Tutorial - Turn Old Damaged Books into a Knife Block

Recycled books and bamboo skewers keep your knives sharp

Tutorial at A Crafty Mix Blog

"A few weeks ago Kimm from Reinvented posted a picture on Pinterest of a knife block made from a few books and I fell in love. It was so gorgeous and unique and I had to make one for our kitchen. Just gluing the books together didn’t work to well for us though. I found that some of our knives tore the pages. Probably because I use those knives as screw drivers when I’m to lazy to fetch the real thing Cleaning the knife block was also a bit of a problem. Those sharp knife points keep popping out the bottom and stabbing me. Long story short we had to make some changes to accommodate our bent, all purpose knives. If you’re keen to make one here’s how we did it using old damaged books, skewers and plywood"....Read more

Tutorial - How to Make a No-Sew Beach Cover Up

Breezy and cute cover up you can whip up in minutes

Tutorial at Creative Homemaking Blog

"The beach season is getting close for me, I made plans to have a little trip with Ellie end of this month. And I realized I don’t really have anything to wear at the beach. I don’t particularly like to run around the pool or the beach in my swimming suit so I needed something . Something that is super easy to make and doesn’t requires sewing. I also wanted something cool, with a beachy, breezy, laid back feeling. And so I made a no sew beach cover up".... Read more

Tutorial - Hanging Storage for a Flexible Hose

Simple, inexpensive, space efficient solution
 
Tutorial at Happier than a Pig in Mud Blog

"I've been looking at these flexible hoses for a while now and was even more interested when I saw there is/was(?) a bucket that hangs over the faucet to store it in. The bucket only seems to be on Ebay these days and sells for big bucks. I knew there had to be another idea... Now, in a perfect world this little basket would be white. But this is ~my~ world and sometimes I just have to make do for now".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make Map Table Mats

Spark conversation at the diner table reminiscing about previous holidays and city trips

Tutorial at Pillar Box Blue Blog

"Whenever I go on a city break I always come home with a handbag full of free maps. I can’t resist them even on a day trip to Brighton, which I know really well I still put one of the free maps at the station in my handbag. I don’t even need the maps to find my way round a city as there’s an app on my phone for that. But I love the paper maps, I love looking at them working out wherever thing is in relation to each other. Maps are my favourite free souvenir".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make Junk Style Wall Art

Use a variety of re-purposed items for lettering

Tutorial at Repurposing Junkie Blog

"A few days ago I saw an awesome project by Jess at Make and Do Crew, and I fell in love with this DIY letterpress wall art, and just had to try making one of my very own, junk style though, similar to my other project.  I went looking around our house, pulling together whatever I could find.  I was on a mission to spell out the word “BATH,” and found everything I needed from my repurposing stash".... Read more

Tutorial - Repurpose Game Pieces for a Dollhouse

Ideas for using game pieces in a miniature dollhouse as accessories and decor

Tutorial at Shades of Tangerine Blog

"Calico Critter house DIYs was the most popular search for my blog in 2015.  This post is all about doing just that with pieces from board games. Last night Patrick and I took my niece to this adorable toy store downtown called Poor Richard's.  As you can probably imagine, she loved everything about it and, in the expected two-year old fashion, wanted all of the toys. Thankfully, we avoided a meltdown when she found this charming little bunny Calico Critter and named it Ewok. Now, she's only two so I doubt she has any idea what an Ewok is. I most likely misunderstood her trying to say something else, but the name Ewok is going to stick because it's funny".... Read more

Tutorial - Repurpose a Spice Rack for Craft Storage

Quick fix for craft tool organization

Tutorial at Nanny Craft 4 U Blog

"Some time ago now, I picked up this Spice Rack – nothing exceptional but I was sure I could make good use of it, so today I am going to re-purpose a spice rack. I thought I would get Poppy to paint it white for me, so while he was off doing that I got thinking!  After searching through the kitchen cupboards, I discovered that I could fit four glass tumblers neatly in the rack.  I thought of covering them with fabric or even contact but was looking for a faster, more simple solution – why not try aluminum foil".... Read more

