Easy recycled aluminum soda can craft project ideas.

These are just a few ideas of different things you can make with recycled aluminum soda cans.
The first is a soda tab choker made by me from recycled soda can tabs that I got in a kit.

The second item is a pair of soda can earrings that are made by me.  The leaves are made from a "Red Bull" can that has been run through a die cut machine.  The earrings are accented with turquoise chips. I used the "Spellbinders" Presto Punch to cut out the leaves.

The third is a floral barrette made from recycled soda cans.

The fourth is a butterfly and a dragon fly that are cut out of recycled aluminum soda cans using the
Big Shot die cutter.

These are all really easy projects that do not take a lot of time to make.  What types of projects do you make from recycled materials?

Easy Recycled Paper Projects YouTube Tutorials

These are just some of the many easy recycled paper project YouTube tutorials that are available for learning to make some basic baskets and recycled paper jewelry.  This first tutorial is from Janice May.  She demonstrates how to make a tightly coiled magazine paper bead to use for jewelry projects.


This second tutorial is from Idunn Goddess, who shows how to make a fun basket from recycled newspaper.



The third tutorial is by Mariaamora2001.  It is a very basic recycled newspaper basket weaving project, using a slightly different style.



The fourth tutorial is by Gustamon.  While the video is in Spanish, you do not need to speak Spanish to make the project. There is no weaving, just roll and glue.  You can also change it by wrapping the newspaper around a balloon, then allowing it to dry.  Once dry, just pop the balloon.



These are all very easy and fun ways to use recycled materials for crafting and home decor projects.

Disclaimer

Review of Simply Spray Fabric & Upholstery Paint

Simply Spray Soft Fabric & Upholstery Paint

      My friend, Stefani Girard, recently did some reviews and tutorials using the Simply Spray "Soft Fabric & Upholstery" paints on her blogs.  She had some extra paint available and gave it to me to test it and see how it worked for me.  I had six colors to work with and decided to give them a try.  The Simply Spray line is specifically created for painting on textiles.  They have smaller can for t-shirts, and offer a larger size can for larger projects like a chair or something similar.

Stef wrote a fun tutorial on one of her blogs on how to transform a plain tank top into a fun "Fourth of July" themed top.  Another posts was on how to upcycle an old purse using the upholstery paint sprays.  I have embedded the links so you can take a look at them and see some of the projects that she used the sprays on.
   Before I got started,  I asked Stef what she liked about the product and she told me it was that the fabric paint sinks into the textile, instead of just sitting on top.  So if you paint it onto a textured fabric, you will still be able to see the texture.  She also mentioned that the paint dries soft which makes it great for t-shirts and such.              
    That being said, I decided to do a few of my own tests to see how the paint performs for me.  I covered my table surface with a puppy training pad because I wanted it to soak up the over spray. I felt that if I used a plain plastic cover then the paint would stay on the surface (it is made for porous materials and not plastic) and might get unintentionally get onto my projects.
    I did a few tests on various bits paper, fabric, etc., and which came out good.  The instructions say to start away from the project and spray into it (it that makes sense....it is a sweeping motion).  If you do not do that then you will get results like the piece below.

The paint squirted and left splotches of paint in certain areas.  So unless you are trying to achieve that type of look, remember to use a sweeping motion and start off the project itself.  Now, the paint did stay

wet long enough for me to grab a brush to blend the paint out.  So if you forget and end with splotches you can fix them by working quickly.   The paint is created for 100% cotton, however, mostly everything I want to recycle is some type of blend.
      So I decided to test it on a cotton and polyester blend flower.  I sprayed the paint on.  I wanted a more textured look, so I made sure not to saturate the color onto the flower so I would have some of the old color show through. Once the flower was dry,  I added a cute button to the center of the flower for an accent.  It worked great on the polyester bits and the blended fabric parts.    I did get some paint on my hands but it washed off quite easily.

     My daughter needed a girly pirate hat for a party, so I decided to test out the spray on a straw hat to see how it would perform.  I picked up an ordinary straw hat at the local bargain store, then I lightly sanded various areas of the hat. Then I hot glued the flaps up, to hold them until I could secure the flaps in place with thread.

I purposely did not paint the hat first, because I did not want the hat to look brand new.   I knew I could achieve an easy weathered look just by spraying the paint on at various angles.

I would spray an area and let it dry.

For areas that I wanted to look a little darker blue, I just layered the paint until I achieved the color intensity that I was looking for.

