upcycle Archives

HOW TO UPCYCLE CHIPPED DISHES

April 19, 2022

This up-cycle project was the result of a split-second decision to consider a second life for a tired soup bowl. Usually, I either toss or donate an item that is past its prime. And, that’s almost what I did when my favorite crock pot-shaped soup bowls began to chip. Here’s a fun way to up-cycle chipped dishes.

This up-cycle project works great for those small chipped dishes that might not be table worthy for guests, but still, have a lot of potential uses.

HOW TO UPCYCLE CHIPPED DISHES

I had a few chipped crock soup bowls from an aggressive dishwasher loader. That is when I got the idea that these green bowls would be cute on my tiny deck. It was the perfect size to add to my tiny cylinder table. I pulled those clumps of grass that always migrate to the other side of the border.

You know those clumps of grasses that think the grass is greener on the other side? wink

The clumps of grass worked out well because they are easy to maintain and they grow vertical. The grass added some much-needed greenery to a tiny space.

TIP: If you have a tiny apartment or condo deck these repurposed bowls are a fun one-hour project on a Saturday morning.

Or a fun craft project this summer with kids, cousins or grandkids.

Everyone goes home with chipped dishes filled with freshly pulled grass!

It reminds me of when we used to pick dandelions and asked our mom to put them in water.

Before you leave, here is another fun up-cycle if you have a small side table in the basement or garage.

If you love upcycle projects check out a few favorites here.

DO THIS WITH YOUR FAVORITE THANK YOU NOTES

August 31, 2021

Sharing a simple way to repurpose your favorite thank you notes

Growing up the best way to kill the Christmas fun was when mom reminded us we had to write our thank you notes before we returned to school.

I dreaded the idea of spending eight minutes of my remaining Christmas vacation writing thank you notes.

But once pencil and paper were in motion it was always a warm feeling of accomplishment. And handwritten thank you was the best memory to thank my grandparents for the Barbie Pop-up Camper.

Now? I am grateful my mom instilled in us the power of gratitude when the pencil hit the cardstock.

DO THIS WITH YOUR FAVORITE THANK YOU NOTES

I save my favorite thank you cards from my kids or my girlfriends or just thank you cards that make me smile. It almost borders on hoarding, but for now, it reminds me of the lesson learned from my parents.

This simple idea hit me when I received the sweetest thank you from my niece. I smiled with her perfect penmanship and heart-filled thank you.

And instead of dropping it into a box dedicated to thank you notes, I tucked it inside my favorite cookbook.

And a new tradition for thank you cards began. Now when I want to save a page I add a recent thank you note between the pages of favorite recipes inside this cookbook.

No more sticky notes between salad recipes.

Instead, I get a mix of thank you notes from friends and family who still write and mail a note of gratitude instead of a text with emojis.

And by repurposing these cards of gratitude I get the unexpected joy of rereading a thank you every time I make this recipe.

Please pin for your upcycle boards!

HOW TO MAKE ECO-FRIENDLY PLACEMATS

August 26, 2021

Sharing how to make eco-friendly placemats.

My husband brought home a plastic tablecloth for a family backyard bbq. You know, the plastic sheet every team parent used for high school banquets to catch the queso dip with 18 rugby players?

I was like, “no, no, no you can’t put a plastic tablecloth on a kitchen or dining room table.

It was like we were speaking two different languages and using hand gestures to make my point.

So I found a way to make an eco-friendly placemat suitable for any table setting. Please keep reading to find out what happens when you repurpose everyday objects.

If you are a follower of Everyday Edits you may remember this super easy repurpose idea with packing material.

So as we bring back brunches and football I scored a Hail Mary when I figured out how to make eco-friendly placemats.

Ones that would be sturdy enough to catch the melted butter and cool enough to impress my kids.

Did I mention they are “free.” Or, that these placemats are made from cardboard and will decompose in the garden.

