Recycling Ideas

 A few ideas to hopefully get you thinking!

Barbara's toilet bag. She used a charity shop blouse and it's machine stitched, but hand stitched projects would also work if you've got some fabric you can recycle.

These are the types of cans I started with. Please note that, if you use a standard can and can opener, you'll get a sharp edge which may be dangerous. If it's a 'pull tab' type can, you'll be left with a lip, and I may be able to remove it with a can opener I have which splits seams rather than cutting the metal. (It's not foolproof, so no guarantee.)

The coffee cans come with a similar lip, and again, I've had success removing that with my can opener.

One of the first I did - using plastic yarn (from plastic bags) crocheted to cover a coffee can. (The plastic yarn idea came from Barbara.) But you could use yarn scraps and make something with coloured hoops!

A more recent version - using the leftover glass mosaic tiles from our project last year.

This one was inspired by Adrienne - I used a paper napkin to decoupage on to a coffee can. I used gesso as a base and Modge Podge as a glue/sealer.

Another recent idea - I took some very thin copy paper and stencilled a pattern using inks, then attached to a coffee can with Modge Podge and finished with sticky gems

My most recent attempt! This used a larger tinned fruit can and the same lolly sticks we used a few weeks ago. I attached using hot glue, and finished with ribbon (to make sure the can was completely covered) and lace and sealed it all with Modge Podge.

And finally, my own project!

During lockdown, I made a lot of fabric face masks. When I realised that commercial respirators provide better protection, I considered throwing the masks away, but instead, I dismantled them and I've been wondering what to do with them since then. After our project on Thursday, it dawned on me that I could use the dies to cut bits from these and use them for some form of applique (which I've never tried before!)

I'll bring Modge Podge, hot glue, lolly sticks, napkins, thin copy paper and my clever can opener. If you've got an idea and think I've got a tool that would help, let me know and I'll bring that. Otherwise, let you imagination go! It would be lovely to have ideas we can share for future projects too.