I found that I did need to let it dry between coats because the hat must have had some residual coating that was keeping the paint from soaking into the straw.  By letting it dry between coats, the paint was finally able to soak into the straw.  After I finished painting the hat and had let it set for 72 hours, I added some fabric

Pirate Hat painted with the Simply Spray Fabric Paint

trim and other accents to the hat to complete the look my daughter wanted.
     Lately, I am really enjoying the fabulous altered books that my friends have made.  I thought these paints would be fun to test out on a fabric covered book and see how it performs.  So I picked a color and started to spray.  I had forgotten to clean the nozzle that last time I used the blue, so that is why you see

 the paint coming out all blotchy.  I used a paint brush to even the paint out and remove my mistake.

I liked the look of the blue paint over the mauve, and decided to paint the edges of the pages. Since they were beige, the blue should be brighter than on the mauve.
Reminder:  it is a really good idea to clean the nozzle after each use.  Also don't forget to shake the can before spraying the color or you will get a splat of color like I did below.

I used a paint brush to fix my little mistake and to spread the excess paint long the edges of the book.

I also painted a few of the pages inside of the book.

In case you were wondering, the paint will bleed through the paper to the other side.  Especially if you are heavy handed with the paint, like I am.  Since I will eventually cover that side of the page with ephemera, it really does not matter if the paint bleeds through or not.

I painted the outside corners of the cover of this book with a little bit of gold paint to create a frame.

To finish the outside of the book, I used a cute card that I picked up at Trader Joe's and glued it to the cover.  Then I added some gold tone chain to frame the card.  It still looked a bit plain, so I glued on some rhinestones, buttons, and other ephemera.  I like skulls and happen to have fun little skull charm that I could attach to the chain to finish it off.

One of the things that I like about this paint is that I can control how intense I want the color to be.  I also can control how much coverage I want.  I wanted the old title to show through on the spine of this book.  So I was very light handed with the paint on the spine. As you can, the the old title is clearly visible beneath the coat of paint.  This was important to me because title itself was stamped in gold mica and I did not want lose any of the shiny finish from the original lettering.

Overall, I really liked these paints.  They are significantly easier to use than traditional dying techniques and the clean up is quick.  The Simply Spray paint colors are nice and it does live up to its promise on quality and ease of use. There a lot of different techniques that can be used to paint items with this paint, just do a search on YouTube or Google to see what other people are doing with this great paint.  The potential for these paints is unlimited and I could easily get carried away painting various surfaces and textiles with these paints.

Pros

• I can control the intensity of the colors.
• The paint can be applied sheer enough to allow the texture of the fabric to show through.
• There was no over powering scent from the paint, like I find with some other products.
• The paint dries soft and will not leave behind that weird crusty finish that some paints do.
• The paint does not require heat setting, just allow it to cure for the required 72 hours.
• Clean up is very easy.
• The paint dries quickly.
• It is non-toxic which is important to me
• Another great product that is made in the USA

Tips:

• You need to clean the "Nozzle".  If you do not remember to clean the nozzle then you run the risk of having bits of paint dry in it and then the paint will not come out evenly.
• It is an Aerosol can and should be shook before beginning to paint.  If you don't then the paint comes out in a bit of a messy splotch.
• The instructions tell you to clean the nozzle when you are finished painting.  If you do not clean it, then any residual paint left on the nozzle will dry and block the paint from coming out.  It is easy to fix by using a wet tooth pick and some baby wipes to gently remove the paint from the nozzle.

The Simply Spray website does have a fact sheet that answers some questions on how to utilize the product to its best potential.  They suggest allowing the project to dry for 72 hours to give the paint a chance to set permanently.   Don't forget to shake the can before each use.  Also, It would be wise to cover your working surface to protect it.  I did try the paint on a hard plastic surface.  It has been a couple of weeks and the paint has still not come off.  I also tested it on concrete and had similar results.  Again, the spray can specifically says it is permanent on porous surfaces which plastic is not.  However, it is better to be safe than sorry and cover your work surfaces while you paint.



Disclaimer

Book Review of 101 Tees: Restyle Refashion & Revamp by Cathie Filian

The book motto is to: "Restyle, Refashion and Revamp" your t-shirts.

I borrowed a copy of "101 Tees" by Cathie Filian from a friend of mine to check it out.  As someone who is always in support of recycling or upcycling clothing, this book was a treasure trove of ideas.  A quick glance convinced me that I needed to purchase a copy of this book for my own personal craft library.