As an added bonus, the kids, nephews or grandkids could make them for the Thanksgiving table… in minutes.

And the supplies needed are likely arriving on your front porch in a matter of days.

HOW TO MAKE ECO-FRIENDLY PLACEMATS

Okay so if you have followed me for a minute you know I love to repurpose random things. Like what to do with empty toilet paper rolls.

So I guess I inherited the recycle gene from my parents too. Last year was the year of online orders and my guilty conscience got the best of me every time I tossed boxes and packing material into the recycle bin.

Yes, that’s a great step but there was so much packing material and cardboard in 2020.

Packing material varies which adds to the challenge. But most of it is biodegradable and easy to cut with scissors.

REPURPOSED

So now when I get a delivery I pay attention to the textures of the packing material. It is like a free gift with a purchase kind of excitement.

Oh and that little thing that happens when you repurpose? There is nothing more fun than hear your adulting children poking fun at mom’s recycled projects. #wink

As long as I am trending amongst my kids I will continue to find ways to repurpose the everyday objects that make a home.

Before you go would love if you pinned this or follow me on Instagram.

HOW TO MAKE A CENTERPIECE WITH BRANCHES

September 25, 2020

If you want to know how to make a centerpiece with branches make friends with an arborist. That is how I learned how to make a centerpiece with branches. While parallel parking in the city I asked an arborist, who was trimming trees in Denver, to help me parallel park my car. I didn’t have him park my car, I just needed some eyes on the curb and hand signals. Once parked, I asked him about the stack of branches next to the curb. Before I could finish my offer to take a few bundles of branches, his crew loaded the twigs and branches into the back of my car.

The leaves and bugs were included at no extra charge.

As I pulled away from the curb, he asked me what I planned to do with a carload of branches.

I told him I did not have a clue, but, I would figure it out.

Which is my motto in life.

With a car full of branches and bugs I was on a mission to get home and spend a few ~~minutes~~ hours on Pinterest.

I needed a plan to explain to my family why there were bundles of branches leaning on the side of the house.

My craft plans tend to go sideways quickly because I lack the patience and discipline to follow directions. What I lack in talent I make up for in personality.

How to Make a Centerpiece with Branches

I tend to take a few shortcuts. Get it?

I needed an easy way to layer the branches on a base. With a quick look around the garage, I settled on a cardboard box. I made a cardboard form for my centerpiece’s base.

From there, I just needed a glue gun to create the centerpiece with branches.

My vision came together for my centerpiece. I love, love upcycle projects and this was the perfect us of reusing everyday objects for a centerpiece with branches.

And, from there it was just adding a boxwood wreath to add a pop of greenery. I get most of my boxwood wreaths from here.

My first plan was to layer berries and twigs, but then I remember the stash of boxwood. I love boxwood because it is a seasonal favorite.

I love to use a small boxwood wreath to layer and stack candles during the holidays.

This centerpiece made with branches was coming together.

I added my favorite mini candle from Anthropologie to pull the centerpiece together.

This upcycled centerpiece, made from Denver’s tree branches is ready for this table.

The lesson with this centerpiece is to always say hi to your neighborhood tree trimmer.

POTTERY BARN KITCHEN TABLE KNOCKOFF

August 3, 2020

I was ready to sell my kitchen table when I saw this Pottery Barn kitchen table on their website. I looked at this table online and looked over my shoulder to my World Market clearance kitchen table. It was an instant love connection and inspiration for my Pottery Barn kitchen table knockoff.

My veneer-ish, shiny black table was screaming to get a makeover.

I painted my round table with this Benjamin Moore color. It is Mascarpone and it is my favorite creamy white. I use it in most of the accessories in my home.

The hardest part about this creamy white is spelling it correctly.

And, this Pottery Barn kitchen table knockoff is one of my favorites! My kitchen table went from a shiny, veneer-ish finish to a creamy color to brighten the space.

kitchen-table-pottery-barn-knockoff-feature

Taking inspiration from the Pottery Barn table, I added four navy kitchen chairs. The chairs were cheap but functional.

