Glue and Glitter » upcycling

How to Make a Fabric Scrap PomPom

Becky Striepe — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Don’t you just love a pom pom? They’re just so cheery and sweet. They’re also super simple to make!

All of the pom pom tutorials I’ve seen call for using yarn. I love me some pretty yarn, but why keep your pom pom making so hedged in, when really you can incorporate all kinds of fun materials into your poms! As long as what you’re using is long and skinny, it’s fair game. Here’s how to make your very own repurposed pom poms!

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Click here to read on!

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2012. | Permalink | One comment
Post tags: crafty reuse, green crafts, how to make a pompom, pompom, pompom tutorial, repurposed, reuse, reuse fabric scraps, upcycling

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Tutorial: Make a Cowl from a Sweater Sleeve

Becky Striepe — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:00:37 +0000

I have been sweater obsessed lately! Ever since turning one of Dave’s shrunken sweaters into an infinity scarf, I’ve been thinking of fun ways to take sweaters apart and repurpose them. I made that sweater wrap not too long ago and a few other sweatery things, and in the end I was left with a pile of sleeves.

The thing about repurposing is that it can actually be quite wasteful. Take my sweater obsession, right? If I tossed those sleeves into the bin, could I really say that I upcycled a sweater? the whole idea is to divert waste from the landfill, right?

I ran across a really cute asymmetrical cowl on Pinterest not too long ago, but it required knitting, which isn’t my strong suit. It looked like the perfect project to use up some of those sweater sleeves!

How to Make a Cowl from a Sweater Sleeve

Materials

thrifted sweater
sewing machine, thread, pins, iron
vintage button

1. You need to get that sleeve off of your sweater. Trim the sleeve off right along the seam.

2. Once the sleeve is detached, turn it inside-out, then sew along the edge that you just cut using your machine’s zig zag stitch.

3. Flip your sleeve so it’s right side out, then iron it well.

4. It’s time to try it on! Grab a straight pin, and head to the mirror. Put the cowl around your neck until it’s sitting just right. Put the straight pin into the bottom piece of sweater in the center of where the two ends overlap. This is where your button will go.

5. Sew on your button.

6. Sew the button hole. You might need to put the cowl on again to make sure you put the button hole in the right place. Use a pin again to mark the bottom of your button hole, then send it through your machine on the button hole setting (mine does one-step button holes, but some machines do 4-steps).

Voila! A cute cowl with no knitting required!

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2012. | Permalink | One comment
Post tags: DIY cowl, DIY scarf, reuse, sweater craft project, sweater crafts, upcycling

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What is Upcycling?

Becky Striepe — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:00:52 +0000

I talk a lot about upcycling here, at Crafting a Green World, and at Green Upgrader. It’s becoming a pretty popular concept in the craft world, and like with any concept that starts to take off, I think the meaning has gotten a bit watered down. So, what is upcycling, really? (. . .)
Click here to read on!

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2011. | Permalink | 3 comments
Post tags: crafty reuse, creative reuse, reuse, upcycled art, upcycling, what is upcycling?

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What does green mean?

Becky Striepe — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:00:25 +0000

This is something that’s been rattling around in my head for a while, and I thought it might be worth spilling it all here and seeing what you guys think. I write in a lot of places about how to be green, and I get a lot of pitches from companies who want me to review their newest green product. But what does green really mean?

Over at Feelgood Style, we talk about green beauty and fashion, and every time I get a pitch from a cosmetics company, I find myself wondering if they’re green enough. One company makes cosmetics that come in fully compostable packaging, but they use artificial “fragrance,” which can mean any number of toxic, artificial chemicals. Are they green? What about a company who’s recipe is totally free from mystery ingredients, but their packaging is plastic?

I’m even running across this as I start my fall garden! I avoided products from Scotts (even “organic” ones), because they’re a major distributor for Monsanto’s RoundUp. Not familiar with RoundUp? It’s a pesticide, and it’s terrible for the environment. You can read a bit about some of the problems with RoundUp here.

Right, so! In my effort to avoid Scotts, I picked up organic seed starter from Burpee, only to learn that 3-5% of their seeds are from Monsanto. Is 3-5% a small enough number? Am I being green by supporting Burpee’s organic line, when I’m also supporting a company that sells genetically modified seeds?

How to be Green

Some companies are making a genuine effort, while others are just greenwashing. So many companies co-opt the word “green” as a marketing gimmick, that it’s hard to suss out who’s really making an impact and who’s just trying to break into this growing niche of green consumers. It’s up to us to read the labels, do the research, and see beyond the marketing.

But I think if we really want to get at the heart of how to be green, it’s about more than what we buy. It’s what we choose not to buy and what we choose to make ourselves. I think the key to really being a green consumer is to…consume less! That can mean just opting out of the newest and shiniest thing. It can also mean using your crafty skills to reuse what we have and turn it into something new.

