To add to the various uses of old crates, here are three other ideas. Perhaps one will help inspire you to repurpose a vintage soda crate or two.
- Storage, with cigar box drawers and spool knobs, via CigarBoxGuitar.com
- End table, from JoyfulHouseFarms on Etsy
- Spice rack, via Nine Red
Have you spotted different crate-reuse examples you think we should know about?
![Many of you might have seen yesterday’s Unconsumption post on bracelets made from vintage plastic knitting needles.
After I published it, I shared a knitting-needle-bracelet photo on Unconsumption’s Facebook page, which led to comments about the idea of turning worn-out toothbrushes into bracelets. (Check out the full Facebook discussion on Unconsumption’s FB post here.)
Both kinds of bracelets can be made using a similar process: heat the plastic pieces in a pot of hot water (in a well-ventilated area, natch), then remove them and bend the warm plastic into rounded shapes.
To make your own toothbrush bracelets, check out this tutorial from Instructables. From my reading of the comments there, it seems like the most challenging part of the process is pulling out the bristles.
Many of us repurpose old toothbrushes as cleaning tools — they make great scrub brushes, say, for cleaning bathtub corners, grout between tile, faucet bases, and other awkward-to-clean spots. After the bristles are really, really worn, why not turn the brush handles into bracelets?
[Those of us who use Preserve brand brushes, mentioned previously on Unconsumption here and here, are encouraged to drop worn brushes into collection boxes at Whole Foods Market stores and other select locations (info here), or mail them back to the manufacturer to be made into new items. Yogurt cups and other items made of #5 plastics also can be dropped in those boxes; an app (here) can help you find drop-box locations.]
Do let us know if you’ve made one or both types of bracelets. We’d love to hear about it.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4l8jlNDa61qzv12bo1_r1_400.jpg)
Many of you might have seen yesterday’s Unconsumption post on bracelets made from vintage plastic knitting needles.
After I published it, I shared a knitting-needle-bracelet photo on Unconsumption’s Facebook page, which led to comments about the idea of turning worn-out toothbrushes into bracelets. (Check out the full Facebook discussion on Unconsumption’s FB post here.)
Both kinds of bracelets can be made using a similar process: heat the plastic pieces in a pot of hot water (in a well-ventilated area, natch), then remove them and bend the warm plastic into rounded shapes.
To make your own toothbrush bracelets, check out this tutorial from Instructables. From my reading of the comments there, it seems like the most challenging part of the process is pulling out the bristles.
Many of us repurpose old toothbrushes as cleaning tools — they make great scrub brushes, say, for cleaning bathtub corners, grout between tile, faucet bases, and other awkward-to-clean spots. After the bristles are really, really worn, why not turn the brush handles into bracelets?
[Those of us who use Preserve brand brushes, mentioned previously on Unconsumption here and here, are encouraged to drop worn brushes into collection boxes at Whole Foods Market stores and other select locations (info here), or mail them back to the manufacturer to be made into new items. Yogurt cups and other items made of #5 plastics also can be dropped in those boxes; an app (here) can help you find drop-box locations.]
Do let us know if you’ve made one or both types of bracelets. We’d love to hear about it.
It’s wine o’clock (somewhere) — which means it’s time to share a wine-related repurposing find.
Today’s find is a DIY project: Turn corks into a coaster and trivet set.
What you’ll need:
- natural cork wine stoppers (10-12)
- a sharp knife or other cutting tool
- a needle (regular embroidery style) and thread
For full how-to, see: diy project: abigail’s cork trivet and coaster set | Design*Sponge
DIY project du jour:
Top a side table with an old vinyl record. (An unplayable one, preferably!) For a tutorial, hop over to TheFlourishingAbode.
The table in the photo reminds me of this stool — with an old album for its seat — that Brian spotted in Sweden last year.
If you missed any of our earlier posts on creative new uses for records, look for them here.
(photo via TheFlourishingAbode; spotted on Pinterest here)
Now this is arm candy, y’all.
Sydney, Australia-based Lynda Slade upcycles vintage plastic knitting needles — many with Bakelite tops — into bracelets.
Find more by Lynda, a.k.a. sewnewthings and allthepreciousthings on Etsy, here and here.
See also: Earlier Unconsumption knitting-related posts here.
More tennis-related repurposing:
Swing made from used tennis balls.
(via Danny Seo’s Daily Danny blog, mentioned previously here)
“The annual event gathered a record number of participants - 36 teams took part in the competition and 45,000 empty milk cartons were used to make boats.”
(via Video: Latvians take to the water on milk cartons - Telegraph)
(Source: telegraph.co.uk)
Ban on plastic bags at L.A. markets is approved - LATimes.com
Los Angeles became the largest city in the nation Wednesday to approve a ban on plastic bags at supermarket checkout lines, handing a major victory to clean-water advocates who sought to reduce the amount of trash clogging landfills, the region’s waterways and the ocean.
Egged on by actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus and an array of environmental groups, the City Council voted 13 to 1 to phase out plastic bags over the next 12 months at an estimated 7,500 stores. Councilman Bernard Parks cast the lone no vote.
“Let’s get the message to Sacramento that it’s time to go statewide,” said Councilman Ed Reyes, who has focused on efforts to revitalize the Los Angeles River.
Read the rest: LATimes
Previous bag-ban coverage here.
More yard art in Austin: One of Scott Stevens’ “snakes” made from plastic bottle caps.
Watch the short documentary “Humble Trash” for more.
(photo by bubbaofthebubbles on Flickr)
More yard art in Austin: Robert Mace’s “bottle prairie.” Old license plates cover the side of the building in the background.
(photo by bubbaofthebubbles on Flickr)