I am looking for a long term relationship with my kitchen chairs. Any suggestions?

Next up I purchased a round sisal rug on sale at Pottery Barn. I had plans to add a rug but waited for Elliott to finish the puppy chewing phase.

Painting the table instantly brightened the dining area. The navy curtains no longer had to fight with the black table. And, the chairs had an instant connection to the window treatments too.

More recently, I added the light fixture above the table. The light fixture updated the space and made it feel lighter and open.

I shared these tips when shopping for light fixtures.

Do you have a fun Pottery Barn knockoff? Here a few favorite Pottery Barn related posts. Pottery Barn Knockoff Chaise and Where I find decor ideas.

How to Make a Wood Frame from a UPS Delivery

December 3, 2019

This project needs to come with a neon sign that states **no tools or glue required.** This wood frame upcycle was one of my favorite projects. If you have visited my blog or follow me on Instagram, you know I love a good upcycle project. But, this wood frame made from packing materials is my absolute favorite upcycle this year.

Did I mention it requires no tools or glue? The wood frame was created with the packing materials the supplies are delivered to my door. I didn’t need to haul it from the side of a dumpster.

how to make a wood frame with thumbtacks

In fact, the only thing I needed was sandpaper, stain, and four thumbtacks. Oh, did I mention it took seven minutes to build?

Except, build is a strong word. Fortunately, the warehouse where the frame originated did all the work. The upcycled frame was at the bottom of the shipping box for a small side table I ordered from my favorite online-only decor site.

I call this frame-find a free gift with purchase.

The only thing I added was a coat of stain to keep my upcycle project moving forward. And, the stain made the frame look more refined.

Now picture me with plastic bread bags over my hands while I stained the packing frame. Never underestimate the strength of a plastic bag to protect a fresh coat of OPI red.

I propped it up on our DIY Pottery Barn knockoff mantle above our bed.

And, I wanted a framed, holiday theme piece of art for the holidays. But, I didn’t want to pay big bucks for something just for the Christmas holidays. I wanted something that could be tweaked for different seasons.

Hellooo… Christmas gift wrap.

And, all it took was a few feet of Christmas wrap I grabbed on one of my weekly (daily) trips to HomeGoods.

Sidenote: HomeGoods has a great collection of gift wrap all year round so I already have plans to switch the paper every season. But, the stained packing frame actually looked great by itself too. I may just layer frames across the mantle.

I hope this upcycle gives you a few ideas on how to repurpose everyday items that would otherwise end in the garbage. Please share your favorite upcycling projects in the comments.

How to Make a Wall Mounted Paper Roll

September 26, 2019

I have a thing for office supplies. The office supply section at Target calms me; it’s an aisle filled with the promise of organization in the form of sticky notes, black fine point Sharpie pens and file folders (even though Dropbox and pdf’s have reduced my paper exponentially). Brown craft paper is a close second for favorite office related supplies. So when I saw this wall mounted paper roll on BHG.com, I had to figure out how to make a wall mounted paper roll.

Sidenote: Up until 30 seconds ago I thought the painted floor were steps to the kitchen sink.

I created this wall mounted paper roll on the fly. My goal was to use what I had on hand. I found this size paper roll at Ikea, but check the paint department at Home Depot.

I purchased the solid iron hooks last year on Etsy in anticipation of making this project.

That gives you a look at how to long it takes me to get a project to production.

I decided to add this paper roll under these farmhouse kitchen shelves.

It was a strategic decision after we removed our upper cabinets to make way for our largest project (1/2 wall removal). One of us was a little too aggressive pulling out the cabinets and a chunk of the backsplash came out with the cabinet.

