A Real Example of NU2U

A Real Example of NU2U

Last Summer, my Husband and I were out yard sailing (or treasure hunting). Just as we were about to give up on the neighborhood we were in, we stopped at one last house. At this house I spotted the most beautiful and yet pitiful chair. I fell in love with the wood and the slight detail on the legs. Needless to say we bought it for $15. I knew we got a great deal. Unfortunately we didn't get a picture of it before we refinished it.

When we got the chair home, I couldn't wait to strip it and give it new life. When we removed the shower curtain that was used as the seat cover and back cover, we discovered that the chair was older than we originally thought. The seat and back were made of hay! I was shocked, I had never seen a chair like this before. The chair itself looks like a regular arm chair, only it was put on rockers.

After stripping and re staining it, we made a new seat and back, it looks like new! I love it. I'll bet if I decided to sell it now, I could get a heck of a lot more for it that the mere $15 I paid for it. This is the prime example of Nu2U and why my husband and I like to recycle. No way could we have bought something like this chair if it looked like it does now.

Cat Pan Replacement

Cat Pan Replacement

I was watching HGTV last weekend, and they had a great idea that I just had to pass on! Keep in mind that this is NOT my idea. However it was so great that I had to pass it on to everyone that I could.

The show I was watching was the one with Joan Stephen, they do a segment on recycled things. The guy was showing a cat pan. The thing is that he took an old end table with two drawers. The top drawer he took out the drawer and just left the front (he glued it back on) The bottom drawer he put a cat pan in it, cutting the top so it fits. On the side of the end table, he cut a hole and put a curtin over it (for privacy and smell control). This cat pan looked like an end table. You wouldn't even know what it was if someone hadn't told you.

I love this idea, even though I don't have a cat.

Abstract Butterfly

Abstract Butterfly

Here's a project that anyone can do (by anyone, I mean ANYONE!)

You can make an abstract painting for yourself or to give as a gift.

All you need to do is take a scrap piece of wood, or cardboard, or anything you want to use. You need several little bottles of latex paint. (you can get these at any craft store). Get the colors that work for you. After the painting is done, then you will need a frame to put it in. You can either make one as we did, or you can buy one.

Think about an animal that you like, or maybe you like flowers (you don't have to know how to draw it in detail, this is an abstract painting). Then just start creating the outline by dropping the paint straight from the bottle.

My husband and I did this picture of a Butterfly for our daughters bedroom. We had a blast making it. Our daughter loves it!

Coffee Drinker Craft Project

Coffee Drinker Craft Project

If you're like me, then you enjoy a cup or two of coffee in the morning. I personally like to put some non-dairy creamer in mine. The problem is... I am always going through the containers of creamer, wondering what to do with the empty plastic. Heres an Idea I tried a couple of years ago for Christmas.

Take the lable off the container and prime it. You may need to rough up the surface to get the paint to stick. Once the primer is dry, paint it again, this time use white paint and then add some glitter to give it alittle shine. Add some eyes, a carrot nose, and a mouth. Wrap a piece of material around the "Neck" for a scarf, add a couple of scraps for patches. You now have a great snowman. I glued mine to a plate and added candy. It was a big hit!!!

Clay Ideas

Clay Ideas

Sometimes I like to work with clay. If you like to craft and use clay, then you know how much the suppilies cost. I personally am not an artist (meaning that I cant draw or sculpt), but I can make just about anything I want with clay. The secret is to use something you already have as a mold.

For example: I have a passion for carousel horses, and one day I wanted to make a carousel charm for a bracelet I've been working on. I cannot make a horse, much less a carousel horse, however, I do have a small music box with carousel horses on it. All I did was take a small round piece of clay and molded the horse. After the mold is hardened, the I used it to make the charms that I needed. This technique works great, But you may have to try it a couple of times to get just the right look you're after. The clay is moldable until you bake it, so keep trying till you get it just right.

Once you have your mold, you can make as many charms as you want.

*if you use some scrap clay to make the mold, then you won't have to waste your good clay. Try it, it's fun!!

