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I couldn’t help it, I had to share. I just saw another example of actually useful do-it-yourself storage using tin cans. Convert your central desk drawer or kitchen junk drawer to a place where you can actually find things!
So – recycled tin cans, which is good. Easy to do – ditto. Actually useful – yes!
I’d probably paint the cans, just because I think it’d be cooler if they were all black or bright turquoise or something. But that’s just me. Either way – useful storage and do-it-yourself organization. And recycling. And free.
I found this helpful pic over at Shelterness Blog which has a ton of useful, fun ideas for how to make your home work better and be more you. It’s a great resource – and any place that helps us organize, and recycle, and looks good at the same time – this is a win!
Okay, I’m using a not-new idea again, but I ran across such a pretty example, I wanted to show it to you. This is how tin cans could be turned into actual, useful storage, and look really nice while they’re at it.
I found it on Pinterest and forgot to save the link, yes I know I’m a bad person for that, and when I find it again I’ll post it here. But meanwhile – actual useful storage from tin cans? And using my favorite medium, paper, of course. Yes, you could use paint or fabric too. But still – this really works. Win!
P.S. Aha! Check out this post: 34 insanely smart DIY kitchen storage ideas – it’s in that article. Yay!
I know, I’ve mentioned make-it-yourself flowers before. But really, you can’t have too many, and it’s always good to know new ways to make them. And easy? Easy is good!
And pretty? I mentioned pretty, right? I found these inspiring, easy-to-make paper flowers – with a “how to” right on the pic – over at Pinterest (see link above). Of course they’d be darling for gift wrap decorations – but honestly the first thing I thought of, was a bunch of them – 5 or 9 or whatever – tossed in a glass bowl, as a centerpiece or room decoration. Talk about a pop of color – for practically no money!
Do it yourself – colorful – fun – and flowers. Yes, this is a win-win!
P.S. Choose your wedding colors. Enlist your friends and teach them how to make these. Make a bowl for each table at your wedding. Or scatter them on the buffet table. Pretty bridal decorations – no money (well almost no money) – and a fun thing to do with your girls. See what I mean? Win!
P.S.S. If you can find some thin old paper – colorful magazine pages maybe? – wouldn’t those be pretty too? And recycled. Just sayin 🙂
My favorite kind of idea – do it yourself storage, and organization, and it’s a great example of “recycle and reuse”. Also practically free!
What I specially love about this is not only that it’s made from recycled materials (an oatmeal container in this case) but that it’s so useful! You could use it as shown, on its side and resting on an old shoebox lid, easy peasy. Or you could stand it up to take up less space on your shelf. Yes, the ribbons would trail down, but with the shape and size of this container, they’d stay organized and accessible. Win!
Plus when you cover it with your own (recycled) paper, it’s going to fit into your decor perfectly 🙂
I found this adorable idea over at Scrapbooks Etc. – which is part of the Better Homes and Gardens network. Of course there are LOTS of super ideas over there, go peek!
You’re going to recognize this the moment you see the pic: yes, I have found yet another use for Pringles Cans. They’ve got to be one of the most loved packages to recycle. I’m sure that’s why people buy Pringles. Yeah.
But cool DIY storage? Totally. Or, as demonstrated in this pic, gift packaging!
In this example, the can is a terrific container for a gift of cookies! Take them to your overnight sleepover (even if your mom made the cookies), or take them TO your mom! or anytime you want to do a little something special for someone. Cookies are fun and you get to sample the product as you create them 🙂
I had this pic saved to my hard drive and didn’t save the link – so please, original poster, if this is your idea send me a note – I totally want to give you credit!
Because cookies + recycling + plus a cute container you can reuse (again) – this is all of the good!
P.S. By the way – if you’re a jewelry maker who does craft shows – Pringles cans also make terrific bracelet displays. Just sayin’ 🙂
Recycle – reuse – rethink. That’s what we want to remember. And when I saw these adorable paper flowers, that combined all those ideas – and they’re easy, and fun, and cute? I figure this is an Academy Award worthy great idea!