Wall Mounted Paper Roll Supplies

Craft paper roll (Ikea in children’s department)
Metal Hooks
Wood Dowel (Home Depot or Michaels) I think HD was cheaper
Scrap Wood
Stain (my favorite stain

I only had two black screws long enough to drill through the wood and wall.

The significance of the wall mounted board is it adds the necessary depth for the wall mounted paper roll can … well… roll.

That’s the extent of my technical description. Oh and there’s that chunk of tile behind below the wall mounted roll.

Garage Sale Wreath Makeover

September 6, 2019

Here’s a post before my rebrand. With redirects and pins, I have had to repost a few favorite projects. This garage sale wreath makeover is a seasonal favorite and cost me under $5.00.

Garage Sale Wreath Makeover Before

Because it was one of my original posts, I don’t have the before photos but imagine a really dusty, cobwebbed and feather filled wreath that I picked up for a $1.00 at a garage sale.

The wreath’s smell did not hit me until I had it in my car. I would have passed on this wreath if I had detected the damp, basement smell.

I am so happy I did not sniff the wreath and I am thrilled I had the windows down on the drive home!

But, I am telling you finding this tired, worn-out wreath was destiny. Dusty destiny, but destiny.

What I loved about this wreath, sitting on the driveway, was the size of the grapevine and its potential.

Makeover Details

removed the picks that were broken or beyond the makeover
placed the wreath outside to air out
sprayed the wreath with vinegar & water. repeat. repeat.

Because this was a garage sale find I stayed with the thrifty budget and used the miscellaneous leaves that fall off the garland. You know the leaves and pinecones and sticks that fall to the bottom of the box or storage tub? I just grabbed a few of those and fresh pinecones and either glued or tucked them into the wreath.

It was an instant makeover. I paid $3.00 for the wreath.

The size of the wreath takes up the width of the front door which I love. My motto: go big or go home.

With garage sale season in full gear, take a second look at those dingy wreaths, crafts and accessories.

Thanks for stopping by today! Please join this brand new private Facebook page with before and after finds from garage sales and Goodwill. Are you on Instagram? You can find me here and I’ll follow you back.

HOW TO MAKE EMBROIDERY HOOP ORBS

May 9, 2019

I am so excited to share these decorative embroidery hoop orbs. I am a sloppy crafter which means my craft projects will never trend on Pinterest. And, I am good with that. So when I was asked to join an embroidery hoop craft challenge I thought this was my chance to get my craft on.

But, first I Googled “embroidery hoops” to confirm they were what I thought they were.

I ordered a “lot” of embroidery hoops on eBay because I wasn’t sure what I was going to make or how many hoops I would need. Let’s just save I can make a dozen orbs.

I decided to make orbs because I liked the look of similar projects on Pinterest and orbs matched my decor style.

embroidery hoops

I knew I wanted to stain these. I took the lazy route and didn’t separate the hoops.

Do as I suggest, not as I d0.

Take a few minutes to detach the hoops, it made a huge difference in the time it takes to stain and the quality of the finished look. I used a foam brush and a small paintbrush to get around the metal fasteners. After I stained the embroidery hoops I decided it was harder to stain hoops than furniture.

I loved the difference the stain made to the embroidery hoops. The stain gave them an instant Pottery Barn like finish. This craft project was headed in the right direction.

The stained orbs looked great with our shelves on the opposite ends of our this updated fireplace.

I wanted an easy way to attach the hoops, but finally committed to the power drill to drill pilot holes and then attach a small screw at the top and bottom of the orb. The wood was soft enough that with a little muscle you could secure both ends with a tack.

I figured this out when my drill’s battery died mid-drill.

I love the finished look of the orb. The embroidery hoop’s stained wood finish added much-needed character to the shelves. I have a few more embroidery hoop orbs “in production.”

On a side note, I love the shadows created from the lighting above the orbs onto the white shelf.

Thank you for stopping by today. Do you have any creative ideas for embroidery hoops? If you have time please take a look at these

one hour projects.