch were painted so there was a bit more time involved…It would take less time if you use a black plastic trash bag to make the spider and the wig for the witch.

Figuring out the designs and then putting them all together and discovering new ways to reuse plastic grocery bags is a fun challenge…Click the pic' for details...

For the Love of Music…

2011-09-12T09:11:00.002-04:00

Inspired by a picture I saw in a catalog (like a lot of stuff I come up with) I started shaping a metal coat hanger in the living room (while watching TV) and soon I was too far into it to stop… I attached some cardboard pieces to fill in the notes and painted them. I really wanted to make the measure the notes should be attached to, but that seemed like a lot more work than I wanted to do (I like quick projects.) It was pretty easy and a lot cheaper than buying the set I saw in the catalog…plus you can add to it to create an entire wall of notes…This could make a great gift for anyone that likes music so I thought I would share…

Bird Feeder

2011-08-15T08:57:00.003-04:00

So, I’ve been busy,busy,busy…From my daughter and grandbabies visiting to helping my Mom move and the subsequent rearranging of things around the house to accommodate all the items Mom didn’t want (including a 55 gallon fish tank!) but I think I can now get back sharing all the crazy things I do…This bird feeder was something I had been thinking about since I made a bird house for my Mom at Christmas (using the pine cone petals). I never took a picture of it (I wish I did, now that she moved,I’ll probably never see it again…) Anyway, I hope it inspires someone!

(Click picture for details)

Coffee Fix

2011-07-01T07:21:00.002-04:00

Coffee makers can be a challenge after they’ve been in use for a year or more. Ours is no different…I made a small pot a while back and found the filter had fallen over which allowed the coffee grounds into the pot. I poured the coffee into a pitcher, cleaned out the pot, added a new filter and then poured it back thru the clean filter.This took a bit of time and the coffee had cooled off a bit. So I came up with this little fix-it idea to reduce the time and keep my coffee from getting too cold…

I used a large creamer container, sharp scissors,a hot glue gun and for the holes, I used a wood burner fitted with a bolt ( a nail and hammer could also be used)…

As you can see in the picture, I cut the container at the bend, trimmed down the piece with the cap to accommodate the coffee filter, added a line of hot glue around the bottom and made holes in the cap (I used a bit of sandpaper to get the glue to stay, an emery board would work as well).

Done…now I’m ready for the next time ground have gotten into my coffee!

2011-05-26T13:46:00.001-04:00

I have the hardest time making equal sized burgers and sausage patties. I actually bought a burger maker and found it didn't work well nor did it get clean in the dishwasher. So I looked around my supplies and saw that the margarine containers were just about the right size (with burger shrinkage) and had lots of em’ (enough to experiment with).

As you can see from the pictures, it was very simple and because the pieces separate, they clean up well in the dishwasher (they hold up a good long time too, I’ve used these over and over).

I just cut the container wall down to the height I wanted for my burgers, cut a hole in the bottom big enough to push the burger thru while maintaining the strength of the container. I cut the lid the size of the inside of the container at the bottom. (I used a piece of paper to measure the size before cutting the lid).

Place the lid piece in the bottom of the container, add the burger, pat it down, then turn it over and push the bottom out and thru, wa-la…nice, even burgers…

(I used a container that held crab meat (Mmm) for the sausage patties but the small margarine containers are about the same size)

Thanks for reading…ReUseItNut…

2011-05-03T15:22:00.002-04:00

I started out wanting to make something from plastic bottles and it turned into a cute toy for the Grandkids...

~How I did it~

1) Cut the bottoms of both bottles (one a bit larger than the other) at an angle to fit together and give it a dropped back end, added a cone shape from a thin piece of cardboard, hot glued together. Covered the entire body with the fabric by cutting a piece a bit larger than the width of the bigger bottle and tapered down to the tip, folded to make a trimmed edge and hot glued together.

2) Cut the wings from the lid part of the egg cartons, painted then glued to the top of the body by gathering up a piece of the material and gluing the rib in between. Then cut out two egg cups, trimmed the edges, cut out a pie shape out of one of the cups, painted each a different color, then glued the two cups together. Cut out 2 small half moon shapes from white paper, with a marker, drew horseshoe shapes along the flat side of the shape, glued to the face and hot glued the face to the front.

3)Next, I cut two pieces of hanger longer than the width of the body, covered with the fabric, bent into leg forms and hot glued to the bottom of the body. Took a strip of the egg carton lid and painted a stripe to match and placed it in the middle for some more color, a tiny strip for the tail end...done…

Brought to you by ReUseItNut

Jewelry~Featured Piece

2011-05-03T14:58:00.001-04:00

Website Updated

2011-04-21T07:56:00.001-04:00

I think I’m ready…Just finished (we’ll, a website’s never finished) updating…Let me know what you think!..