I found these wonderfulicious flowers on the Billie Monster blog which is full of wonderful how-to ideas (including jewelry, you’ll love it!) For the flowers, Billie even included a template and how-to instructions – though I have to say, with her wonderful pics you really don’t need the instructions – you can adapt the idea to any recycled paper.
These flowers? Just think how you could customize these for your house. Make a bouquet scattered on the focal wall above your couch, or in a nook above the baby’s crib. Or, well, anywhere you want a pretty accent that can be in exactly the colors and dimension you want.
And: if you’re having a DIY wedding (and yay for you!) – a wall or nook of these flowers, all in whites or your wedding colors, would be lovely. Maybe each of your guests could sign one! Then save them, pressed in a memory book.
This is the best of DIY, and pretty cool recycling too. Think about it: Recycle the paper. Reuse the pages. Rethink how they’re used. And create a really cool decoration for your house – or your wedding – at the same time.
Win!
The title really says it all. I found this pic at marthastewart.com of all places – yeah, I don’t really suppose Martha S. has candy wrapper decoupage in her office. But I don’t care – it’s a good idea!
There weren’t any directions there (that I oould find) but really the picture is self-explanatory. Find soke cool paper, paste or glue it onto your light switch plate or other location of choice. Trim edges to fit. Then I’d protect the paper with a coating or two of polyurethane. Easy peasy.
You could use any paper – of course recycled is best. And I sort of love the idea of using candy wrappers. One, they are pleasant to gather up, since you are probably buying the candy in order to get the paper. Yeah. Plus they’re really cool graphics.
Plus they’re fun 🙂
I honestly thought I had already written about this one, it’s so wonderful and memorable and EASY. You can tailor it exactly for wherever you need Wall Art in your home.
I found it on Pinterest – such a terrific DIY resource 😉
All you need is something to use for a backing – foam core, posterboard, you name it – and some petal-shaped paper cutouts. Recycled paper would be best, of course. Play with the arrangement, try out ideas, and create a wonderful montage that’s just the size, shape, and color range that you need in your room.
It’s Do It Yourself, it’s pretty, it’s cheap-or-free, and you can DO it. This is a win!
P.S. I’ve talked about DIY weddings before – I just think it’s a great idea to (1) save money that the two of you could use for a zillion other things, and (2) invest more of yourself and your loved ones into your wedding. This wall art is a perfect example. Use your wedding colors (or white paper and white lace, mmm!) Maybe shape the petals into a heart. Maybe write on each petal, with significant memories / dates / you name it. Then save the wall art for generations. Love!
I saw this recently over on Pinterest . It’s one of those “Why on earth didn’t I think of that” ideas. Brilliant, useful, fun, inexpensive or cheap. I mean – really Brilliant!
Now tell the truth, once you saw it, didn’t you smack yourself upside the head (mentally anyway) and say, Well YEAH, I could do that! Personally I’d use a lot more hangers, spaced closer together, so there really would be a library of magazines – and colors – and the wall would truly be a collage. But these are just details.
The idea’s originally from Unconsumption.tumbler where there are so many good and fun and useful and original ideas on how to use less, reuse what you’ve got, and, well, UNconsume – that you will find endless inspiration there. It’s a fabulous resource.
Of which this DIY wall art / storage is just one super idea. Super-quick to achieve. Low or zero cost – what, you haven’t got some old wire hangers around? Of course you do. Colorful as you want – and changeable, as often as you want.
Brilliant.
Truly this is just an inspiration picture – found at the wonderful Design Sponge. There are a boatload of wonderful projects over there – and lots of inspiration too.
Like the one that inspired this post:
You see what I mean about “inspiration pic”. It’s not that any one single element of this design is irreplaceable – it’s the lighthearted (and light filled) room that they’ve created. It might have been expensive but it certainly doesn’t need to be. Lots of white – white sheers on the (admittedly lovely) windows, plain floors, a lampshade that doesn’t match the lamp – a wooden table with a checkered tablecloth. Old (recycled I hope!) chairs that don’t match either – all in cheery bright colors.
You could adapt any of those ideas to make your own home more fun – I’m going to scour Craigslist right away for some old chairs nobody wants – because I certainly do 🙂
Go over to Design Sponge – and get inspired!
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