Recycle Craft: Reclaimed Floor Tile Trivets

Last weekend we here at Sine Metu Designs sponsored a free make-and-take demo at the 4th annual EcoChic Craftacular which featured local artists and artisans who have an eco-friendly spin to their art, crafts, and business practices.  The event is sponsored by Etsy Team Columbus, a collaboration of local indie artists, and of which I'm proud to be a member!  The Team worked very hard to bring the community this fantastic event and it was a huge success:  raising $1000 for the Whetstone Community Center, $250 for two local animal shelters, ADOPT Pet Rescue and Colony Cats and Dogs, and $100 for a local Arts foundation, all serving Columbus-area and Central Ohio.

In the spirit of being eco-friendly, we chose an arts & craft project that made use of reclaimed building materials--which are often in ready supply this time of year as folks get to work with home renovation projects. The reclaimed tile we used I found for free on FreeCycle, which I continue to mention often because it's such a great recycling resource.  

We transformed reclaimed ceramic floor tile (ours are 9-inch by 9-inch) into artsy trivets in a few easy steps, then showed all who cared to learn how to do the same; then we went wild with the enamel paints and produced some functional masterpieces!

Supplies:  Reclaimed tile, cork or felt, spray adhesive, thin quick-tack glue such as super glue or jewelry glue, wooden furniture buttons (optional), enamel acrylic paint for ceramic or "patio" grade acrylic and brushes, Sharpie or permanent marker (optional) and clear spay sealant (optional, but recommended).

First, we removed as much grout as possible from the tiles, using a pair of channel lock-style pliers to remove the line of grout along the edges.  The way these pliers "bite" provide a lot of torque, and it's very easy to snap the grout right off the edge, whereas it was impossible to do so with the bare hand.  Thanks to my hubby for always knowing which tool to use!

Next, I trimmed a pice of cork to the size of the tile.  I purchased a roll of thin cork with a self-adhesive sticker-back at Hobby Lobby for less than $5 and it was enough to make more than a half dozen trivets and several coasters.  If preferred, simple craft felt can be used and adhered to the back with spray adhesive.

To add "feet" to the trivet (optional) I used a thin layer of jewelry glue to adhere round-top wooden furniture buttons to the corners of my tile after I attached my cork.  You can find wooden furniture buttons in the woodworking aisle of craft stores such as Hobby Lobby or at the hardware store--they are used to cover cam-screw holes and are inexpensive.  I purchased a pack of 30 for $1.47 at Hobby Lobby.

Once the feet have dried, you can flip over and begin to paint! Because of the sealant glaze, I recommend ceramic paint or "patio" grade acrylic paint as it's more permanent than general-purpose craft paint.  If you plan to use the tile as a garden marker or step stone, or as an actual trivet for hot pots and pans, you want a more durable finish to take weathering and scratching.  If the tile is strictly decorative, it likely doesn't matter.

Get your inspiration and plan your painting.  If using enamel, you can't just "wipe-off" if you mess up, so draw carefully.  I outlined my images in Sharpie.  A couple layers of paint will cover the marker, or you can use permanent marker to add fine details over the dry painting.

With enamel, build your painting in layers. You can add light colors over dark colors if you let the bottom layer dry first.  It is better to apply two coats of thin layers to build up blocks of color than to try to glob on one thick coat.  You can also paint the sides of the tile for a more finished look.

When the paint is dry and you're finished with your design, spray with a clear glaze or sealant, let dry, and repeat.

Other ideas:  Make a bold geometric print by spraying with a textured spray paint (pictured, hammered copper) and paint acrylic lines in a complementary color when dry (I used cobalt blue enamel).

Make a chalk board server and tell your guests exactly what they're eating by painting several layers of chalkboard paint over the tile.

Let your kid go nuts with the paint for a recycled art experience!

Try some garden tile markers, like the below "Avi & Daddy's Garden" we made.

Tutorial: Recycled Cereal Box into Hanging File Tote

As part of my goal to de-clutter our desk-area work station, I found myself in need of some type of "pending" receptacle to hold things like appointment and event reminders, bills that need paid, and other things that need attention or filed in their permanent place within the week.

I've mentioned before that I keep quite a stock of would-be household "trash" on hand for recycled arts & crafts projects, including cereal boxes.  I just scored a pretty blue framed pin-board with a built-in shelf from FreeCycle.  I thought having a little hanging file directly underneath in a complementary color scheme would be great, and because the desk-space real estate is too precious to be spared, moving organizational tools to the wall really makes sense here.

--->  FreeCycle is a recycling Yahoo group on which members post things they'd like to get rid of that are still perfectly usable and other members can get those things for free if they want them.  It's like Craigslist "free" section, but without as many spammers and no-show-ers.  The goal is to get things out of the hands of people who don't want them and into the hands of those that do instead of those things ending up in the landfill and others buying new. Visit www.FreeCycle.org to find your city.


