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This blog post has inspired me to start going through my closets and the shed to see what I could recycle/reuse that's been tossed in a corner and forgotten.
Got any ideas to share on repurposing? I think I'll start small and tackle the plastic bottle kayak another time LOL. :)
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I recently sewed a set of curtains for my guest/all purpose room out of a flat sheet and 2 pillowcases. The material was pretty, but 70%!!! polyester (could not stand it on my skin) It matched the room well enough and I needed curtains for that room anyway. I was pleased. I also have started using stained cloth and old cotton T shirts as rags because I stopped buying paper towels and paper napkins. I had a sheer white 100% polyester curtain panel that I cut up and sewed into reuseable produce bags, so now I no longer use those thin plastic bags for produce that the grocery stores supply. It is sheer enough that the cashiers can still see the stickers and tags on the produce. I bought it for just that purpose at my local Good Will store for 1 dollar. And no, I do not have a sewing machine (yet). I just used scissors, needle, pins, and thread!
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Nice to meet you mariarose, welcome! :) I really like the produce bag idea. It's such a waste to fill those bags for about an hour and then throw them out when you empty them at home. Great tip!
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Hey there, mariarose. Welcome to savingtools. :) I couldn't sleep on 70% polyester sheeets either LOL. It's making me itchy just thinking about them. That's a good idea to use the pillowcases as well as the sheet for curtains.
I have a spare room with two windows that are less than a foot deep. I bet pillowcases would be an ideal size for them! There's nothing on them just now apart from blinds. Thanks for the idea. I hope we see you hanging out with us more. :)
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They would be perfect for my bathroom window too. It's small and square. High enough that nobody can see in so my husband said it didn't need anything on it. I'm paranoid though LOL. I don't like it bare anyway.
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They would be perfect for my bathroom window too. It's small and square. High enough that nobody can see in so my husband said it didn't need anything on it. I'm paranoid though LOL. I don't like it bare anyway.
I can see why you would be. There must be hundreds of twelve foot tall peeping toms in your neighborhood. ROFL! :P
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Hey!! LOL. They could bring a ladder with them you know. Okay, now I sound crazy even to myself so I'll stop typing. No more sharing my worries with you! ;) I'm going to get me a pillowcase. :)
mariarose, I'm impressed that you do all that by hand too.
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Thanks everyone. I am very happy to have found you.
Now I have a used sewing machine, and I do like it, but I miss sitting in front of a DVD and handsewing. It was an evening ritual!!!
A friend took me out to eat 2 nights ago, and I tried some sort of seafood concoction on a scallop shell. I wrapped the shell very, very well in paper napkins, brought it home and scrubbed it in bleach water and detergent. Now I have a very pretty seashell for a spoonrest next to my hot plate and crockpot. Very pleased with it!!! It is just the right size for my small counter.
I like the idea of using cloth bags for gift wrapping. Great idea for fabric that I do not want for clothes or towel/napkin/kleenex replacers but are too pretty for cleaning rags. Fantastic!!!
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Thanks everyone, I am very happy to have found you!
I now have a used sewing machine, but I miss the handsewing. It was an evening ritual to sit and sew while watching a DVD.
2 nights ago, a friend took me to a restaurant that was serving seafood. I tried a dish that was some sort of seafood mix glopped onto a scallop shell. I brought it home, and scrubbed it with detergent and bleach. Now I have a very pretty seashell for a spoon rest next to my hot plate and crockpot. It is the perfect size for my small counter, and I have pleasant memories of my evening out with my friend every time I cook!
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Hi mariarose, I'm pleased to meet you. Welcome aboard. :) I'm trying to think of anything I reuse. Apart from t-shirts being reincarnated as dusters, that's about it. Oh and grocery bags as small trash can liners.
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A friend took me out to eat 2 nights ago, and I tried some sort of seafood concoction on a scallop shell. I wrapped the shell very, very well in paper napkins, brought it home and scrubbed it in bleach water and detergent. Now I have a very pretty seashell for a spoonrest next to my hot plate and crockpot. Very pleased with it!!! It is just the right size for my small counter.
I wish I had read this a few days back! We went for Chinese and I had some mussells that had giant shells. It never occurred to me to take them with me. Thanks for the idea! Nice to meet you. :)
I've used fabric as wrapping before. In fact I have a trash bag that's half full with all kinds of scrap material in it that I'm always going to do something with.Someday. LOL.
I've made little drawstring bags like that too. Mine were easier to make because I didn't do the gusset thing they described there. I just cut a rectangle, hemmed the two short ends, (leaving space open to thread the ribbon through for the drawstring), folded it in half -wrong side out - so the hemmed ends were together at the top, stitched the other sides together to form the bag, turned the bag inside out so the right side was showing, and threaded the ribbon through both of the top seams.
The bags are handy for small gifts and you can make bigger versions too to put bath stuff in. You can pick up offcuts for pennies too at any fabric store or department. Easy. :)