A Great Alternative to Easter Grass

A Great Alternative to Easter Grass

If you're the type of person who is always looking for a "Cleaner" way to do things, I have a great idea for you. Easter grass is made from plastic and plastic isn't biodegradable, however paper is!

Most people these days have a paper shredder, try using your shredded paper as the grass in your easter baskets. The best part is that paper comes in a great variety of colors, so just like the plastic stuff, you can still make the baskets beautiful.

In the long run, your 2008 easter won't still be around in a hundred years to dirty up the planet.

New Egg Hunt

New Egg Hunt

One year, my children and I were Easter-Egg hunting. We have to hunt eggs in our home, because usually around Easter time, it's still too cold to be doing it outside. This particular year, my husband spread the eggs throughout the house, and the kids happily began searching. About a week later, I began smelling something that wasn't quite right, after searching the house, I found a long lost Easter egg.

I thought about this situation for awhile and decided that using real eggs can be a messy situation. Since then, we fill different color plastic eggs with all kinds of treats, and three with something special in them (One for each kid). We use three color eggs, one color for each kid, and hide them according to age.

For example: My youngest son, Charlie, is too small to reach the high places, like the top of a shelf or hutch, but he can find things that are closer to his size, so all his color go low.

My oldest son Devynn, is taller than I am, so skies the limit where his eggs are hidden.

This solution works for a few different reasons, one; there are no rotten eggs laying in wait, two; there are no arguements about who got more, and three; I can make sure that each special treat I bought or made will go to the right child.

Cottage Arbor

Cottage Arbor

When my husband and I bought our house, the buildings were a mess, they were all painted white, with barn red trim. It was really bad. This building had an old rusted medal awning over it. My husband and I like to use recycled wood when ever we get the chance, this great arbor is one of those opportunities.

We made th arbor and railings completely out of recycled wood, not only does it look great, but we feel as though we saved several trees in the process.

When you're looking for a semi-easy out door project, think about a new arbor.

Fence Bench

Fence Bench

Need extra seating in your yard? Don't run out and buy and expensive one. You can easily make one.

This bench is made from an old pallet. My husband cut the pallet in half and used both parts , one for the Back, and one for the seat. He added a small table in the middle with a removable top. The bench itself is attached to the fence. I love to sit in the yard and just watch nature. This bench is the perfect way to do just that.

(sorry about the picture, it was taken during a snow storm)

Framed Fabric

Framed Fabric

I have a unique way to create a great wall hanging while using up that scrap fabric that you love but don't know what to do with it.

This fabric was originally designed as a three panel. My husband stretched the fabric onto some canvus and framed it like you would any other picture.

This wall hanging is so easy you could make it in less than an hour (minus the frame). Not to mention, with all the great fabric out there skies the limit when it comes to pattern and color.

Pool Shark Etched Mirror

Pool Shark Etched Mirror

If your husband or wife is anything like mine, then you have to contend with a pool playing fenam. What do you get for someone like that? I have the perfect gift idea. Etching glass is really pretty simple. All you need is a great picture and an etching tool. Once you've etched the picture onto your mirror, spray the back with the paint of your choice, then frame it.

This particular frame was made from left over snap-together flooring. Recycling is so easy and can be done with just about anything.

Harley Shelf

Harley Shelf

My brother-In-Law moved home after many-many years of living in Las Vegas. He has a fondness for all things Harley. When he needed a shelf for all his stuff, he came to my husband and I for help. After a long thought process, my husband came up with this shelf. The whole thing was made from recycled wood, and some old paint we had laying around the workshop. All in all the whole project cost maybe $3.00. My Brother-In-Law loves his new Harley addition and we feel like we did something good for the environment.

Don't Bench that Bench

Don't Bench that Bench

A couple of years ago, my husband received a couple of Iron bench sides from a friend, for years those bench parts sat in a corner of our livingroom. One day, my husband decided to put the bench together, he used recycled wood to build the seat and back. We now have a great bench that will last for many years to come, and we helped to save a tree or two in the process. Recycling is easy and you can do it without much work at all. I hope this inspires you to find something in your home that can get a new life.