So a family-sized empty box of Kix became the backbone of this easy one-hour-or-less project.  These are so simple and functional and could be used as pending, "to-do" or "to-file" totes, or in the entryway to store permission slips or other kids' paperwork that needs attention, or as a "take me with you" tote to hold things like small library books, coupons or other things you want to be sure to take with you the next morning.  It's lightweight and yet rather durable. And you can't beat the price!  FREE with things on hand.

Step 1-remove side panel.

You'll need:
A cereal box of the desired size
5 sheets of 12 X 12 scrapbook paper
pencil, scissors, glue, ruler
ribbon
hole punch

Make It:

1.  Carefully cut one side panel from the cereal box, starting at the open top and down to the formed end.  Do not pull open the glued bottom end, and be as  to cut on the edges as possible, you'll want to use this piece later and you don't want your opening jagged.  Then hot-glue the top (opened) flap of the cereal box closed.

Step 2- wrap paper around each side.

2.  Select two pieces of 12 X 12 paper for the sides panels.  Since the box was greater than 12-inches wide I needed some overlap onto the front/rear panels because one sheet wouldn't be wide enough to cover the box.  Wrapping the paper around the side takes care of the gap problem.  Holding the paper flush with the bottom edge, wrap around the side corners until about even on the front/back.  Crease the folds by running your fingers over the box edges.  Extend the crease to the edge of the paper as these will be cut-lines next step.  Carefully glue down the paper in place.  I used hot-glue for the whole project, but regular paper glue would work too, just give yourself ample time between steps to let it dry.




 3.  Cut the extending paper down the creases,



and fold over into the box, gluing in place.








4.  Repeat on both sides.

Box at end of step 4

Front and rear panel in place.

5.  Now take the sheet of paper that will be the front panel, center it, line it up with the bottom of the box and glue it in place.  Fold the overhang into the box and glue down. Repeat in back.

6.  If you would like to cover the side panel that will be the bottom of your tote, use the side panel cut in step 1 to trace onto another sheet.  You can skip this if the bottom will not be seen, but keep in mind even if you hang it eye-level or lower, when you sit down, you might still see the bottom.

Trace cut side to make bottom paper cover.

Measure and mark.

7.  Measure where you would like the handles to be and mark them in pencil on the front and back panels.  Make sure to use the same measurements.  For this box I used 4-inches from the side edges and 1-inch from the top edge.

8.  Punch holes where you marked using hole or rotary punch.

Punch

9.  Cut two pieces of ribbon the same length.  Decide how long you want it to hang first to plan how long your pieces should be.  I used 24-inches.  Tie a double knot large enough so it won't go through the punched holes from step 8 at the end of one piece of ribbon.  Feed it from the inside of the box through the hole to the outside, then back into the inside in the other hole.  Tie another knot.  Repeat on the rear panel.  Trim ribbon ends to look nice.  Use pinking sheers if fraying is a problem.

10.  Now you can hang your organizer!  You can print a label for it simply on Word, or use a label from my template HERE.  Just change the text to be whatever you need by downloading a copy.

Enoy!

Recycled Jet Pack--- Woosh!

I nicked this idea off Pinterest.  I don't know where it came from, because the link from Pinterest was to someone else who said she found the idea on Pinterest!  And I LOVE Pinterest! If you don't "do" Pinterest... well, what's wrong with you!? No seriously, you'll love it too, and probably spend an inordinate amount of time browsing through all the fabulous ideas you can glean from the collective "oh that's cool" findings from around the world.  I have ferreted away a plethora of good ideas for how to entertain my soon-to-be four-year-old:  educational, just for fun, seasonal artsy-crafty projects, rainy day projects and more.

Among these, The Jet Pack!  Two empty Coke 2-liter bottles (or any matching-shaped pair) painted silver (I just used a couple coats of a silver acrylic I had on hand, the version I saw was spray-painted), some ribbon for the straps (or you could maybe use lengths of duct tape, folded over on itself so the sticky part is internal), some craft felt for the flames (the idea I saw used crepe paper or streamer rolls, but I didn't have this, and I imagine Avi would tear the delicate paper fairly quickly zooming around) and hot glue.  The idea is to use things you have on hand, so improvise--it's a recycle craft!

DIY Natural Citrus-Boost Cleaner-- Orange peel cured vinegar!

As I've mentioned before, we've been transitioning to a more home-made household, using natural and homemade concoctions in place of (expensive and chemical-laden) consumer goods.  We've been using our homemade  laundry detergent for a month now and LOVE it!  It gets the job done just as well as name brand and better than generic cheap brands.  We've even passed it out to some friends and the report is the same--effective and clean-smelling.  Plus it's crazy cheap.  Less than a penny per load cheap.

I've also been using plain white vinegar as a natural rinse aid in the dishwasher (I'd love to try the homemade version of dishwasher detergent too, but having trouble finding the needed citric acid) and have had just as clean results as commercial JetDry (or generic).  No, the dishes don't end up smelling like vinegar after the load is finished, but you can smell it for a bit if you're standing by the dishwasher when it hits the rinse cycle.

