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that you were truly in this crafting business over your head? This morning, I emptied a box of panty liners and I was going to break the box down, tear it up and put it in the trash when I got to looking at it. That's some pretty nice, smooth white lightweight cardboard you got there, I said to myself. I'll bet it would look really good if I cut it up in the Cuttlebug. I cut all the nice white bits off and put the rest in the trash. I've reused other things before but never a panty liner box! I can't figure it out. Is this a new high for the recycling part of me or a new low on my cheapskate side?
I love this and would love to read how people recycle the trash! I am always saving way too many things thinking "I can use that one day"-omgosh how much stuff will I wind up saving? I am a cheap woman, I admit it.
My low was saving used coffee filters at the school where I taught. They smell and I never did use them. I know half the faculty thought I was nuts.
I think you are not only being resourseful, but environmentally friendly. I save toilet paper tubes all the time for crafts. Who cares what's printed on the box or what it used to contain.
[QUOTE=jutta;11312289]that you were truly in this crafting business over your head? This morning, I emptied a box of panty liners and I was going to break the box down, tear it up and put it in the trash when I got to looking at it. That's some pretty nice, smooth white lightweight cardboard you got there, I said to myself. I'll bet it would look really good if I cut it up in the Cuttlebug. I cut all the nice white bits off and put the rest in the trash. I've reused other things before but never a panty liner box! I can't figure it out. Is this a new high for the recycling part of me or a new low on my cheapskate side?
What was your moment of realization? ;)
Ok, this just made me laugh out loud! It's great to recycle :lol:
Jutta, I can tell we all tend to think alike. This morning, I emptied the last of the Nesquick into my son's milk and looked at the container and said, I could cover this with DP and use it to put a gift in for someone. It's a nice rounded shape and I could put a t-shirt or boxers in or something like that. I put it the recycling bin for now but I have until Thursday to pull it out, which I probably will. I just usually don't have a place to store stuff I want to recycle. Very limited on space.
Great Idea on the netting from veggies! I am on a mission for that now.
I just bought about 10 pairs of shoes from Payless (a-on sale $7.00 and b-my size 5 1/2 they never have) and the box tops is so perfect for a card. Some sort of art work Picasso looking thing. Who'd a thought?
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Yes, it is kind of funny the things we recycle. I save, International Coffee tins and cover them, they make great banks, candy containers and I've also used them to put gift cards in. Since that is the coffee I drink, figured I ought to do something with the tins and my grandkids love them. I also save the clear plastice mayonnaise containers, haven't used them yet, but I'm still thinking about them. Also, the Crystal Light pastice containers, both large and small, again, still thinking about them. So if anyone has some ideas for these containers, please share.
I have foraged around the tables at a wedding or two for some great charms that were on the favors... I didn't actually take them from anyone... just the abandoned ones!
I realized it when I cut the ribbon ties out of my pink robe cause they were pretty and just the PERFECT shade of coral! Oh, and I also cut the drawstring out of my pajama pants...it was the BEST chocolate twill!! Yeah, sick. I know.
I just used the cardboard from the decorator paper to recycle for my accordian cards at todays stamp camp...it's a beautiful thing to recycle! and cost effective to use product you have already paid for to it's fullest extent... I pointed out to my stampers that they too could use the tagboard and feel good about using every aspect of their purchases
that's my story and I'm sticking to it!
(and yes I kept more $ in my pocket because I didn't purchase tag board)
Oh man, when I realized I was in too far, was just about a month ago when I noticed the 6 cute buttons on my 26 month olds shirt were a PERFECT pink pirhouette color and a 3/8" round flower shape. It is her "barbear thurt" (translation: strawberry shirt) and I suddenly was convinced it was too small for her, therefore she didn't need it and I could tear the 6 buttons off. But then I saw her worried upset look as mommy was telling her "no more strawberry shirt" and it made me feel guilty.......... so, naturally, I decided to go to Hobby Lobby and buy some cheap buttons to replace the perfectly pink pirhouette ones that I *needed*!
We have a lot of padded forms at work, so everyone knows to put the cardboard backs in my mailbox when the pad empties. I just thought of it as being reasonably frugal......people save drink cans all the time.......
