Lately, I’ve been incredibly interested in bottle cap crafts.  There has been a lot of green crafting projects and trends popping up recently, which I think is very exciting!  Taking care of our planet is important and as crafters, we take pride in gathering basic materials (sometimes used) and turning them into a unique creation.  But using recycled products and materials can be challenging, especially when dealing with bottle caps.

Bottle caps are tricky because they’re easy to forget about when it comes to recycling.  I always mean to recycle my bottle caps, but somehow they find their way into secret, hidden places – like underneath the car seat or in the trash.  With something so small, it’s easy to just toss them away without a thought.  But it’s never too late to change.  Instead of tossing your bottle caps away, create intriguing bottle cap projects that you can wear all year round.  If you can remember to hold onto your bottle caps – both metal and plastic – there are a large variety of bottle cap crafts that you can make!

Here are some of my favorite ideas:

Necklaces

You can create stylish necklaces using either metal or plastic bottle caps.  Plastic bottle caps are particularly a good choice, since many recycling centers won’t accept them.  This Funky Resued Bottle Cap Necklace is a great way to turn what-would-have-been trash, into a beloved treasure.  What’s fun about that particular project is the painting.  I have always been an admirer of bold jewelry, so if you are too, try painting each cap a different color.  Pair your bright, bottle cap necklace with a black dress to add some color and intrigue.  Play with different sized caps to create more unique shapes and designs.  If you’d rather use metal bottle caps to fashion a necklace, try cutting out your favorite pictures from magazines and pasting them inside the cap.  This will make the necklace even more personalized and special to you.

Earrings

This Bottle Cap Wine Glass Charms project could easily be turned into a cool pair of earrings, just add a small jump rings and hooks.  In order to add the jump ring, use a small nail and a hammer to create a hole on the edge of the bottle cap.  If you prefer your earrings to be more plain, simply add the jump ring to the caps themselves and paint them a classic color such as black or a dark gray.  This way, they’ll match whatever you’re wearing.  For a vintage flair, try covering the metal caps with old postage stamps, or stickers that are vintage inspired.  These will help give the bottle caps  an old-fashioned appeal.  If you use stickers, don’t forget to protect them  with a coating of clear sealer.

Bracelets

Pick out your favorite bottle caps and string them together on a metal chain for an easy bracelet.  For a more chic-looking bracelet, try embedding an old charm or broach inside a metal bottle cap.  Once you find a charm that fits inside, pour resin over the charm and up to the brim of the cap.  Once it dries, you can sand it down to get rid of any unevenness.  Attach the embellished cap to any bracelet or chain of your choosing.

Do you have any great bottle cap craft ideas?  I’d love to hear about them!

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

How to: Make Wearable Bottle Cap Fashions

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For the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, we are offering a FREE eBook with 42 ways to reuse and recycle through crafting. Learn how to reuse materials you would normally throw away, such as plastic containers and tin cans. Save money on craft materials and save the planet at the same time! Even if household items are recyclable, precious resources are expended in the recycling process. The best thing you can do is try to reduce your household waste.  Download the eBook here.

This green craft eBook includes:

• Section 1: Paper- Learn how to use junk mail to make paper beads.
• Section 2: Paper Making- Use paper, magazines and greeting cards to create different kinds of crafts
• Section 3: Metal- Use tins and cans to create little critters and luminaries
• Section 4: Plastic- Use those old bottles, cans and containers to create household items and decor
• Section 5: Glass- Don’t break those old wine bottles, create coasters out of them
• Section 6: Clothing- Sweaters and belts don’t have to be clothing items, they can be made into bracelets
• Section 7: Miscellaneous- Take those old CD’s and turn them into ornaments.

Download the eBook here.

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

Craft Green this Earth Day with Free eBook

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Earth Day is just about a week away, so it’s time to get in the recycling mood if you haven’t already. One of the best times of year to try upcycle and recycle crafts is in the Spring when we’re all trying to be a bit more ec0-conscious. I got an idea from a scrapbooker on Youtube who did a quick tutorial on easy paper flowers. It got me thinking… this could be a super easy recycle craft that uses magazine pages, which would have the potential to look super funky and eclectic too.

Materials:

• Magazine pages, cut in 1 3/4″ strips (the more colorful the better)
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun or Quick Grip heavy duty adhesive
• Medium to Large size Buttons

Instructions:

1. With each strip of magazine paper, fold it like an accordian all the way up.
2. Bend the strip in around a glue the two ends together (so it lays in a flower shape)
3. Cut out a circle (or die-cut) 2-inch diameter.
4. Glue circle to the back of the flower, this will stabilize the flower.
5. Glue one button or a cluster of fun small buttons to the center of the flower.
6. Adorn our Earth Day cards with fun recycled paper flowers!

Here is the video tutorial that inspired this craft. Use scrapbook paper like she does, or go all out for Earth Day and use newspaper or magazine pages and have fun!

