T-shirts

Many of my t-shirts are no longer wearable and are just taking up way too space in my bedroom. Some of the things I've done with t-shirts in the past include making  a beach blanket (cut the best front or back with a 12" x 12" cardboard template and stitch together), t-shirt yarn (which I used to crochet a bath mat), and rag curlers. This time though I took the simple route and just cut a shirt into shop rags which I'll use for applying dye, dusting before adding a finish coat, or to clean up spills.

There are many books and websites devoted to making new fashions from old t-shirts, so think twice before you pitch those shirts away.

Wasting Things

This is my reply to a blog post I read on Livejournal:

I've always been a hoarder, maker, and re-user of things.  In fact I really had to bite my tongue when my boyfriend's mom said she had just thrown away all the decorative pinecones she bought for Christmas.  There are so many uses for pinecones. And don't get me started on what a waste cutting down trees for xmas is.  So I vowed this year to always plant a tree for Christmas.  I'm going to plant a pomegranate tree this year as soon as I can afford one.  Maybe they will grow from the seeds.  I'll have to find out.
Our idiot landlord chopped down the only tree that shaded 4 apt. yards. Why? Because the neighbors whined and moaned that they had to rake up leaves. This summer they will fry and spend a fortune on air conditioning because their apts. are no longer shaded. But the owners of the building that complained the most don't even live here. They'll be in their posh home in San Diego under their air conditioners while we are all melting.
I just bought a new webcam when I had a perfectly good one already. Why? Because the old one is obsolete and won't work with this computer. Such a waste.  At least now the Goodwill's take electronic waste (anything with a cord or batteries).  You can't legally throw those things in a dumpster in CA, but every day when I drive down the alley I see TV's and monitors and radios and all kinds of that stuff by the dumpsters.  So at least in Anaheim it's being ignored.  People are too lazy to even walk across the street to the Goodwill to dump their old electronics. How sad is that?

Arrow Hook or Rake Made From a Broken Arrow

If you are an archer, you know that sooner or later every arrow you have is either going to get lost or broken.  Some can be fixed and some can't. So my boyfriend and his friend Sal started making arrow hooks out of broken arrows to be used to retrieve arrows lost in deep grass or up in trees or shrubs. I wrote a bit on it here: http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/40734/master/1/?page=1

One of the arrow hooks is made out of a trashed aluminum arrow. The other one was made from bamboo.

Arrow Hook or Rake by Guy Taylor of Greenman Archery

Belly Dancing Costumes

I need to inventory all my belly dance costumes.  Then I can repurpose things into other things.  Like old veils that are too worn to use can be gleaned for fabric to make hair scarves, belly covers, and sleeves.
Belly dancing coins can be cut off and added to new costumes. Broken barrettes can be repaired or the beads and trim can sometimes be re-used.

Bras that no longer fit can get new straps and trim. And any damaged beadwork that can't be fixed can be cut apart and added to hats or turned into appliques.

Sometimes dancers have swap meets and trade their old costumes with other people. Since women gain and lose weight constantly, your rejects may be someone else's best find of the day.

For You Music Lovers With Ears.

I just met an artist in Etsy chat that makes earrings out of re-purposed guitar strings and other guitar ephemera.  It's a new shop so give him a try at http://www.etsy.com/listing/63845926/a-little-love
I admit I've always thrown my guitar strings away, never even thinking to reuse them. His shop name is TuneYourEars.

Paper Star Made From Used Gift Wrap

Soon many of you are going to have piles of leftover gift wrap, most of which is going to be tossed into the trash. Here is one idea: Make a paper star from the gift wrap. Then you can glue your star to a card, a scrapbook page, or an art journal. It's made from 8 2" x 2" squares

First Post

I've made this blog for a friend that said her favorite craft is re-purposed crafts.  Since I didn't have a blog on that topic I made one. I'm not new to re-purposing by any means. I'm a child of the '70's. My mother had five kids and we all lived on a serviceman's income.  Everything got passed down the line from child to child, so I learned how to alter clothing early on and embellish it with embroidery or paint or beads. Sometimes I feel my business card should say Embellisher.

If you would like to see what my friend is re-purposing, visit her on Etsy here: http://www.etsy.com/people/repurposeddrivenlife
Or follow her blog here: http://arepurposeddrivenlife.blogspot.com/