Gotta have Push Pins…

2011-04-05T11:08:00.002-04:00

I’ve been using straight pins on my bulletin boards …well… they’re not real bulletin boards. Someone gave me a box of ceiling tiles and right away I thought of using them on the wall for regular office stuff plus hang up all my jewelry sets...
But pins are tough on fingers though…That’s when I thought of the spent casings I saved from some target practice (honey & friends)… I just figured (like always) someday they could be used for something…So…
I used a baking soda & corn starch dough mixture (1), filled each casing(2), placing a pin in the center, packing lightly around the pin with a small skewer (3), let dry (4), and waala! Homemade push pins…Much better than the pins! These can also be treated with Mod Podge and painted. I just like the natural look…

Technorati Tags: ceiling tiles,push pins,mod podge

Just in Time for Easter

2011-03-30T07:50:00.004-04:00

I thought it would be just the right time to share these cute little necklace sets since I made them specifically for Easter...I was thinking they would be so cute on a little girl but I liked them for me too, except the one with the basket...
Go to the Jewelry page for more, let me know if you like them...would love some feedback...Thanks!

Just got Back...

2011-03-25T13:32:00.008-04:00

Well I really never went anywhere (LOL)...I just have'nt been posting (like I'm supposed to). I had a blog I was using quite often (Windows Live) and they closed it down but not without letting us upload to WordPress (pretty nice set up) but that added more troubles (links were gone, pics messed up,etc...) So I've been updating that one and now trying to get this one straight. I am still Nut's over reusing (anything in anyway) and have a guzillion (is that a word?) ideas but had to stop actually making anything (camera went caputs) until I get a new camera.I do have some project ideas to share, here, so keep in touch!

Old Socks, Good for somethin...

2011-03-24T13:05:00.000-04:00

Once again, I found myself staring at something in my hand dangling over the trash can, wondering as usual, to toss or not to toss (that's the real question isn't it?)...it was a pair of old socks with holes (been sewn 3 times in the toes but now the heel is worn and thin so there is no salvage for actual socks). So I noticed the tops were in great shape... hm...cut off the dingy-holy part and save the tops...

Sometime later, after many more pairs had been saved and the little gems sat in my 'some-day pile' with a faint coating of dust, I was looking around my work room looking for something to make knee pads. I was using a towel in the garden and it was such a pain to keep moving it along...

Looking at a saved milk jug I got to thinking the corner would fit my knee just right, soooo... Using 2 pairs of tops, I placed one inside the other and then put the plastic piece inside one layer, glued in place. Problem solved...

I like sharing ideas with anyone interested in helping to de-clutter the world's dump sites...Got ideas?...let me know!

Butterfly Plant Clips

2010-08-07T13:24:00.000-04:00

These turned out to be a great idea and just about anyone could make these too!...They brighten up any room and have the feel of the real thing! They were also fun to make, supplies were free and plentiful...I can't wait to make more!..I have lots more plants... I used plastic grocery bags, paint and my favorite- Mod Podge...

Another Day,Another Project

2010-07-02T14:45:00.001-04:00

Once again I found myself making something I needed.At first I thought it would be silly to make something that's so cheap, but its one of those things you forget once you get to the store..a fly swatter..I got to looking at the one I have (that keeps getting left outside) and figured I could make one myself...

I used a piece of plastic from a milk jug, cut to shape, covered with 2 old dish cloths and a metal hanger, twisted similiar to a store bought fly swatter handle and it turned out to be very useful...swatted lots of flies...
...Unfortunately, it fell into the river on one of our fishing trips...guess I'll have to make another one...

Perfect picture frame...

2009-11-02T11:41:00.007-05:00

I made this cute little picture frame in about an hour and it turned out so cute! All you need is a creamer container that has the same type lid...they can stand alone or add a magnet and stick on the frig! It's the perfect fit for those wallet sized photos kids get with the school packets!

For details on how to make it yourself,
go to...Picture Frame...

Announcement -ReUseIt Crafts Wins!

2009-10-30T11:13:00.000-04:00

ReUseIt Crafts wins!This past month, The ReUseIt Network is sponsored a 'ReUseIt Week' contest and we submitted our Pool liner covered chairs for the contest...had to share...

Go to>>>The ReUseIt Network now for details!

Announcement-The ReUseIt Network

2009-10-21T12:49:00.001-04:00

This week The ReUseIt Network is sponsoring 'ReUseIt Week' and to add to the excitement they're having a contest!
Go to>>>The ReUseIt Network now for details!