My kids are always bringing home t-shirts from various events they participate in and often the design, color or cut of the shirt is not particularly flattering for them.  In the past, we usually just cut off the neck and sleeves to change it out or we turned them into pillow covers.  However, after reading this book, we realized the tremendous potential for individual expression that the author's ideas allowed for.

So how does Cathie go about upcycling old t-shirts?  Well she gives the reader an easy series of steps to follow, along with a brief explanation of the different types of t-shirts to look out for.  She also uses simple techniques which are broken down by chapters to transform old t-shirts into something that reflects the readers personal taste and enjoyment.

There are 11 chapters which include the following subjects:

• cutting and stitching
• painting on fabric
• dyeing fabric
• appliques
• embroidery
• ribbons and trims
• iron-ons and patches
• sparkle and shine (rhinestones, paints, sequins, glitter paints)
• mixed media
• just the boys (male orientated projects)
• holiday and special occassions
• templates

Within each chapter Cathie covers a lot of material in a very condensed and interesting manner.  I really love the way this book is written.

She wrote an introduction that gives some tips on supplies, preparation and caring for your t-shirts.  Cathie Fillian immediately gets into the process the t-shirt makeover process rather than spend a few pages talking about non-related matters.  The book also includes templates and great graphics which are a time saver for the reader when one is trying to finish a project.  After all, how many of us get hit by the creativity bug at a time when it is just not feasible to go and search for templates at our local craft stores.  The pictures are really good and help you to get an idea of the style of shirt and its potential for re-styling.

In her book, she mentions that the first step is to wash your shirt.  This helps to remove dirt, stains, and any other chemicals that may be on the shirt.

The second step is to lay your shirt out and really look at it.  Decide what elements you want to keep and what elements of the shirt you do not want to keep.  This will help you figure out your layout and which pattern from the book best works with your particular shirt.  With over 101 different design ideas, you are bound to find one that works.

In the shirt that I choose, I like the color but find the shirt a bit boring.  The shirt itself has a nice cut to it and I like the lines of the shirt.  It just needs something to make it more interesting.  So I went to Chapter 6 in her book that focuses on "Ribbons & Trims".  She explains the different types of ribbons and trims, along with hints on how to best utilize them.  So I decided to lay out different trims to see what

would work with this particular shirt.  I started with the lace collar. Then tried a piece of wedding dress lace on the shoulder.

I did not like that, so I tried it on the bottom of the shirt to see how that would look.

I tried a different type of lace on the center of the neckline.

Then I tried a different piece of lace on the shoulder area.

I then decided to try a ribbon flower and see how that would work.  It looked a little better.

I like to keep some things simple and this seemed about right.  My two favorite looks were the lace collar and the ribbon flowers.  You can see that just by laying the pieces out on the shirt, you can get good feel of what would work with that particular garment.

Cathie also talks about trims like rickrack, floral trims, rhinestone trims, buttons, ribbon & silk flowers and much more.  She gives you ideas on different ways to apply them to the fabric and to use them as a design element.

I wondered if I could apply the information from this book to something besides t-shirts.  So I looked through my closet for a different type of shirt to refashion.  I found a great cotton button up shirt to work with.

I looked through the book and found that Chapter 7, deals with "Iron-ons & Patches".  So for my second project, I will just make some minor changes to the shirt by adding a cool iron transfer from plaid that I recently picked up.  I ironed the shirt to remove any creases.

Then I followed the directions and ironed on the patch.  You should know that I have never ironed on a patch before and managed to mess this one up a bit.  So I decided to add some rhinestones with heat activated adhesive on the back to cover some small flaws.  It worked pretty good. Plus I liked the way the shirt looked.

The ideas from the book are applicable to many different types of items.  I tried some of her applique tips on paper, and a couple of totes.  This first is a tote that I added another some bits and pieces that I found around the house, along with a cute "Cup Cake" iron on from Plaid that I picked up.

Then I tried some applique, trims and an iron on a different tote bag.

The final one is of a gift bag and I just cut out fabric and glued it onto the paper bag to make it look like an applique.  Then added some sparkle with glitter glue.

All in all, this is a great resource that can is not limited to use just on t-shirts.  You can apply the ideas in this book to a variety of projects.  If love Cathie Fillians work, she does have a shop on Etsy where you can purchased her finished projects and/or supplies.

Disclosure

Halloween Polymer Clay Coverd Candy Tins Tutorial

    In my never ending search for fun new ways to recycle old containers. Here is a very simple way to recycle an old mint tin and candy containers into something useful.

