By Upcycling Archives - Page 2 of 5

T-Shirt Tote Bag

My love for old T-shirts really knows no bounds. I’ve made pajama shorts and yarn from them, so when I saw this pin

I knew I had a project for this month’s Pinterest Challenge. The Pinterest Challenge is hosted by Erlene of My Pinterventures, and the goal is to inspire everyone to actual make some of those pins you’ve saved, instead of just pinning them.

Mr. SuzerSpace used to travel a lot for work, and he just about always brought home a T-shirt or two for me. When deciding on the best one for this t-shirt tote bag project, I went with this old and super wrinkly one, mainly because it had a pocket. We shop at Aldi, and you need a quarter for the shopping cart, so the pocket would come in handy.

Turn a t-shirt into a tote bag perfect for groceries in this month's Pinterest Challenge | SuzerSpace

Following the tutorial in the t-shirt tote bag pin, I cut off the arms, and because I’m short, I took a little off the length as well. A lot of bags scrape the ground when I walk, so since I was making a custom grocery t-shirt tote bag, I figured I’d customize the height as well.

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June 18, 2019 by suzer By Upcycling From a Tutorial I made this In the Craft Room In the Sewing Room

Faux Galvanized Metal

I am a recovering cardboard box addict. That means I recognize that I have a problem with hoarding cardboard boxes, and that I’ve asked someone (Mr. SuzerSpace) to hold me accountable.

It’s taken years, but I have finally let go of all the boxes in the basement that belong to things we don’t own anymore. And I’ve cut down and recycled the big boxes from the televisions, and I’ve given up all the shoeboxes that I was saving for “some project.”

We also have a firm “one in then one out” rule which means if I want to keep a new box I’ve found, I have to let go of an old one.

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May 21, 2019 by suzer By Upcycling From a Tutorial I made this In the Craft Room

Herb Garden Markers

It’s no real secret that I don’t have a green thumb. It’s comforting to know I’m not alone, but whenever I see those beautiful photos of homes with indoor plants, my mind filters out the last time and it’s unhappy ending and starts dreaming of buying new greenery, scrubbing up some pots and rearranging furniture.

And then I come back to earth. It’s best for all involved if I stick to something simple like herbs. This year I accidentally became very successful growing garlic.

Hand lettering adds a special touch to this herb garden marker | SuzerSpace

A garlic head fell out of the basket I keep them in and became hidden behind the toaster. When I found it, it had sprouted two-inch long greens and a set of roots, so I dropped it in a small metal pail filled with dirt and it really took off. The long greens are super mild but add a nice topping to cooking – kind of like chives only garlicky.

I’m also good with basil and oregano, growing them in big pots outside and trimming them for cooking as needed.

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May 14, 2019 by suzer By Upcycling I made this In the Craft Room Using my Silhouette Cameo

Add A Pocket To Sweatpants

If I ever get around to updating the categories on this blog, this one is going under “Real World Sewing” because my project to add a pocket to sweatpants isn’t really pretty, but man is it practical.

I have a pair of well worn and well loved sweatpants. What I love about them is they fit, which is a miracle for a short person. They have one major flaw – they don’t have pockets.

My well loved workout wear has a flaw. My decision to add a pocket to sweatpants will fix that.

I do need to stop here and point out my utter disbelief that people are still wearing tights or yoga pants out in public all the time. There have been a lot of fashion fads that I have not understood, but what really surprises me is how long this one has carried on. And the funny part (to me) is how all these women think they are special for wearing this look, when in reality it’s become commonplace. Sometimes I wonder if I’m going to be ejected from Trader Joe’s for being the only woman not wearing form fitting leg wear as pants.

I actually wear these sweatpants for their two intended purposes – exercising and lounging around the house. Where I desperately need a pocket is on our morning walks – to hold my phone.

As it turns out, adding a pocket really wasn’t that difficult.

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May 7, 2019 by suzer By Upcycling I made this In the Craft Room In the Sewing Room

Make Your Own Custom Notepads

Because I work for a commercial printer, sometimes I’m torn between asking for a work favor or figuring out how to do something by myself, on a smaller scale at home.

Notepads are a good example of this quandary. We make them at work, just about every day – we have a large jig set up and it holds everything at just the right angle to assemble THOUSANDS of them in just minutes.

But when I decided I wanted some custom “To Do” notepads, I really didn’t want to have them mass produced for two reasons – 1) I don’t need thousands of them, just two or so should last me the year; and 2) I really like to do things myself. “Stubbornly Independent” is what one of my co-workers calls me, and it’s true. Of course I take that as a compliment, and I’m not so sure that’s what he means 🙂 .

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March 26, 2019 by suzer By Upcycling I made this In the Craft Room