Upcycled Tiles: Instant Wall Art, And Much More!

Most of us have a box of  ceramic tiles collecting dust in the basement.  In our case, my helpful neighbor passed them on to us thinking we could use them, after I told him that I was attempting a DIY kitchen backsplash.   I utilized most of the box but still did not manage to use them all.  These were plain, white ceramic tiles, a clean slate just waiting to be reused, and make an artistic statement!

Tiles are a great medium for decoupage, and make great wall art!  It is also a great decoupage beginner project and virtually any image can be decoupaged on tile. Often times when I am working on a project, I will do a smaller side project at the same time.  The tile below, is an example of such a project. I had some great smaller prints and decided to use one of them on this tile.  Simply apply Mod Podge to the tile using a foam craft brush, or smaller paint brush, apply the print and once dry, apply the Mod Podge over the print.  Then simply use a small amount hot glue to adhere the tile to your wall.  You can make photo collages, decorative maps, and create different artistic schemes, while sprucing up boring walls.

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The above is simply one example of repurposed tile. It is displayed on the wall in my craft room.  Due to the magic of sites such as Pinterest, the ideas are flowing.  Below are a few examples of such ideas.

Two Girls Being Crafty Blog

These lovely drink coasters were made by Two Crafty Girls using Mod Podge and scrapbook paper.

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Take a favorite photo and divide it among several tiles to create wall art. Thanks to C.B.I.D Home Decor and Design for featuring yet another unique and crafty idea!

Indulgy

I love the idea of decorating with sheet music, and using it for decoupage!  Check out all of indulgy’s ideas!

On that note, happy crafting and stay warm my friends!

Memories of Paris: Upcycled Drink Coaster Wall Hanging

Since my upcycle adventures started last April, the word has gotten out to family and friends.  I am on a upcycling mission!  The best part of all is that others are starting to see ordinary items normally discarded or not used in a different light.  The original purpose of an item can be changed and restyled.  Instead of discarding something that can no longer be used, it can be modified so that it may have a new useful new purpose in your life.

Such is with the case of this project I am about to share with you.  My sister brought me a set of coasters she purchased during a trip to France.

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They are lovely and feature famous scenes and landmarks, but she felt the beauty of these coasters was wasted, and she never used them for their original intended purpose. It seemed a total waste not to display these in some way.  She asked me if I would I be able to do “something” with them. I love a challenge so I accepted the task, although at the time I really had no idea what the project plan would be, but luckily she was OK with that!

I held on to the coasters for a while, and kicked around a few ideas in my head.  Then one night I was lying in bed unable to sleep when I remembered this little wooden wall plaque.

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It was an item I had picked up at Goodwill a few months back.  When I purchased it for a dollar, I had no idea how I would use it.  Then it hit me!  It would be great to create a vertical wall hanging featuring the tile-like coasters.  She has a pink and brown french themed bedroom that I thought this would look perfect in.  I created my first chair upcycle for her.  A ladder back chair in pink and brown colors, known as  The Pillow Case Makeover.

I cleaned and primed the piece with a while latex primer.  Once dry, I painted the face of the plaque chocolate-brown.  The edges I painted pink.

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I applied Mod Podge matte finish to the painted areas. Once the Mod Podge was dry and clear, I used a high temperature hot glue gun to attach the coasters to the wood lining them up and allowing the same amount of space between them. I applied the hot glue generously and adhered them carefully one by one.

My sister seemed happy with the end result.  I have never been to France, but have a feeling I would love it there.  Everywhere you look is inspired by art, and hopefully looking at these images will bring back all the great memories of her trip!

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The Toilet Paper Roll Experiment: Part Two

Just think of all the toilet paper rolls that are discarded each day!  They serve their purpose and are tossed in the trash can without a thought. When I walked into the bathroom at work, I noticed a few sitting there waiting to be discarded.  Since my upcycling mission started, I tend to look at things a bit different.  I especially love to take something that most certainly would end up in the garbage and give it a second life. I snatched a roll and went home to craft The Spare a Square Project.

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The initial project was a success, and I realized these card board rolls can be used in organizing my craft room items.  There are many upcycle ideas on the web when it comes to cardboard rolls. One amazing example, can be found here.  Word got out around the office that I was starting to save these rolls from the trash for a project to be determined later.  Suddenly, they started appearing on my desk and before I knew it, I had quite a few of them thanks to my recycling and equally curious friends.  I think they were curious to see what exactly I planned to do with them!

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I was sitting in craft room pondering the idea and I decided to create craft supply wall storage. Initially, I was not sure what I would store inside them, that idea would come to me later.

First, I painted the inside of the tubes white with acrylic paint.

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Next, I looked through the fabric that I had available and decided on a “fun” colorful pattern to decoupage. I cut pieces of fabric that would be enough to cover the outside of the roll.  I applied Mod Podge to the it with a foam craft brush, and placed it on to the fabric.

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Once the Mod Podge was applied I “rolled” the toilet paper roll on the fabric, and it adhered nicely.

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I trimmed away any excess fabric with a pair of scissors.

