Summer Soda Tab Ideas!

Looking for some upcycling summer fun? Take a look at these cool and crafty soda tab creations. For Earth Day, we taught how to make soda tab bracelets and belts at Etsy Labs, which you can view here. We met some creative people who took their own spin on on soda tabs, so we thought we'd share their ideas for your own recycling inspiration!

Crocheted Soda Tab Flower

Soda Tab Headband (laced with ribbon)

Double Stacker Soda Tab Bracelet

Add some soda tab pizzaz to a summer tote or t-shirt with this DIY project from our book! This DIY soda tab flower is one of 95 projects featured in our book ReMake It! Recycling Projects from the Stuff You Usually Scrap!

Have fun ReMaking it!

Tristin and Tyler talk trash again!

Tristin and Tyler helped me ReMake It at the Powerhouse Arena in Brooklyn, NY. I was promoting my new book, ReMake It, and they stopped by and filmed one of their Tales from the City episodes. They may look young, but they're old friends and have stopped by our RePlayGround before. Check out the latest video on YouTube. Then pick up a book so you can ReMake It, too!

Rescue that Trash!

Have you ever found a "junked" item on the berm or in the back of a thrift shop, and found a cool new use for it? If you happen to have a rediscovery or reuse story, send it our way, and we'll feature your story on our blog!

Here's my trash rescue story:

On by walk home one day, I noticed a neighbor had set a huge, ornate, gilt style frame out with the trash. The corners were crumbling, and some of the carved decoration had chipped away. It could have been crushed down in the garbage truck, but I saw potential, so I grabbed it and brought it to my backyard. With a can of spray paint, I painted the entire frame glossy black, so it had a sort of sleek, modern look to it. I then placed an ad for the frame on Craigslist, and within a week, I sold it for $50!

Sometimes it pays not to pass up trash!

If you have a story of a way you reused or recycled a found object, let us know, and we'll post your story on our blog!

Crafty Fun at Greenlight Bookstore!

Get ready to ReMake it this Saturday at our book signing event at Greenlight Bookstore! Author Tiffany Threadgould will be signing books, talking trash, and teaching a recycling craft project that you can make and take. So if you're in the New York City area this weekend, stop by and get your hands on a copy of ReMake It!

When: Saturday May 28, 2011 11AM-12PM

Where: The Greenlight Bookstore

686 Fulton Street (at South Portland) Brooklyn, NY

See you there!

Another addition to the Unconsumption Uncollection

Since just about any type of trash can be made into jewelry, the Uncollection un-assignment didn't seem like real project without some sort of jewelry addition making an appearance.

These earrings are made from #6 plastic and then shrinky dinked with the Mr. (and Ms.) Cart logo.

You can get the brief how-to make recycled shrinky dink jewelry all on your own. You can find #6 plastic in things like deli lids and other take-out containers.

And then challenge yourself with an un-project. Add something to the Uncollection and post your photo. It's a great way to unconsume and still be really excited about the new-to-you object.

Unbottle your crafting skills this weekend!

Get ready for some upcycling fun this weekend with GrowNYC! In order to raise recycling awareness and promote our high quality NYC tap water, you can take part in a plastic bottle sculpture project this Saturday! So unbottle your creative side, and drop by for some hands on fun!

When: Saturday May 21, 2011 11-3PM

Where: DEP Visitor Center

329 Greenpoint Ave & Humboldt St (G train to Greenpoint Ave)

Brooklyn, NY

Please note, you must be 18 or older to attend this event. Don't miss this exciting twist on recycling!

Design Values

Image courtesy TerraCycle

TerraCycle’s CEO, Tom Szaky and I have had a long-running debate about the intellectual property of design. In an upcycled nutshell, He thinks it’s a fair business play to manufacture a product that is an unprotected design. I think that a designer should be compensated for their design and provide their services to assist in the manufacturing of that product. Tom’s recent New York Times blog post, titled the Quagmire of Design IP, dives into the subject a bit deeper as he shares his views on the subject. I encourage you to read it and comment. Unsure what a quagmire is? You should read it, too.