 So when I came across the idea to citrus-boost plain white vinegar for a natural cleaner, I was excited to try it in the dishwasher too!

It's easy to make your own:  simply let orange peels "cure" in plain white vinegar for a couple weeks.  The ratio of orange to vinegar isn't critical--the more orange peel, the more orangey your solution will be.  That's up to you.  I recommend peeling a "snake" with a paring knife so it coils nicely in a mason jar (as I have done, pictured).  You can peel it by hand too, of course, but be sure not to put any of the sugary fruit flesh in the solution lest you have to worry about making your cleaning agent sticky.

After the orange peel sits in the vinegar for awhile (a couple weeks or so, again, not critical) strain the solution and viola--you have a natural citrus-oil-boosted cleaning agent.  You can dilute with water in a spray bottle for a general all-purpose cleaner (about 1:4 vinegar to water) AND you can pour straight into the rinse aid compartment of the dishwasher for natural JetDry.

If you have mason jars or other glass jars hanging around (I save glass jars from grocery products too--like pasta sauces, etc., just pop in the dishwasher to clean and ALWAYS save the lid!) then every time you peel an orange (or try another citrus--grapefruit? Lemon? Lime?) you can pop the peel in an empty jar and fill it with vinegar (we buy ours cheap in a giant, hulking container, so we always have this on hand) and you have a fresh batch in the queue.  I slapped a piece of masking tape on my jar that said "orange-vinegar, 11/25" which is the date I should take the orange peel out.  Not so pretty but terribly utilitarian.  Then I stuck it on a shelf in the laundry room.

Of course, if you use white vinegar for salad dressing recipes, you could maybe try the citrus-vinegar in that too!?  Just a thought.

No-Sew Frilly Scarf (recycled T-shirt) TUTORIAL

These frilly accessory scarves are popping up all over, and they're super easy and unthinkably cheap to make one for yourself.  It's a great way to score a fashionable piece by recycling an unloved jersey T-shirt--either your own or you can nab one from a thrift store for less than a couple bucks.  It takes about 30 minutes of your time or less (it took me a half an hour, even with pausing to take photos for the tutorial, though I was using a thin piece of tee).

Materials:
1.  standard jersey knit tee, sizes XL or larger work best for a fuller scarf, or use a couple mediums (even in different colors if you like).  You can plain white tees and dye them any shade you like, or just use a tee in the color you want for your scarf.
2.  Circular object to trace, such as a plate.  Smaller circles will give you more narrow frills, while larger circles will give deeper frills.
3.  Washable marker or fabric pencil to trace circles onto fabric.
4.  Scissors

That's it!  Ready?  You won't believe how simple this is.  The best part, no perfection is needed for any step and no sewing either--jersey doesn't fray and when you pull it taught the unfinished edges roll so you won't even see any imperfections from the cutting!

Instructions:

1.  Lay your tee out flat.  I used a sleeveless PJ tank.  Cut up a side seam so you have a long strip of fabric.  If you have sleeves, you can cut those off.

2.  With your fabric laid flat, use your plate and marker to trace as many circles as will fit on your tee.  I folded the cloth in half so for each circle I traced and cut, I got two, halving my cut time.

3.  It's best to end up with an even number, but cut as many as possible, just in case you mess one up.  Then collect your circles and set aside your scraps (but don't discard yet, you'll need a piece later). Since my tee was mostly white with a bit of graphic, the scarf is mostly white with a little pop of color.  Below--my cut circles. I got 12 circles of about 7" diameter.

4.  Cut each circle into a spiral.  You can dot the back for a guide, but it's perfectly easy enough to freehand your spiral since it doesn't need to be perfect anyway.  The photo is just a guide, and the only one I drew out a spiral.  Once you get the hang of it, stack some circles and do them all at once to save time.  With the super-thin weight of this tee, I cut 4 at a time.  I cut the spiral about 2 inches wide.  Wider and you will have deeper ruffles.  Thinner, and you have tighter frills.  Your choice.  I think I like the wider ones better, but since I was just using small circles and lightweight material, the thin ones were more appropriate.

5.  Once you have your spirals, with one end in one hand, gently stretch the strip straight by running your other hand down the entire strip and letting it bounce back a couple times.  You'll see it ruffle and the ends roll.  It should also lengthen considerably.  Don't over-stretch though or you'll decrease the bounce of your ruffles.

6.  Next, gather all your strips neatly in one hand with all the pointy tails (the part of the spiral that was outer-most) together.  Count them, and separate them into two even groups.  If you have an oddball, pull it out.  Then "mate" each tail in one group to another and double-knot it with a simple knot.

7.  Take a piece of scrap tee, wrap the bundle of knots and tie this to give it a more finished look.

8.  Your scarf is pretty much done.  You can add things to it (like a flower pin, buttons, or any other little embellishments) or leave it as it is.  Tie it in a knot or two in front of you and let the frilly ruffles dangle.  It's machine washable, so if you can see any of your marker tracings you can wash these out, or dye the scarf if you wish.

Stack it with a tee and a jacket or whatever you like!