Tuesday, 30 December 2014

December Reuse-It Item: Cardboard Tubes

Here at the Reuse Centre, we take paper towel and wrapping paper tubes. We all remember loving these tubes as kids - who hasn't made a makeshift telescope, or a sword to do battle siblings and friends? But we wanted to share some other ideas this month, for kids and adults alike!

Sarah 

I love these paper towel roll bird feeders from Pocketful of Dreams. They're quick, easy, and a great way to help out our feathered friends stay fed in the coming winter.

You could also attach a piece of string or wire to hang these upright, and poke popsicle sticks or twigs through the cardboard to make perches for the birds.


RuthAnn

I’m so inspired by all of the holiday crafts you can make with cardboard tubes—even something as simple as decorating tubes and using them as gift containers. Check out the tutorial from Factory Direct Craft.

But the project that really caught my eye was this DIY scarf holder from Instructables. This one requires slightly heavier-duty cardboard tubes (along with some leftover wrapping paper and ribbon), but what a fun way to customize your fashion accessory storage!


Emma

How adorable is this?
With the arrival of a blanket of snow I'm on fast forward to Christmas. Being from England I miss our iconic post boxes and decided to whip up this miniature British post box for my family to play with.

I used two toilet rolls, felt, glue, and even the miniature letters and parcels were made from reused scraps of Christmas card envelopes and brown paper.



Tamara

If you're like me, and love any sort of decorations involving plants and flowers, check out this cool DIY from paper towel or toilet paper rolls! All you need in addition are some paint colours of your choice, glue, and some basic craft supplies. Not only does it look cheery but you can also choose a colour scheme to match your existing decorations. Enjoy!

Visit Imperfectly Perfect for the full directions.


What are your favourite ways to reuse cardboard rolls? Share your ideas with us in the comments!

-Reuse Centre Volunteer Blogger Team

Wednesday, 24 December 2014

T’was The Night Before Christmas (Reuse - style)

Reuse Centre Operator, Liane, made some fun "reuse" modifications to a popular holiday poem. Read below and enjoy!
'Twas The Night Before Christmas
(Reuse - style)

T’was the night before Christmas, when all through the centre,
Not an item was stirring, not even basket filler.
The stockings were hung by the fabric with care
In hopes that St Nicholas would soon be there.

Crafty things were all nestled all snug in their bins.
Patterns in flats near the cookie tins
And Mama in her ‘kerchief and I in my cap
Had just settled our brains on a pile of burlap.

When out in the store, there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from drop-off to see what was the matter.
Away to the door, I flew like a flash
To the bingo dabbers and candle wax.

The moon on the breast of new fallen glitter,
Something that used to be thought of as litter.
When, what to my wandering eyes should appear
But a wicker sleigh and eight matching reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted and called them by name.

“Now, Crafter! Now, Feather! Now Paper and Sequin!
On, Basket! On Juice Lid! On Coaster and Button!”
To the end of the volunteer room! To the door of the garage!
Now dash away! Dash away, to make a collage!

As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the roof-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of crafts, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The tinkling and clinking of laundry scoops.
As I drew in my head and was turning around,
Down the stairs  St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed in faux fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were embellished with pieces of books.
A bundle of wood he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes – how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was white as the snow.

A piece of cork he held tight in his teeth,
And ribbon encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me tags belonging to bread.

He spoke not a word but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings with yarn and cork.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the stairs he rose.

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team he gave a whistle.
And away they all flew with Christmas tree’s, artificial.
But I hear his exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all Reuse Centre customers, and to all a good-night!”



Poem by Clement Clarke Moore (with modifications by Liane L., Reuse Centre Operator)

Thursday, 18 December 2014

Throwback Thursday: What makes a holiday keepsake?

Every Christmas season, a very special tradition unfolds in my parents’ living room. Once the tree has been set up and strung with lights, my mother brings out the “Keepsakes” ornament box.
One by one, she removes her favourite tree decorations. There is nothing elegant about these items. They are not colour coordinated or branded with the name of a television lifestyle guru like the fancy decorations that will fill in the extra spaces later.
No, these ornaments are made from styrofoam, toilet paper tubes, pipe cleaners, toothpicks, fabric scraps and finger paint.
It isn’t the ornaments themselves that make this part of my parents’ holiday so special. It is the memories they carry, which are revisited every single year:

  • “Oh, Jim [my brother] made this one. He was only 5 or 6. So this ornament is 50 years old.”
  • “I think this was Derek’s [my oldest nephew]. Yes, that’s right. He made this in Sunday school.”
  •  “When did we have pink egg cartons? I don’t remember that. Beth [my sister] did these ones. She was so proud of them.”
And it isn’t only my mother who benefits. When I walk around my parents’ Christmas tree, I am transported back to happy hours spent with friends, classmates or my family—covered in glue and glitter and delighted with my own creativity, and gleeful at the thought of presenting my creations to my mom and dad.
Simple Christmas pleasures to cherish year after year.
If you would like to craft some keepsakes with the children in your life this holiday season, you will find all the bits and pieces you need at The Reuse Centre.
Happy Holidays!


Wednesday, 3 December 2014

Reuse Centre Holiday Tree Silent Auction!


Trees displayed at the Reuse Centre

Reuse Centre Volunteers making decorations

Beginning December 2, the City of Edmonton Reuse Centre will be hosting a silent auction to raise funds for Santas Anonymous! We will be auctioning off 4 beautiful, fully decorated trees!

Our talented Reuse Centre Volunteers got together, armed to the teeth with items from the Reuse Centre, and spent an afternoon decorating the lovely trees. Look how they turned out!