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I repeated this process with all of them.  Once they were done, I used a high temp hot glue to glue them together. I arranged them in rows. Three at the bottom, then two then one. Like this:

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I touched up the white paint in spots particularly around the edges, and once dry, added a Mod Podge finish to the entire project.

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Now that the project was complete, I had to figure out what to store in it!  It didn’t take me long to come up with the idea of storing my smaller containers of paint, and it created easy access to any color I need.

And…I decided to hang it like this:

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Who needs a square, when you can have the whole roll?

Materials:

Six Large toilet paper rolls

Mod Podge

Fabric

Hi Temp Hot Glue Gun

White Acrylic Paint

Scissors/Foam Craft Brush, and a Paint Brush.

Rescued Vinyl And The Magic of Mod Podge

With the holidays officially over and the New Year off to a rather frigid start, I share with you the last project on my Christmas list this year.  Late last month, I posted a tutorial for Sports Inspired TV Trays which have turned out to be a popular item among family and friends. The beauty of restyling these tables are the limitless possibilities.

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These tables are neutral and relatively easy to work with.  One of my upcycled gift recipients is not big on sports, so I thought she might like to have a TV table, but with an alternate theme.  A while back, I created a table from an old record, and a plant stand. I used Aerosmith’s greatest hits record.  The record was not in playable shape, so I decided to recycle the LP and use it for a upcycle project. The family member receiving the gift is a huge Aerosmith fan, and I decided to use the album cover and decoupage it to the table top. Upon further inspection, the cover was in pretty rough shape, so in the end I decided not to use it.  The liner notes; however were in great shape, and a colorful purple with the Aerosmith winged symbol in the middle.

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This seemed perfect for decoupage while incorporating something she and I hold close to our hearts~ records.  I have a collection too, mostly stocked through bargain bins.  It is not always easy to tell if a record is playable before purchase, and every so often you wind up purchasing a damaged record.  Not only can you reuse the record itself, but the artwork is perfect for decoupage.  Another example of this can be seen here from a previous post. Long live the LP!

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For a full tutorial and some examples of TV tray table redesigns click here and here.

DIY Decoupage Novelty Candles and Tea Light Holder

Looking for a great “personalized” gift that will keep you within your shopping budget? The holiday’s, and birthday’s can be tough, and it is more important than ever to get the most out of every penny. At the same time, It is also important to let those close to you know that they are appreciated throughout the year. I try to keep my ears and eyes open as to what matters to friends and family, by soaking in all of their interests and hobbies. I file these ideas away, and when I am trying to come up with gift ideas, I refer back to them.

As our extended families and circle of friends continue to grow, and the holiday’s become more and more about the children (As it should be, of course) It has become at times, a challenge to come up with gifts for friends and the adults in the family. This year, I decided to make personalized candles for some of those on my Christmas list. You can purchase candles anywhere, and they are reasonably priced. This year, I had many music lovers on my list, so I decided to decoupage some candles featuring the recipients favorite musical artists.   The possibilities are truly endless.  You can personalize and create any type of candle that you want.  For the non-music lovers on my list, I refashioned the candles with fabric, or with a family photo.  Making these is a simple process. I applied Mod Podge to the outside of the candle with a foam craft brush. I searched the internet for the images I planned to use and printed them out on my printer (the size of the images I used was 4×6) I trimmed the images to fit, and carefully applied them to the candles, smoothing any wrinkles. You can add Mod Podge over top of the image, but it is not needed. If you are looking for a shinier finish, you will need to complete this step. Once dry they are ready to be gifted!

Decoupage Candles

Rock N’ Roll Inspired Candles

\Grateful Dead tea light holder

Repurposed Candle made into a Tea Light Holder

I got a fever for Pringles Can Crafts!

I saw on Pinterest  recently many uses for all those left over Pringles Chips cans. Through the magic of decoupage, these cans can be transformed from downright ugly to lovely!  They can be used to store various items and are a great way to gift Christmas cookies for the holidays.

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Like these cookie containers from Cheap Crafting.Com

Today, I share with you a Pringle can kid’s craft.  My daughter loves to listen to music, but loves to make music even more!  I love to get her involved in the process and creating music together has been a wonderful Mother and Daughter bonding experience.  I cleaned out the can first.  You can fill the cans with dry pasta or dried beans.   I would fill the can up about half way.  To secure the lid, use a hot glue gun to adhere the lid permanently to the can.  Once the lid is secure, you can use either scrapbook paper or fabric and decoupage the outside of the can.  (This is necessary only if you want it to look “pretty”)  Apply the Mod Podge with a foam craft brush and wrap the fabric or scrapbook paper around the outside of the can.  This is also a great way to get use out of those old pieces of scrap fabric, that may be a bit small for other projects.  My daughter loves “shaking” her new percussion instruments. These “instruments” are a great way to encourage sensory development while at the same time encouraging fun!

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Kids instrument made from the smaller Pringles can.

Free Amazon Download starts TODAY! The Green Crafts Lifestyle: Christmas Edition!