    The first thing I did was to condition the clay with the pasta machine.  I put it through about ten times to get it nice and soft.  This is to make it easier to imprint onto the clay.  

    For the Halloween Candy Boxes, I just went ahead and covered the pre-sanded containers with the clay and then used a knitting needle to imprint lines on them (see below for details).  

• For the Pumpkin, I added polymer clay eyeballs and some tiny spiders.
• For the moon light pumkin patch, I shaped balls of clay into pumkins and used the knitting needle to make the appropriate markings.  I made the bat shape and moon the same way.  I used the Jacquard mica powder to highlight areas of the pumpkin patch.  Then I  baked them in the oven (craft oven...not food oven) for the time specified by the polymer clay manufacturer. Once it was done baking, I let it cool for a while

For the Altoid Container:

The I took one of my rubber stamps and pushed it (image side down) onto the clay.  I carefully removed the rubber stamp.

Then I took the empty "Altoid" mint container and sanded it down.  This is done to make the surface adhere better to the clay.  Then I put a coat of "Lisa Pavelka's Poly Bonder" which is glue that is geared for use on polymer clay.  I placed the polymer clay (image side up) onto the mint box.  I cut off the excess clay and finished off the edges.

Then I added some flat rhinestones, a little brush of mica powder and baked it in the oven (craft oven...not food oven) for the time specified by the polymer clay manufacturer. Once it is done baking, let it cool for a while. Then add a chain or string.  There you have it, a quick and easy polymer clay project.

Think Green by Participating in the "Recycle and/or Upcycle Clothing Swap"

In my continuous effort to be environmentally conscious, I attended a very cool recycling clothing swap in Santa Monica.  This annual clothing swap takes place in various locations around Los Angeles County.  The folks who run the swap send out an informative email that informs you about the time and location of the next swap.  This is a new way to recycle and/or upcycle, while keeping things out of the landfills by finding new homes for your old clothing.

The idea of swapping clothing is getting more and more popular.  It is a fun way to add to your wardrobe and to delete from your wardrobe as well. 

This is no ordinary swap, if you are not ready to swap out your old clothing then you are in luck. The organizers of this event offer the opportunity to upcycle your old wardrobe pieces with some new (well....new to you...) techniques that are demonstrated at this event.  They have sewing demonstrations, screen printing, re-construction, and much more.  At this event you can take either your new or old clothing and begin reconstructing them on the spot. 

The swap had a bunch of work stations where visitors could de-construct and re-make their new clothing finds.   

The event planners had a row of sewing machines set.  Along with all types of lace, ribbons, patches, button, etc. to accent an article of clothing.  This was rather fabulous, because I got to try out some very nice sewing machines that I would normally never have used.  I plan to purchase one in the future and this gave me some insight into the differences between sewing machines.

It was also handy to be around some great sewing coaches who were on hand to lend an opinion or two.  Some even taught attendees some great techniques to reconstructing their garments into toys, dresses, etc.  One of my favorites was a demonstration of how to take an item of clothing and turn it into a tote bag. 

There was someone on hand to teach folks how to deconstruct their old t-shirts and turn them into really cute corset tops.

This was a very popular workstation and an amazingly easy project to complete in less than an hour.

The next station was a "Pimp Your T-shirt" workstation where you could learn how to take your T-Shirt to a whole new level by cutting and pasting other shirts and embellishments together to create a whole new final project.

There was also a felt workstation, where visitors learned how to felt right onto the item of clothing to create something unique and fun.  It was really fun to felt onto jean material and create some fun accents.

Another personal favorite was the screen printing stations.    For those who may have been wanting to learn this skill, it is so fun.  The versatility of the screen and ability to create whatever image I wanted and then be able to print it onto my clothing was so cool.

You could use one of the preprinted patterns or draw your own and make a screen print to use on the screen-printing machines available on site.  Participants were able to print on their jeans, t-shirts, totes, dresses, and more.  They even brought in dryers so folks could have instant gratification.  

Above is a picture of some the ribbons, buttons, etc. that were donated for folks to use to fix up their new clothing designs.  Basically, any sewing or crafting supplies could be used to create something fun and new.

This show was top notch!  The final designs were fabulous.

At the end of the day the organization took held any left over clothing and donated it to a local charity.  

If you do not have anything like this going on in your area then you may want to look into: http://dignswap.com/  or start one in your area and open some new possibilities for folks in your home town.