More Green Crafts for Earth Day:
Garden Flowers Seed Paper
42 Ways to Recycle eBook

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

How To: Make an Earth Day Flower

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Earth Day crafts using recycled materials are a fun way to celebrate the green holiday. You can make gifts with free Earth Day crafts for upcoming occasions such as Mother or Father’s Day and save a few dollars. With Earth Day Crafts, you can re-purpose materials already in your home for decorative and/or functional purposes. Earth Day crafts are also an education tool for all ages on the values of reusing, repurposing and recycling. Pull out those old tin can and torn jeans and start crafting!

Here are our 9 Earth Crafts to enjoy:

1. Plastic Bags- To be truly green, you should be taking your reusable shopping bag to the store instead of acquiring disposable plastic bags. But, if you do forget, there are several things you can do with the plastic bags instead of sending them to the landfill (where they will not biodegrade). You can fuse several plastic bags into a sturdy reusable shopping bag with your iron. Here’s how: Take 3-4 plastic bags and cut off the bottom seam and handles. Keep these to make more fused material for handles and embellishments.  Sandwich the bags between two layers of parchment or freezer paper and iron for about 15 seconds on each side. Use the fused material to sew up a shopping bag.
2. Plastic Bags- You can also use the occasional plastic bag to make yarn (called “plarn” by many crafters).  Cut the bags into 2-cm wide strips and knot the ends together to create a continuous strand. You can also loop ends together to create double-stranded plarn strand. Use for a sturdy door mat or any number of projects.
3. Old Sweaters- Felt old or damaged wool sweaters in your washing machine for a material for a variety of crafts. You can create toys, pillows, brooches, potholders, coffee cup sleeves and more with the homemade felt.
4. Old Jeans- Make a coffee cup cozy or sleeve from two layers of denim. Reduce the number of paper sleeves you use at your local café or slip on your own cups or mugs to protect your hands. Measure around the cup, cut and sew with a standard seam allowance.
5. Old Jeans- Cut out the pockets from the seat of the jeans. Add magnets on the back and use to stash craft supplies, a notepad and pencil for shopping lists, business cards, coupons or other items on your magnet board or fridge.
6. Old Jeans- Use old jeans to create quick hotpads. Cut two squares from the legs and insert a layer of quilt batting between the denim. Turn under raw edges and sew closed. Stitch a decorative shape in the middle of the hotpad to keep batting in place.
7. Wine Bottles- Coat old wine bottles with a coat of chalkboard paint. Decorate with chalk and use as vases or accent pieces.
8. Aluminum Cans- Aluminum cans become shiny embellishments for scrapbook pages or homemade jewelry. Wear gloves and use a sharp pair of scissors to cut off the top and bottom from the can and cut down the length. Cut out your object (such as a flower) and use sandpaper to remove any burrs. You can also emboss lines (such as leaf veins) into the shape before sanding. Use either the silver or color side for different looks.
9. Pop Tabs- Use pop tabs and elastic cord to create fun bracelets with this tutorial. 

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

9 Earth Day Crafts

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One of our favorite designers here at FaveCrafts Heidi Borchers sent over a video about her new Coffee Cup Art campaign. Making art out of Starbucks coffee cups, Heidi is on a mission to get Starbucks to recycle in their coffee store fronts.

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

Eco Heidi Video: Starbucks Recycle Campaign

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Decorating your home doesn’t have to be as expensive as you think. Not only can you make your decorations by getting crafty, but you can also make these decorations out of recycled materials. Don’t throw out everything you think is considered garbage. Go green and craft with your old, used or “garbage” materials.

CD Case Picture Frame- Turn a CD case into a neat-looking picture frame. This hanging picture frame can help decorate any room. Use some old buttons to add a little embellishment and you’re good to go. This is great for green crafting.

Water Fountain- Using old records you have lying around the house you can make this cool water fountain to decorate your living room or kitchen. This is a simple craft you will love making.

Plastic Bottle Lid Art- This is one of my favorite green crafts. Plastic bottle lids can be turned into a brilliant piece of artwork. Who would have thought your drinking bottle would help decorate your dining room.

Recycled Yogurt Cup Bud Vase- Add some flowers to this vase and you can present it in any room. Once your kids are done drinking their yogurt drink you can wash out the bottle and make this fun bud vase.

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

Home Decor Tuesday: Green Crafting

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Wool sweaters should be dry-cleaned before storing to keep them from developing moth holes. In addition, you can use inexpensive paper napkins and a sewing machine to create your own herbal sachets to repel months in drawers and closets. Fill the sachets with moth-repellent dried herbs such as lavender, cloves, rosemary and thyme. Unfortunately, moth holes do still happen on occasion and damage can occur to sweaters in lots of others ways: stains, tears and boyfriends who do not know that you cannot put wool in the washing machine. If you have a damaged sweater, you can felt the sweater in your washing machine, like my boyfriend recently did on accident. You will end up with a soft and sturdy material for a variety of craft projects.  You can also pick up old or damaged sweaters at thrift stores for cheap if you need more materials. Here are some ideas for what to do with felted sweaters:

1. Coffee-Cup Sleeves- Keep your fingers protected from a hot coffee cup. Cut up the sleeves of the felted sweater or stitch a strip together into a band.
2. Felt Pouches- Use the felt to create little pouches for change, make-up or even gift packaging
3. Ornaments- Use cookie cutters to help you cut out holiday shapes. Here is a Cross Ornament appropriate all year.
4. Mittens- Turn a felted sweater into the easiest mittens ever!
5. Brooches- Cut out a flower shape and embellish, or layer with other colors of felt.