The Green Crafts Lifestyle – Christmas Edition – Make Christmas Decor, Cards and Gifts!

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I have had the pleasure once again to be a part of the second installment of “The Green Craft Lifestyle”.  The new Christmas Edition is jam packed with green Christmas crafts from around the world.  The very talented Mahe Zehra Husain (MZ) is giving away free copies for download from the 30th of November to the 4th of December you can find it here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GXE82S4 and http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GXE82S4. On Facebook?  Join the free event here. Don’t have a Kindle?  Download Kindle Cloud Reader for your Laptop!

I’ll be trying to tackle holiday decorating today…Thanks Mahe for the freebie!

Happy Crafting Holidays!

The Green Craft Lifestyle Christmas Addition: Free Amazon Download begins This Saturday, November 30th!

Pickled Lamp: “On The Upcycle” Christmas Craft full tutorial featured in today’s newly released “The Green Craft Lifestyle: Christmas Edition”

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The Green Crafts Lifestyle – Christmas Edition – Make Christmas Decor, Cards and Gifts!

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I have had the pleasure once again to be a part of the second installment of “The Green Craft Lifestyle”.  The new Christmas Edition is jam packed with green Christmas crafts from around the world.  The very talented Mahe Zehra Husain (MZ) is giving away free copies for download from the 30th of November to the 4th of December you can find it here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GXE82S4 and http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GXE82S4. On Facebook?  Join the free event here. Don’t have a Kindle?  Download Kindle Cloud Reader for your Laptop!

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The “On The Upcycle” family want to wish everyone a very safe and happy Thanksgiving day Holiday!

Can You Spare A Square? Repurposed Toilet Paper Roll.

Ok, so we have all been there.  Through the years, I have learned to look before I leap.  I always check the bathroom stall before I get down to business and make sure the toilet paper roll is full. I considered myself lucky on this day.  When I walked in the stall, I noticed right away all these empty cardboard toilet paper rolls. I did not spot any TP, so I moved on to the next stall, but I couldn’t get those cardboard rolls out of my mind. These rolls are larger than average and are made from a thick cardboard.  It got me thinking, these cardboard rolls could be useful and had repurpose potential.  I took one of them home as an experiment.

I am still in the process of organizing my craft space, and  I thought it would make a perfect pen/supplies holder.  I found an old pickle jar lid that fit the circumference of the roll perfectly.

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I used a hot glue gun to permanently adhere the lid to the bottom of the toilet paper roll.

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I had some left over fabric from a previous project that I thought would be perfect.  I traced the jar lid on the back of the fabric with a marker and cut it out with a pair of scissors.

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I applied Mod Podge to the lid with a foam craft brush, applying the fabric tracing over it.  I then applied Mod Podge to the entire outside of the roll.

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I  wrapped the fabric around to roll and carefully smoothed out any wrinkles and matching up the seam.  I overlapped the fabric where the base met the cardboard.

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I painted the inside with brown acrylic paint to match the fabric.  Once dry, I applied Mod Podge to the entire roll inside and out to seal it.

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Now the hamster wheel in my brain is turning!  I have a feeling this will not be the last project utilizing these rolls!

Stay tuned!

A Frugal Feline: Make A Cat Bed In A Pinch

About 2 months after the birth of our daughter, I noticed a stray cat hanging around the neighborhood that I hadn’t seen before.  He was very thin and unusually friendly.  I saw the sad state he was in, took pity in him and began feeding him.  He would stay in the backyard lounging on our outdoor chairs, and greet us at our front door when we arrived home.

Summer Stray

After a few months, and the threat of winter approaching, we scheduled a visit through our local animal shelter’s Spay Our Strays program.  He was vaccinated and turned out to already be neutered a sure sign that at one time, he was someone’s pet.  I searched the local lost animal websites, and checked with shelters, but no one seemed to be missing him.  My husband and I decided to take him in.  He was great, but my younger male cat did not approve and started picking fights with him.  Until I could find him a suitable home, he would have to stay in our basement.  I created quite the feline bachelor pad for him.  A cat tree in front of the window, complete with futon bed,  private litter box and a never-ending supply of food and water.  He continues to thrive, after many attempts at finding him a permanent home and attempting to integrate him into the household have failed.  He resides in our basement laundry and remains sweet and content with his life.  He comes upstairs to visit and then goes back down to the basement where he is king and lives in peace by himself.  Just look at him now and how much weight he has gained! It is hard to believe this is the same cat that showed up in our yard on the brink of starvation!..

Nucky

Recently, we were forced to discard the futon in the basement. Removing this piece of furniture removed precious lounging space for our poor “Nucky” (named after the character in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.) I searched the house for suitable items that I could repurpose into a cat bed.  I came across a large wicker basket that I had stored in our attic.  I found an old couch pillow as well as an old pillow case.  I stuck the pillow in the case, and tucked it inside the basket.  I used some fabric scraps to add some detail to the basket handle.  Cat bed in a pinch was born!  A much less expensive and greener alternative to purchasing a new cat bed.  Nucky loves it and has been sleeping in it every night since it was quickly thrown together!

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