Tutorial - Miniatures from Dollar Store Party Favors

Repurpose party favors for a doll house

Tutorial at Shades of Tangerine Blog

"The Dollar Tree is one of my absolute favorite places for crafty little projects. The appeal for me is one part price and two parts challenge.  Re-purposing is my craft of choice - and the dollar store has no shortage of little trinkets to embellish and transform.  Inspiration for today's post was found in the baby shower aisle.  Alongside the pastel plates and banners, you will find a collection of teeny tiny favors - perfect for making miniatures".... Read more

Tutorial - Repurpose a Basket into a Serving Tray

Paint, fabric, and a stencil transform a basket into an attractive tray

Tutorial at Borei by Design Blog

"I'm all about upcycling.  I was upcycling & repurposing WAY before upcycling & repurposing was cool. There's all kinds of diamonds in the rough out there just waiting to be discovered at yard sales and thrift stores. There is nothing I enjoy more than the challenge of taking someone's castoff and turning it into a unique and cherished treasure.  Serving trays make a fantastic decorative item. You can top a tray with a stack of vintage books, figurines, small vase with flower or wherever your imagination takes you to make an interesting coffee table or other display. I've been wanting to do a decorative tray for a while".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make a Mini Scrapbook with CDs

Turn a pile of old CDs into a cute mini scrapbook

Tutorial at Joyful Daisy Blog

"I just love making mini scrapbooks!  I think part of the appeal is that I can complete one in an afternoon where as my other albums are always a work in process.  I also love projects with a theme so that I can dive into all of the related embellishments!  Lastly, I love giving mini albums as a gift.  Anyone that has done this, knows just how delighted the happy recipient is to see themselves or some of their favorite people featured in their own mini book :)  This book for instance, I know my mom would love since it features all of her grandchildren enjoying a day at the beach together, however, I love it too and don’t know if I can bare to part with it!  It is quite simple to do and quite sturdy since the CD’s form the base so it can handle lots of wear and tear. Let’s see how this is done so you can whip up one yourself".... Read more

Tutorial - Recycle a Soda Can into a Vase

Easy re-purpose with many possibilities

Tutorial at Muslin and Merlot Blog

"Turn soda cans into cups or vases! You will need: empty soda can(s), can opener, spray paint and greenery (optional) Run the can opener round the mouth of the can, just like you're opening any other can. Wash away any soda residue. If you're using the can as a cup, presto! You're already done".... Read more

Tutorial - How to RePurpose a Glass Cupboard Door for Picture Display

Command Strips that are like Velcro work for hanging

Tutorial at I am Only 1 Woman Blog

"I love to refinish furniture and recently I redid a china Cabinet to store a little fabric in: The only problem was I had 2 doors that I no longer needed and didn't know what to do with them for sure, until I had the idea to turn them into a picture display.  So I went about painting them with my favorite paint sprayer.  I kept the original handles on the cupboards because I love the way they look, but I did spray pain them silver instead of the yucky old brass color".... Read more

Tutorial - Make a Ring Holder with a Door Knob

Upcycled ring holder made with a glass or metal drawer knob

Tutorial at Mich L. in L.A. Blog

"I bet you have a random drawer knob someplace.  (It's probably in a random drawer.)  Wanna make a ring holder?  Here's the DIY.  Make a loop on the end of some craft wire, 22 gauge or thicker. (Anything thinner is too floppy".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make a Nook Book Holder

Nook holder made from with an old book

Tutorial at Maiden Jane Blog

"My daughter, whose room is stacked floor to ceiling (literally) with books, was adamantly opposed to any type of e-reader. I think it was a matter of principle, and I understand that. She had started reading some library books on her Ipod. We use Overdrive to read and/or listen to selections from our libraries. But she had mentioned that while reading books in her loft bed at night the light was too bright for her roommate. When I saw a $39 Nook deal before Christmas, I thought it would be a nice gift for her. Just something she could load some books on for those middle-of-the-night-can't-sleep reads. There was one problem, I didn't know that the basic Nook required lighting. Problem not solved. So she upgraded her Nook to one that has adjustable lighting. She didn't get one with online access, so she still needs to hook it up to her computer to transfer files to it. But she likes it".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Knit with a Rainbow Loom