See one you would like to take home? Fill out a Bid Form at the front desk at the Reuse Centre. You'll fill out your name, contact information, and your tree (or trees!) of choice. There are four trees available. Minimum bid is $10.



Last day to bid is Saturday, December 13th. Highest bidders will be contacted on December 15th to make their donation to Santas Anonymous and to pick up their lovely, new tree!


Stop by in the next week and check out our beautiful trees! Make your bid to support Santas Anonymous!




Wednesday, 26 November 2014

November Reuse-it item: Wire Hangers


Got lots of metal hangers? Well the following blog post will take you through several reusing ideas including a yard project, some easy Christmas accents, a gorilla and creative household art. Share your ideas below, we would love to hear them!

RuthAnn

One of my fondest memories of my childhood is receiving custom-made, hand-wrapped wire hangers from my dad’s cousins. I still have them and I still love them. The woven covering over the wire prevents clothes from sliding off and is gentle on more delicate fabrics. The Crafty Gardener’s how-to creates a very similar finished product.

But there are so many other ways to repurpose wire hangers into other things, like this great candy wreath idea from livecrafteat.com (left) Visit the website for step-by-step pictorial instructions.

I’m also pretty impressed by this dining room pendant light fixture made out of wire hangers (bottom right), from Miriam Zink Product Design. It’s certainly creative!

Lana 

Winter's only just started,and I'm already dreaming about summer and being back in the garden.  Upcycled Design Lab keeps me busy and hopeful with their Upcycled Wire Hanger Garden Edging project.  A cage version should work wonders for my tomatoes and peonies.


Tamara

The holidays are fast approaching! I have found that my favourite kind of Christmas decorations are the ones that are homemade. Here is a great project to try with wire hangers; twist wire hangers together to make a Christmas tree shape, and thread a strand of lights or garland through them. Not only does it create a nice home for all those extra wire hangers that you don't use anymore, but it looks awesome and is super festive!

Sarah

I have several cheap, misshapen wire hangers at home - you know, the kind that bend way too easily from the weight of heavy coats? I think that the very thing that makes them terrible hangers will make them great for re-purposing into wall art! Check out Beth's Lemonade for instructions.


Emma

Amazing Scottish Artist David Mach uses metal hangers for enormous sculptures that are worked around plastic moulds which are then removed, I can't seem to copy a picture from his site, I understand why they would protect the images but they are huge and breathtaking, ranging from this Gorilla to a depiction of Christ's crucifixion.


- Reuse Centre Blogger Team (Staff and Volunteers)

Thursday, 30 October 2014

Throwback Thursday - RuthAnn's Curtain Gown


Medieval dress, made entirely
from thrifted curtains!
My inaugural Throwback Thursday post is a special Halloween treat. One of my all-time favourite upcycling/creative reuse projects is this medieval gown—made entirely from thrift store curtains.

A few of my friends and I had been invited to a banquet with a medieval theme. We knew we’d need costumes, or “garb,” but none of us had the money for the appropriate rich, heavy fabrics. Almost immediately we turned our attention to thrift stores and charity shops.

Shawl from a recycled tablecloth





People very often donate drapes and other home furnishings when they redecorate, but it isn’t always easy to use those items for their original purpose in your own home. Sometimes they are the wrong size or shape, or it may be that the patterns and colours are just out of date. But they can be absolutely fantastic for other uses, such as costumes.

The teal and gold brocade curtains I found were perfect for my costume. Even the lining was used for the lining of the dress and the sleeves. As my friends and I searched through donated items for the other things we’d need (trims and cording and ribbon), I found two bonus items: The quilted gold piece in the centre of the dress bodice is actually an old armrest cover and the shawl is just a recycled tablecloth.


Centre bodice gold piece used to be an old
armrest cover!
So when you’re planning for dressing up in your fancy or spooky best, don’t forget to reuse!

- RuthAnn (Volunteer)

Friday, 26 September 2014

September Reuse-It Item: Trophies

When customers first learn we take trophies, they are always thrilled. Nobody likes to throw out a reminder of an important moment or great achievement, but what do you do when your shelves get cluttered with awards?

If you're not ready to part with your trophies, but hate all that extra dusting they create, we have some great ideas for you. It's time to turn those old awards into something new and functional!

Michelle

Using old trophies and a bit of spray paint, repurpose those old trophies into flower pots in 5 easy steps! 

This would be a lovely idea for small herbs and plants.

Get the tutorial here.

Emma


My favourite idea would be to soak up the last of the Summer sun by getting out in the back yard and making a fairground style ring toss game for kids. Get some Hula hoops, line up the trophies in a giant size, bowling pin triangle formation and see who wins!

The heavy marble or concrete bases also make great pattern weights for sewing!

If you're feeling more ambitious, I came across this amazing arbor made of 300 trophies on Green Eco Services' Top 12 Ways to Recycle Trophies


Sarah

I love these display stands made from old trophies! They would be great for themed birthday parties, Oscars or award show parties, or season-end celebrations for any kind of team.

Check out the tutorial at Just Something I Made to learn how to make these cute cupcake stands from trophies and pie tins.

You could also make a really cute display shelf for a themed room if you used something a little sturdier than pie tins, like wood or plexiglass.


Tamara

Do you have items that are sitting gathering dust but you can never seem to allow yourself to discard because they carry some sentimental value with them? Perhaps yours or your children's old trophies is an example of such an item. Here's a great idea of what to do with them: turn the tops of them into a unique coat rack! How cool does this look?

See the tutorial on Design Sponge.

Do you have an interesting and innovative way to reuse old trophies? Share with us in the comments below!