My friend Kelly Rand has said many times that she thinks handmade can save the world, and I think she’s really got it right. I also think that handmade can mean different things for different folks. Maybe that means planting and nurturing a food garden, instead of buying produce from halfway around the world. Maybe it’s cooking a meal, rather than ordering wasteful takeout. Or turning an old t-shirt into a reusable shopping bag.

We all have the power to make these small changes, and I think the real way to be green is to do our best to reduce our impacts however we can.

Does that make sense? I sort of feel like I’m tossing out a half-baked idea here, and I’d love to flesh it out with you guys. What does green mean to you?

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2011. | Permalink | Comment
Post tags: be green, DIY, environment, garden, green, handmade, Hippie, how to be green, recycle, recycling, repurposed, reuse, upcycling

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IF: Summer Crafts!

Becky Striepe — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 11:00:38 +0000

Summer is HERE, ya’ll! It’s time to fire up the grill, tend to the garden, and of course it’s time to get your summery DIY on! Here are some crafty projects for your cookout and for your garden. Have you been working on any summer crafts? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

How cute are The Creative Place’s upcycled cocktail umbrellas?
I’ve been admiring this recycled six pack cookout caddy from Design*Sponge for years. It’s so simple and sweet!
I am in love with these firefly candles from Urban Sherp. Wouldn’t they be lovely for some summer evening porch-sitting?
Spruce up your summer garden with a simple set of clothespin plant markers!
You’d be the queen of Saturday if you showed up at a cookout with a batch of TINY PIES from Explore the Cabin!

So spill it, crafty peeps! What have you been making during this scorcher of a summer?

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2011. | Permalink | Comment
Post tags: crafty garden, Crafty Pals, DIY, Friday Roundup, garden, handmade, inspiration board, Inspiration Friday, reuse, Roundups, summer, summer crafts, summer DIY, upcycling

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Awesome: Recycled Plastic Cup Necklace

Becky Striepe — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 12:00:47 +0000

Remember those upcycled shrinky dinks from SEWphisticate? Well, over at Dollar Store Crafts Rhonda is taking things to the next level, turning a used Solo cup into a sweet upcycled necklace! Check out the cup to necklace tutorial over at Dollar Store Crafts!

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2011. | Permalink | Comment
Post tags: cupcycle, DIY, jewelry, necklace, recycled jewelry, upcycling

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5 Questions with Shabby N Chic

Becky Striepe — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 08:30:06 +0000

Crafter Jody of Shabby N Chic creates lovely upcycled housewares from vintage finds. Pop into her shop, and you’ll find a nice selection of vintage goodies up for grabs, too! I especially love her cupcake stands, like the one pictured above.
(. . .)
Click here to read on!

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2010. | Permalink | Comment
Post tags: housewares, interview, repurposed, Shabby N Chic, upcycling, Vintage!

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5 Questions With Web Works Fiber

Becky Striepe — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:00:07 +0000

Lori Lee-Weber of Web Works Fiber weaves beautiful rugs out of reclaimed fabric. What a great way to keep all of that fabric out of the landfill!
(. . .)
Click here to read on!

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2010. | Permalink | One comment
Post tags: interview, rag rug, rag rugs, recycling, upcycling, weaver, weaving

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5 Questions With T. Hein Originals

Becky Striepe — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 14:00:21 +0000

Theresa Hein of T. Hein Originals makes beautiful art pieces and accessories using found and vintage materials. I just love her romantic assemblages!
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Click here to read on!

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2010. | Permalink | Comment
Post tags: accessories, Art, interview, pins, recycling, upcycling

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Reuse Inspiration: Upcycled Junk Mail Projects

Becky Striepe — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:00:09 +0000

As much as I try to cut back on junk mail, it seems to be a fact of life. Even after doing everything I can do opt out, marketers still seem to find a way to get their garbage into our mailbox. Rather than get frustrated, you can use all of that free paper for some crafty projects!
(. . .)
Click here to read on!

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2010. | Permalink | 5 comments
Post tags: DIY, junk mail, paper, recycled paper, recycling, reuse, reuse inspiration, upcycling

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Glue and Glitter » upcycling

How to Make a Fabric Scrap PomPom

Tutorial: Make a Cowl from a Sweater Sleeve

How to Make a Cowl from a Sweater Sleeve

Related Posts:

What is Upcycling?

What does green mean?

How to be Green

Related Posts:

IF: Summer Crafts!

Related Posts:

Awesome: Recycled Plastic Cup Necklace

Related Posts:

5 Questions with Shabby N Chic

5 Questions With Web Works Fiber

5 Questions With T. Hein Originals

Reuse Inspiration: Upcycled Junk Mail Projects