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

Thrifty Crafts Friday: Felted Sweaters

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You know the old saying “out with the old and in with the new.” Instead of purging your things and throwing them away, this New Year, make old things new again with crafting. Everyone is looking for a way to start fresh as we prepare to enter into a brand new year, 2010. With your newly crafted “old stuff,” give a gift that’s eco-friendly and cute!

Try some of these Green Crafting ideas to recycle some of your old things:

CD Case Picture Frame

Recycled Sweater Throw Pillows

Bread Tag Jewelry

If you like these projects, check out more Green Crafting at FaveCrafts.

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

Gift Sunday: New Year Crafts with Old Things

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When all the presents have been opened on Christmas (or after the eight nights of Hannukah), you are likely to find yourself with a mound of crumpled and torn wrapping paper. While your first thought might be to throw everything away, think again!  With crafting, you can recycle that wrapping paper in your own home, reduce the amount of waste coming from your household and save money on future paper crafts.  Use a simple technique to create your own paper from leftover gift wrap. Be green and frugal at the same time!

Making your own paper at home is very similar to what happens at a recycling plant, but homemade paper will be thicker and a bit rougher. Homemade paper is nonetheless lovely and demonstrates an extra special touch when used for homemade cards and other crafts. Here’s how to make your own paper from leftover wrapping paper.

Materials:

• Leftover wrapping paper
• Blender
• Newspaper or Couch Sheets (highly absorbent blotting paper used in paper-making)
• Smooth Cloth (also for blotting)- A plain tea towel would work well for this purpose.
• Rolling Pin
• 12 x 8″ Non-Rust, Fine Mesh Screen (or size of paper desired)
• 9 x 13″ Flat Baking Pan (or slightly larger than screen)
• Instant Starch (optional)
• Hot Water- Boil a kettle or large pot of water.

Instructions:

1. Separate the wrapping paper into groups of similar colors. Do different color batches to specific certain colored paper. For example, use red wrapping paper to create homemade paper for Valentine’s Day cards.
2. Tear and shred the paper into very small bits. Kids will love helping with this step. You can also run paper scraps through a paper shredder if you have one in your home office.
3. For interest, you can also add glitter, dried flowers, colorful threads and leaves to your pulp mixture. For a beautiful color, add leftover poinsettia leaves to a white paper pulp.
4. Place 1/2 cup of shredded paper into the blender. Add 2 cups of hot water. Mix in the starch if desired. Cover and blend the mixture on medium speed for 30 seconds-1 minute. You want a pulp with no paper bits left.
5. Put a double layer of newspaper on the counter and place your blotting cloth on top.
6. Pour the pulp into the flat baking pan. Slide mesh into the pan and move around until the screen is evenly coated with pulp.
7. Slowly and carefully lift the screen from the pan keeping it level. Let drain for a minute over the pan.
8. Place the screen, pulp side up, on the blotting cloth. Put another blotting cloth over and a double layer of newspaper on top of everything. Your are basically sandwiching the paper screen between blotting materials.
9. Roll your rolling pin over the “sandwich” to squeeze out excess water.
10. Remove the top two layers of newspaper and very carefully flip the screen sandwiched between the two blotting cloths. Do not touch the paper yet. Allow to dry for 24 hours.
11. Carefully remove the paper from the screen
12. Enjoy your homemade paper! Turn the paper into Thank You cards after Christmas, birthday cards, scrapbook pages and much more.

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

How to: Make your Own Paper from Leftover Wrapping Paper

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If you had a chance to read my blog from this past Friday, then you know that I had a busy weekend of perusing through indie-crafts and designs at the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago. Wow, was it an experience. First of all, it was SOOOO busy. The turnout was amazing, and a bit crowded at times.

Some of my favorite things were:

• Blank journals made from the covers of old children’s books – so cute
• Wallets and card holders made from neckties
• Tons of unique and funky crochet and knit hats for sale with other fabulous clothing items
• Vintage jewelry upcycled from old vintage pieces
• Screen-printed recycled and organic t-shirts and bags
• Button rings
• Stationary galore
• Gorgeous jewelry made with precious stones and awesome metalwork.

On top of all the talented crafters on the scene, there was some delicious food for sale – mmm cupcakes – and beer too! The DJ played some great tunes while shoppers milled around the busy park district building. If you have a chance to stop by a Renegade Craft Fair in your area, I highly recommend it. It’s great to see where the world of indie-crafting is taking us, and how upcycled and recycled crafts are paving the way for eco-consicous art.

Hooray Renegade!

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

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