Happy New Year RePlay readers!

This New Year the resolutions at RePlayGround are to find new things to upcycle, and find inspiration from other eco-crafty artists and companies. This week I found a marvelous way to showcase your old museum badges by repurposing them into magnets!

Museum Badge Magnets

Materials:

6 round metal museum badges

1 packet of ReMake It! bottle cap magnets

Time: 5 Minutes!

1) Remove the little metal prong off the top of each badge. Bend the prong back and forth until it breaks off.

2) Peel off the paper on the ReMake It magnets, revealing the sticky side.

2) Push the backside of each badge onto the sticky part of the magnet.

Now you're ready to display your magnificent museum badge collection in upcycled style!

Also, check out this fun Etsy find by Geekilicious: Metropolitan Museum of Art Tag Earrings!

Upcycle Away!

Kathy

Gill the recycled holiday fish

Happy upcycling holidays everyone!

I trekked back to see my family in mid-Michigan this Christmas with many-a-handmade gift to give. My 9 year old niece and 4 year old nephew excitedly took me to see their neighborhood fish. I wondered why this particular fish lived in the parking lot of some nearby stores, but since you should never question the enthusiasm of kids, I went along with it and assumed they wouldn't be that excited if his health of living in a parking lot was questioned. When we pulled up it all made sense - Gill was constructed completely from recycled plastics. He was created mostly from laundry detergent bottles, but there were also pieces of plastic plates and an old wading pool in there, too. He also had holiday lights strung throughout him, making him a recycled aquatic Christmas tree of sorts. There's certainly more than one way to spread holiday cheer.

ReMake your holiday gifts!

Hey there RePlay readers! Looking for a last-minute gift that's handmade, but doesn't take you a lot of your own time to make? Gift the gift of ReMake It kits! There are five to choose from - wine cork trivet, glass bottle lamp, magazine stationery kit, bottle cap magnets, and the newest addition is the plastic bag trash can! If you live in the New York City area, you can pick any of these up at the Union Square Holiday market in the Karma Kiss booth. And tell 'em we sent ya.

If you're not near NYC, you can order them online at Karma Kiss or at GreenFeet.

The trash can makes a great gift and you can pick up more than one and you don't have to limit it to just plastic bags. Try out some of Kathy's recent creations from t-shirts, paper, and more.

Happy holiday upcycling!

ReMake It! Paper Waste Basket

It's time for this week's ReMake It Trash Can DIY!

The Paper Waste Basket


Materials:
ReMake It! Trash Can
1 or more magazines
Cereal box
2 Ribbons (approx 12" each)
Scissors
Box Cutter (optional)
Ruler
Clear Tape

Time: About an hour

1) Tear 10-15 colorful pages out of an old magazine (if you have a box cutter, cut along the centerfold to avoid tearing). It’s easier to use a magazine with sturdy paper- for example Vogue or Artforum.

2) Cut strips ¾” wide by 4 ½” long.

3) Take the first strip of paper and wrap it around two of the spokes. Tape the end of the strip down taut to the paper to form a paper chain link.



4) Build the first row of chain links by repeating step 3 until you circle around the trash can. There should be a gap between each link.

5) Start a second row on top of the first by making paper chain links that loop together each set of spokes that have a gap in the previous row. The result is a checkerboard pattern that alternates between a gap and a paper chain link. As you build each layer on top of the last, leave one space open the whole way up.

6) Now we’re going to fill in the open space with a trash can label. At the RePlayGround studio, we’re going to use this trash can to sort recycled paper, so I’ve made a corresponding label. Cut out large letters from a magazine, then cut out cardboard squares and glue the letters on to give the label a good backing. Next punch holes in each of the four corners.

7) Take an end of each ribbon and tie it to the top rim of the trash can. You can secure the knot by taping it down with a small piece of clear tape.



String each ribbon through the corresponding top and bottom hole of the first letter, then loop each ribbon around the nearest spoke. Keep stringing until all the letters are in place. Tie off the ribbons and secure again with tape.



Once you’re done, your Paper Waste Basket will put all other trash cans to waste!