Reader's Digest Revamp

Reader's Digest Revamp

If you're like the rest of us, you have millions of magazines laying around the house. I have no idea what to do with the old magazines that I buy, but I don't want to throw them away either. I have a great way to use up those old reader's Digest magazines that would make a great gift.

Take the magazine and open it to the middle. Glue the pages together on each side of the book, making sure to roll a couple of the corners up. Once the glue is dry, paint the book gold, and attach a poem or romantic saying. If you put it on a book stand, it looks great and best of all you have done your part in the recycling game.

Carousel Mirror

Carousel Mirror

When it comes to Christmas and Birthday's, I have always made a special gift for my loved ones. It gets hard to come up with new ideas every time. One of the projects my husband and I have started doing is glass etching. It's pretty simple to etch glass either with etching cream or with an electric etcher. We have taken the etching a step further and began etching on the back of mirrors. It looks great and you can personalize any one of them to fit your needs. This Carousel Horse is one of our finished projects. Give it a try, it's easy.

Bread Dough Clay

Bread Dough "Clay"

Don't throw away that stale bread, turn it into a masterpiece!
If you take a piece of stale white bread, take the crust off i and tear it into small pieces, then add a tablespoon of white glue to it, you can have a pretty great clay of sorts.
When you're mixing the glue into the bread, it looks pretty gooey and sticky, but if you keep mixing, it gets more solid and clay like, at this point you can add a few drops of paint to change the color. You can make just about anything with this clay that you can make with any other clay. Give it a try, if nothing else, you've learned a new craft technique.

Framed

Framed

Making a picture frame is pretty easy. Depending on the style you're looking for. Some frames look great without any decoration at all, and some need a little something to fit in. When you go to the store to buy a frame, you're looking at spending quite a bit of money. I don't know about you, but I have a hard time being separated from my money. Especially if I don't think the thing I'm buying is worth the price tag.

My husband and I are avid recyclers. We have an unspoken rule; if we can make it, we don't buy it! We needed picture frames in our new house, so instead of buying them, we made them. Now all the frames in our house match. Here is one of the frames we made. All you need is; scrap wood, a router, sand paper, and wood stain.

Use your imagination, and skies the limit!

Wood Burning Is Fun

Wood Burning Is Fun

When you're looking for a recycling idea, you might want to give wood burning a try. Wood burning is easy and quite fun to do. Some people say that the smell of the wood burning smells like popcorn. The only thing you have to keep in mind is that the fumes can cause headaches if you breath it in for a long period of time. To avoid headaches, just do the burning outside or in a room with a fan.

This wonderful wood burning is an example of the beautiful results you can receive with just a little bit of patience and dedication (since this "sofa sized" picture took over 60 hours to burn).

Don't let trying something new intimidate you, Wood burning is just as easy as coloring a picture with crayons, except the "crayons" are 900 degrees. Get out there and BURN!

Hunting Eagle

Hunting Eagle

Recycling is easy! All it takes is an idea. Anyone can recycle, and just about anything can be recycled. This wood burning is an example of one of those ideas I was talking about. The backing that this burning is done on is door skin, the frame is made from recycled wood. All you need is a drawing and a wood burner. When you're finished with your masterpiece, you can proudly hang it on the wall or give it as a gift, all the while knowing that you have done something good for the environment.

Trust me, once you start recycling, you begin to look at the things around you very differently. It's very empowering to know that you can do your part however small it is.

"Harley" Bench

"Harley" Bench

Got a man garage? Consider making this great bench. One day, one of my husband's friends asked him to come up with a bench for her husband's "Man Garage", she was very specific about what she was looking for. "It has to hold shoes" she said. "Plus, it has to be a "Harley" bench" she added.

My husband went right to work making this bench. It turned out great! It made a great addition to his friends man garage, and best of all, the wood was all recycled!