Repurpose a loom to make knitted patches

Tutorial at Green Issues by Agy Blog

"Have any of your kids caught onto the Rainbow Loom craze? My son got a Rainbow Loom from his relatives staying in America. We initially didn't know what it was until he got the package and eagerly read the instructions. It is a basically a weaving loom made of pegs and that comes with a crochet-like hook. You weave small rubber bands onto the loom to make bracelets and necklaces. From what I have seen on Youtube, if you put your mind to it, you can even make key chains and even a bag!  It is addictive, but I am not so keen on the usage of rubber bands. I was also thinking what would happen to this loom once the craze was over".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Repurpose a Headboard into an Idea Board

Scroll down from the top of this blog to get to the tutorial

Idea Board Tutorial at Crafts a la Mode Blog

"What to do with an old twin bed headboard? Why, turn it into a blog inspiration board, of course. I’ve seen some headboards turned into different things and I wanted to see what I could do with an old headboard also.  I had an old bed headboard so I spray painted it and then went to town decorating it.  I don’t have a picture of the original headboard. Darn. Well, here is the finished product. I think you’ll be able to see the headboard in back of all the embellishments I’ve done".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make a Pencil Ring

Simple tutorial for making a ring from a colored pencil

Pencil Ring Tutorial at Shades of Tangerine Blog

"This tutorial is the result of a project I participated in from ArtHouse Co-op called #RandomSpark.  Hundreds of people submitted creative prompts via Twitter for a mystery project.  Each prompt (along with the suggester's Twitter name) was printed on a card and sent to another participant with a free colored pencil  (my color: Spring Bud) from Michaels.  After creating something special with the prompt and pencil, the participants were encouraged to post a photo of their masterpiece on Twitter for the world to see.  The inspirational prompt on my card was 'Recycle', so I recycled the colored pencil".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make a Spice Caddy

Use recycled/repurposed materials to make this attractive caddy
 
Spice Caddy Tutorial at Miss P Blog

"I'd had this project in mind for a while and had gathered all the bits together a few weeks back. The babyfood jars I got locally via Freecycle. The wood laminate box is actually an old DVD holder. It had plastic strips glued inside it to create the slots for the DVDs to slide into. I simply removed these and I was left with a simple, if a bit plain, box that conveniently held all my babyfood jars".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make a Temporary Earring Back

Quick fix for a lost earring back

This easy solution came to me yesterday at the office, when I found  the earring back missing from one of my earrings.  To make this temporary earring back, you need a pencil eraser, a thumb tack, and something to take a slice of the eraser with - for example the razor blade I have in my desk drawer.  The blade was left from the previous occupant of my desk, and I've found it handy for opening reams of paper, cutting through boxes, and now, making earring backs.  The process is self-expanatory, but here are the steps anyway:

• take a thin slice of the eraser
• poke a hole in the center of the slice with a thumbtack
• voila, instant earring back!

My hair is chin length, so you can't see the back when I wear it.  If you have very short hair, this fix may not be for you.  Not pretty, but it may keep a favorite earring from getting lost until you can get a replacement.

Tutorial - How to Make a T-Shirt Infinity Scarf

Repurpose a T-shirt into a fashion forward scarf

Infinity Scarf Tutorial at In The Loop Blog

"When it comes to t-shirts, I’m a bit of a sentimental hoarder. All of my t-shirts from clubs, teams, committees, sorority events — I keep them all. Now there is no way one person can wear that many t-shirts, so I’ve grown accustomed to re-purposing my shirts into other items. I’ve made a t-shirt quilt, a t-shirt halter top, and a t-shirt flower dress. With my never-ending love for scarves, I don’t know why I haven’t thought to make a t-shirt scarf before now".... Read more