Tin Can Turned Earrings

    So, I know that cans are recyclable, but why not create something awesome out of them while they are still in your hands? This is upcycling not recycling!

1.) Pick out a can that you find some potential in.

2.) The can that I used was thin enough to cut with scissors. Cut the top and bottom off of the can and cut down the middle to flatten it out and make it easier to work with. (BE CAREFUL CUTTING! WEAR GLOVES IF YOU NEED TO SO THAT YOU DON'T CUT YOURSELF!!!!)







3.) Cut out two rectangles about 1 inch long and 3/4 inch wide.

4.) With pliers, fold over all four edges and flatten them out.

5.) Take a needle or small nail and puncture the tin near the top to make a small hole.

6.) Run a small ring through the hole and then a fish hook earring through the ring. Now you have some earrings that rock!

Bottle Caps Turned Magnets

So, my friends and I enjoy a good beer every now and then but after we are finished with our delicious drinks we are left with lots of bottle caps. I decided to turn some of them into awesome little magnets. They are sure to be a conversation starter if anyone happens to glance at the fridge.

1.) With pliers, turn down four sides of the bottle cap.

2.)Place a piece of fabric underneath the bottle cap so you don't scratch the top of the bottle cap when you are doing step 3.

3.) Flatten down the four sides as well as the corners. Make sure that the bottle cap is as flat as you can make it.

4.) Place a large dot of hot glue in the center of the bottle cap and put the magnet on top of the glue. Squeeze them together!

And there ya have it! Some great new magnets that are cooler than anything you will buy at the store!

Fabric Remnants Turned Flower Headband

If you are a fabric crafter like me than you probably have a few remnants laying around that you are tempted to throw out. Use them to make this adorable flower headband instead!

 1.)With a fabric marker or pen draw a flower on the reverse side of the fabric and cut the flower out.

 2.) Do this multiple times, making each flower a bit smaller than the one before. I cut out three layers for each flower that I made and also a small circle for the center of the flower.

 3.) You will need a piece of felt or fleece. Cut out a piece that is about 6 inches long and 2 inches wide on one end and 1 inch wide on the other end. This is what you will be sewing your flowers onto.

 4.) Layer your flowers and place them onto the fleece where you intend to sew them. Make sure that no fleece is showing behind the flowers. Mark on the fleece with your pen where the center of the flower will be placed.

 5.) Place a button in the center of each of the flowers and sew all of the layers and button together.

 6.)Take wide ribbon and center it on top of the fleece. Sew the ribbon in place. Each piece of ribbon will need to be about 22 inches long so that you will be able to tie it in a bow behind your head.

 7.) Carefully take a lighter to the ends of the ribbon to seal them so that they don't fray. You barely have to touch the flame to the ribbon.

 Finished product!

Close up of the headband. You can lightly spray the flowers with starch or aerosol hairspray so that they are stiffer and hold their shape better. I hope you enjoy!

Old T-Shirt Turned Reusable Grocery Bag

     So, when the seasons roll around, it's time to clean out the closet and make way for the clothes of new weather. I usually take this time to get rid of clothes I haven't worn in at least a year and put them in a bag labeled "goodwill". But then I thought, instead of giving away my old t shirts, why not try and figure out a way to reuse them. Here is the result! An awesome grocery bag made from an old shirt.

For this bag, I started out with an awesome Doors t shirt that I found at the thrift store for $2.99. What a deal and what a cool bag it's gonna make! Yeah, I know I said I use the t shirts from my closet, and I do, but I just happened to have this one laying around after a recent thrift store binge.

 1.) First, cut off the bottom of the shirt at the seam. Lay the shirt flat, line up the seams, and pin the ends together.

 2.) Cut the corners off of both sides of the bottom of the shirt and pin. This will make the bottom of the bag more rounded and "bag like". With a serger, serge the bottom of the shirt together.

 3.) You now need to make the handles of your bag. Cut the sleeves of the shirt off. Every hillbilly will tell you to stop here because it's perfect. Don't believe them and continue on to step 4.
     P.S. I pinned the bottom of the sleeve hole up a little bit and sewed it back together because the hole was a bit too big.

 4.) Fold the outside of the sleeve up about a quarter of an inch and pin. Serge along the outside of the sleeve where you have pinned.

 5.)Next, you will need to make the opening of the bag. To do this you will need to cut out the collar of the shirt. Cut a little bit past the collar if it is a shirt with a higher neck. Remember, you want to have a big enough hole in order to put your groceries in easily. Serge around the edge in order to make it look nice and pretty.

     And there ya have it! Your very own, homemade grocery bag. The good thing about this project is that you not only are helping the environment by reusing an old shirt but you are also helping the environment by using less grocery bags. Go you!