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Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is preparation for a future that only He can see--Corrie ten Boom
This thread really resonates with me. I have great difficulty throwing anything out, even to the recycle! I just finished a personalized bank for my 4 mo old grandson using one of his powdered milk formula cans. I cut up the plastic packages the nesties and cuttlebug folders come in and save the flat pieces to use with my stamping jig. I have a whole folder of those mesh bags. No packaging is safe. I also salvage all the tissue paper in gifts to use in collage. Old credit type cards are great for spreading glue and paint and can be notched, etc. to create interesting combed effects on backgrounds. The inner foil on Trader Joe's quart yogurts, when cut and embossed with the wizard, looks just like pewter! Plastic yogurt lids make great disposable paint palettes. I would love to hear more about what things others "repurpose."
It's one reason I really love my homemade clip-it-up. I have so many bits and pieces in labeled bags--I don't throw out anything I think I may use. Having it at my fingertips means I really see it on a constant basis and therefore remember to use it. My oldest son is 43 and the only one who was fed commercially prepared baby food. My ex-husband still recalls my annoyance when I found out he threw out my last remaining box of baby food jars!
Oh, and if you are moving and have to part with any of your finds, check with your local elementary school teachers before dumping any of these precious collections. They make great art project supplies. I once furnished one of my daughters' teachers with enough Leggs pantyhose "eggs" for every child to make a spring diorama! P
This thread really resonates with me. I have great difficulty throwing anything out, even to the recycle! I just finished a personalized bank for my 4 mo old grandson using one of his powdered milk formula cans. I cut up the plastic packages the nesties and cuttlebug folders come in and save the flat pieces to use with my stamping jig. I have a whole folder of those mesh bags. No packaging is safe. I also salvage all the tissue paper in gifts to use in collage. Old credit type cards are great for spreading glue and paint and can be notched, etc. to create interesting combed effects on backgrounds. The inner foil on Trader Joe's quart yogurts, when cut and embossed with the wizard, looks just like pewter! Plastic yogurt lids make great disposable paint palettes. I would love to hear more about what things others "repurpose."
It's one reason I really love my homemade clip-it-up. I have so many bits and pieces in labeled bags--I don't throw out anything I think I may use. Having it at my fingertips means I really see it on a constant basis and therefore remember to use it. My oldest son is 43 and the only one who was fed commercially prepared baby food. My ex-husband still recalls my annoyance when I found out he threw out my last remaining box of baby food jars!
Oh, and if you are moving and have to part with any of your finds, check with your local elementary school teachers before dumping any of these precious collections. They make great art project supplies. I once furnished one of my daughters' teachers with enough Leggs pantyhose "eggs" for every child to make a spring diorama! P
I used the red netting from a bag of apples last Christmas to tie as a bow on a gift bag handle for one of my friends. I cut it to make it a rectangular shape to tie it. We all had a good laugh at my "creativeness" as I could not help but tell my secret!
Boy, do I ever know what you mean. I've become incapable of throwing away any type of glass jar. My favorites are from Tostitos queso dip (perfect for storing primas and dewdrops) and spaghetti jars (great for little treat gifts or money jars). It's pretty sad how often we're having nachos these days.... but I really want all my storage to match!
__________________ Anjou My Gallery * My Blog - Dreaming in Color "Don't be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so." - Belva Davis
Yes, it is kind of funny the things we recycle. I save, International Coffee tins and cover them, they make great banks, candy containers and I've also used them to put gift cards in. Since that is the coffee I drink, figured I ought to do something with the tins and my grandkids love them. I also save the clear plastice mayonnaise containers, haven't used them yet, but I'm still thinking about them. Also, the Crystal Light pastice containers, both large and small, again, still thinking about them. So if anyone has some ideas for these containers, please share.
I save these and the chip containters and last year I put snack mix or little gifts in them and prettied them all up Here and Here and there a quite a few others in my gallery and other peoples.
I also have saved many packaging pieces, just haven'tused them up yet!
I always save my boxes from my card envelopes I buy Walmart. I cover them with DSP and they have become my 'outgoing' mailboxes. I also have a couple that I put swaps in until I get it ready for mailing.
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Wendy, thanks for the ideas for the crystal light containers. Now, has anyone used the mayonnaise containers with the flip up lid for anything. I have mine, trying to think of storage ideas for them. I'll let you know if I come up with any ideas.
