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.
Ever since I stumbled across Sew A Softie Month and made up a super cute reindeer, and then followed that up with a very sweet bear, I’ve been hoarding pins for my next project. I’ve detailed my lack of sewing experience before, but I have found if a project calls for inexpensive materials I’m pretty willing to give it a go since if it doesn’t work out I don’t feel too guilty about trying something new.
So this pin
ended up being my selection for the Pinterest Challenge for April. I could not resist the idea of making my very own “very nice mice”.
The Pinterest Challenge is a blog hop hosted by Erlene at My Pinterventures, and the goal is to help crafters actually MAKE some of the pins they’ve put on their various Pinterest Boards. Of course, if you NEED more ideas, feel free to follow mine!
I’ve been pretty vocal about my love for upcycling , and I really do have a thing for cardboard, but some time ago I saw a craft that involved cutting t-shirts into yarn and I haven’t really been the same since.
The t-shirt yarn is super heavy duty, and since it comes from old t-shirts it is washable and generally is a color palette you already like (since they were shirts you or a loved one were wearing previously).
The process to make t-shirt yarn is easy, although a little tedious. First you need the right kind of t-shirt, and I’m not sure why, but Mr. SuzerSpace’s donate pile always has the “good” ones, and my pile rarely does.
Welcome to the February Pinterest Challenge Blog Hop, hosted by My Pinterventures. The purpose of this Pinterest Challenge is to motivate all the participants of this hop (and you too) to not just pin, but to make it happen!
If you’ve visited me here at SuzerSpace before, then you must have realized I really like lettering, and I really, really, really like to make things with the cardboard. So when this pin crossed my feed that featured both, you can guess that it was going on my “must make soon” list.
One picky note – the Pin and the post call these Embossed gift tags, but as a working member of the printing industry, I have to point out that these are actually Debossed. Embossing is when you press up an image from the back side and it stands UP. Debossing is the opposite – you press an image INTO an object. So mine are faux debossed gift tags!
Francesca at Fall for DIY created these using specialty duct tape, but I’m more of a #usewhatyouhave kind of crafter, so I went with the tried and true silver kind. We have a big roll of the super duper sticky stuff that lives in the basement, right near the dryer vent that cannot be easily connected to the basement window. The evildoer who previously owned our home made several very interesting decisions (ask me about the built in cabinet for a refrigerator that is not a standard refrigerator size some time).
My favorite craft stock of a cereal box is just perfect for these – thin enough to cut easily, thick enough to not get all bent up once finished.
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I wasn’t actually planning on making another door decoration so soon – the Let it Snow Snowman was doing a great job holding down the fort as an after the holidays theme.
But there was a little problem. It’s been the coldest and snowiest winter in years, and I began to fear I had brought it on with that snowman. Sort of a “be careful what you wish for” situation.
So I decided to make a new one, with a twist. I’ve made this bear door hanger have special three dimensional hands which let him carry things, so he can stand for several months and keep current with events and holidays.
These door hanger projects are really simple, and extremely inexpensive which makes them a great learning craft. Practice is what brings better skill, and cutting and painting on cardboard means less pressure to get it right. If the project turns out as a flop, either paint it over and start again, or just toss it and find another piece of cardboard.