Stay tuned for the last ReMake It! Trash Can DIY in this series!

Upcycle away,

Kathy

Candy wrapper napkin ring project

As your Halloween candy pile has dwindles into a pile of wrappers, we have a great upcycling project to satisfy your crafty cravings. Here we’ll show you an upcycling trick to transform wrappers into napkin rings – the perfect treat for your Thanksgiving celebration. Then, in the true spirit of recycling, you can reuse them again and again. It’s a sweet way to decorate your dinner party without spending a dime.



You can follow the video above, or get the complete how-to by clicking below!


Materials:
candy wrappers
scissors
pen or permanent marker
ruler
glue stick



Instructions:
1. Cut your candy wrappers to 1.75” x 4” rectangles. You’ll need 16 pieces to make a 2” diameter napkin ring.
2. Take one wrapper and fold it in half lengthwise with the printed side facing out. Open it back up.
3. Run your glue stick along the inside of the wrapper. Fold both sides of the wrapper in to the center fold line.
4. Run your glue stick along the folded side of the wrapper. Then, fold the wrapper in half lengthwise again, so it is now a narrow rectangle.
5. Fold the wrapper in half widthwise and open it back up.
6. Fold both ends in toward the center fold line.
7. Repeat steps 2 through 6 on another wrapper.
8. Now take your two folded wrappers and fit the two tabs from one piece into the slots of the other.
9. Keep repeating steps 2 through 8 for all 15 pieces.
10. To finish your napkin ring, follow steps 2 through 5 to fold your last wrapper. Push this piece through the two open ends of your bracelet. Then, tuck the two ends into the center of this piece. Your sweet, new napkin ring is ready for dinner. As an eco-bonus, use cloth napkins that can be reused over and over.

You can also upcycle your candy wrappers through the TerraCycle collection brigade. For every candy wrapper you send in, you earn 2 cents for your favorite charity. It’s a sweet treat when you can raise money and upcycle at the same time!

A new turn for the ReMake It trash can - plastic bags!

Hello all!

I'm back this week with a DIY on my first ReMake It! trash can project:



Plastic Bag Trash Can

Materials:
ReMake It plastic bag trash can frame
A few plastic bags (we used 2)
Scissors
Ruler
Time:
About an hour

1) Find some colorful plastic grocery bags. With your scissors, spiral cut around the bag in a long strip that is approximately 45” long X 1 1/2” wide. If it's easier for you, cut smaller strips and connect them together with clear tape. You will need a total of 17 strips.

2) Tie the end of each strip to a spoke towards the bottom of the trash can.



3) Starting with one strip, wrap the strip over the spoke to the right of the spoke the strip is tied to. Pull the strip back up between the two spokes you are working with. Leave the first strip, and repeat the loop with each of the strips.



4) Once you’ve completed your first row of loops, repeat step 3 with a new row on top of the previous row. Keep building rows until you reach the top of the trash can!

5) Tie the strips to the top rim of the can. Trim the excess ends of the strips and tape down each knot with a small piece of clear tape. Once you've tied off the ends, you've got refuse recycling skills in the bag!



See you next week for a new ReMake It can project with recycled magazines!

Upcycle away,

Kathy

Home grown!

Locally grown, fresh produce runs in my blood. When I was a kid my dad was notorious for overplanting tomatoes, zucchini, and pretty much all vegetables. And in theme with recycling, my family doesn't like to waste anything, so we turned those surplus veggies into a small business. As a part time project, my parents, brother and I would harvest the excess vegetables and sell them at the local farmers market on the weekends. My parents still run their Threadgould Gardens biz in mid-Michigan and during the summer and fall you can find them at the Meridian Farmers' Market every Saturday. True to my farm-rasied roots, I still buy a lot of my fruit and veggies there at the Greenmarkets around New York City.

My good friend Janie, who has also worked at that same farmers' market, shared a great video where you can see my dad, Janie, and a lot of the other Meridian Market locally grown crew. Click on this page and play the video. And visit your own farmers market! It's always tastier when it's homegrown!