Wendy, thanks for the ideas for the crystal light containers. Now, has anyone used the mayonnaise containers with the flip up lid for anything. I have mine, trying to think of storage ideas for them. I'll let you know if I come up with any ideas.
I have used those for ribbon holders---you can either feed the ribbon through the lid or make holes with your eyelet setter to feed the ribbon through.
I just got back from my morning walk with the dags. It's trash day in our neighborhood and as I was walking and seeing all of the recyclable (is that a word?) things in the trash waiting to go to the landfill, it made me feel bad. Piles of cardboard, stacks of bleach bottles, detergent containers, water bottles and even aluminum cans. I live in a tiny town that has no curbside recycling, only oddly named "convenience centers" that are anything but. I didn't start this thread to be about recycling, but I've had a wonderful time reading your comments and ideas. It makes me feel a little better knowing that there are others out there that try to reuse and repurpose things instead of just adding to the waste stream in this overloaded world of ours. I'm proud of ya'll!
Now, just one more thing. I confess. I actually iron used tissue paper from gifts and use it over again. If it's not great looking, I save it for lightweight packing material in packages that I send out. I realized that you could do this after learning to iron my sewing patterns just so they would fit back in the dang envelope.:rolleyes:
I recently realized I need a good pen/pencil cup on my work desk. Hmmm, what can I use to hold it all...... (lightbulb)
I used an empty Dibs Ice Cream container. Works great too!
The other morning on my walk, I looked down & saw some leaves that fell off a tree. The color & shape really hit me. So, I picked them up & brought them home to use on a card.
Seems I LOOK at everything! I'll even pick up a piece of metal I see on the street (or plastic whatever). It's getting a little ridiculous..... but oooohhh what fun!
I saved an empty spaghetti sauce jar once. It had a really pretty design on it and I just thought that one day I might be able to make it into something. I used to save the backs of legal pads from work but they seem to be too thick/heavy for me to use. But stamping has changed how I look at everything around me.
I saved my DD's plastic(Gerber) baby food containers and have all my buttons and different embellishments in them. The lids stay on nicely and they are clear so you can see whats in them. I also saved alot of her formula cans figuring I would use them someday. My house is full of " I'll use this someday" 's. LOL.
Wow, there are a lot of great ideas shared here. I keep some things, but I live in a little apartment with not much storage room. So I can't keep everything. My 10 year old niece even brings me stuff sometimes. She says "I thought you could use this on your stamping projects". Smart girl. ;)
My in over my head moment was when I bought my (then) 3 year old daughter the cutest dress....then kept hoping it would shrink in the dryer so I could have the buttons...it had the CUTEST buttons!!!!!
I don't usually save to many things as I put them away and forget what I thought I could use them for!! lol However I read on someone's blog the heavey foil from yogurt and cottage cheese containers make wonderful pieces using the cuttlebug dies! They do work very well as they have more body to them, and they are easy to clean before using!
oh and now that i think about it, i bought a jacket on saturday and it had some extra buttons on a baggie, and im like uhhh, nice buttons, i can use them for a card.
I used a pretty blue flower from an empty Kleenex box once and cut up a garden ad in a magazine to make a collage for one of my cards. I have several wallpaper books that I'm eyeing for bg paper.....the world is our craft box!
Boy, do I ever know what you mean. I've become incapable of throwing away any type of glass jar. My favorites are from Tostitos queso dip (perfect for storing primas and dewdrops) and spaghetti jars (great for little treat gifts or money jars). It's pretty sad how often we're having nachos these days.... but I really want all my storage to match!
To keep your jars coming - make one of these for a change:
- creamy mexican soup . . . leftover chicken bits or ground beef, chicken (or beef) broth, leftover bits of corn, rice, beans, peppers, black olives, onion . . . even carrots and green beans
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As someone mentioned, looking at things while walking, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one that looks twice at things thinking I could probably use it for a card or scrapbook page And I'm one of those lucking ones that has room in her stamp room to store those things she is saving for someday "I'll be able to use them for something".
Great Idea on the netting from veggies! I am on a mission for that now.
I just bought about 10 pairs of shoes from Payless (a-on sale $7.00 and b-my size 5 1/2 they never have) and the box tops is so perfect for a card. Some sort of art work Picasso looking thing. Who'd a thought?
Please excuse the hijack, but I better make a mall run - 5 1/2's are hard to come by!
When did you realize...
recycle
