Showing posts with label Recycling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recycling. Show all posts

Wednesday 1 February 2017

Toilet Roll Journal 2 - 31 Creative things to do with Recycled materials



So you got some more toilet rolls hanging around, lets see what else you can do with them.....simple...create another journal, a bigger one this time!

Toilet Roll Journal 2


Recycled Journal

In 31 Creative things to do with Recycled materials I have been showing you different things that I have made that you can try for yourself or a project with children, as a gift, that can impact where you live, your environment and more - you know it!

This journal came about in a very similar way to the Journal I showed you yesterday and you can see just how I put it together HERE.

On the front of the journal you can see that I used Quinoa to decorate the front, again using something that you may have in your home supplies that you might ordinarily throw away. Think about the different things that you have that can create texture or add something different to your project.

Front Detail - Toilet roll journal




back detail - Toilet Roll Journal


These pages were constructed differently to yesterdays one and I made it slightly bigger, and enabling me to increase the size of the tags that I made.  If you want to see how this one was made you can check out the post HERE

I think that these journals are so cute, remember if you are using foodstuffs to varnish it and seal it in well.  If you can come up with alternative uses why not leave a comment, let me know how you get on.




I will doing an ‘All About Journals’ Challenge on my YouTube channel where I show you how you can make your own journals from recycled materials such as catalogs - you can see what I did with a John Lewis Catalog, old books, and more – whether you are re-purposing, reusing or altering, you can make something that is unique to you. Sign up to my mailing list HERE and you will be notified when the videos go live.




Tuesday 31 January 2017

Toilet Roll Journals - 31 Things to Create with Recycled Materials




Toilet Roll Journal 1



Cardboard arts and craft activities are great ways of making things that not only children can enjoy but also adults as well.

I found a great way of using something we have around us and use every day and these often end up in the bin. I started looking at these as a possible craft addition when I saw some of these Craft Ideas on Pinterest I ended up making an art journal, with inserts that you can use for tags and special notes I shared how I made this Journal in a post HERE   I will be doing a video so that you can see all the contents and the different tags.


It was a joy to make once you have worked out just how the journal will sit, and the different sections I wanted. It all began to come together and once again I was able to utilize all the smaller tags, cards, papers and embellishments that you see on the inside of the pages.



Join me tomorrow where I show you another Journal Making idea from Toilet tube roll and whether you are re-purposing, reusing or altering, you can make something that is unique to you. 



Stay blessed and be a blessing!

Monday 30 January 2017

Art Journal - 31 Things to Create with Recycled Materials -



John Lewis Journal

I picked up a while ago a John Lewis catalog after a visit to the store with my sister. I had also joined their loyalty program and received my complimentary tea and cake voucher, which they send out I think 4 times a year – which was yummy by the way (everything in moderation)!

Recycling can come in all shapes and forms and as you would have seen over the last few weeks if you can think of a creative problem or something you need to make you can probably use a majority of the things you have around you.

After looking through the catalog it sat around my house for over a week. I thought of some of the things that I could do with it and making a journal was what I really wanted to do, but I wanted the kind that you could use the background images as a place to start, and you could also completely go over the page with gesso and create your own image. 

John Lewis Journal - Recycled creatively

What I liked about the pages was the feel and the thickness, it holds gesso well, and it had some interesting images, and this allowed you to add to the image using art supplies. 

Page to add gesso to
So where you say have an image of a bed,

Were you allowed to jump on your parents bed?
I added to it and drew in children jumping on the bed, something we were never allowed to do as kids.  With each stage a part of the process you can enjoy the separate parts or the whole.  An enjoyable exercise was to block out some of the picture for the next stage, adding gesso and a bit of colour and then adding a figure

Here are some other ways in which I altered the pages, I enjoyed placing the characters within the picture and thinking about what their story was.

Some stories tell of hope and looking to the future.....


thinking about the past, and being present.......


So now I have a set of great pages at different stages that I can use when I have time to spend finishing off a piece

Why don't you check out your local store and their catalogs, you might find one that you will be able to use as your own journal. Here is my original post that will give you a closer look at some of the pages.

Sunday 29 January 2017

31 Creative Things to do with Recycled Materials - Tea Bags

Teabag Treasures 




Tea as you know like many people is something I usually drink every day, and I have my favorites that I like. Every now and then we buy a different variety tea, and for some reason or another no one in the house wants to drink it and it passes the sell by date.  Now I am sure you can guess what is coming next…there are so many things that you can do with an empty unused tea bag!  They are really versatile, and I will show you one of the ways in which you can put them to good use.

The tea bags by the way can go in the garden and depending on the bag decompose quite well (great for roses I hear). But you want to make something creative with them don’t you?

Tea Bag Treasures



Check out my post HERE for some step by step instructions. With the bags I have I enclosed them with words of encouragement, added texture and paint. On these ones I added the quinoa – I had so much (again out of date) to get rid of! 


They were then painted and an embellishment made from either fimo clay, or shrink plastic and then it was added to the bag.  Again, with those little bits of broken jewelry you may have laying around you can bring new life into them and add some sparkle. There are countless possibilities using the altered teabags in different projects, check out my Pinterest board to see some of the ways that I found that other artists are using. 



Can you see a creative possibility in more things now? 
There are so many things you have around you are screaming to be altered, reused and re-purposed, and I often tell Alan and Sekani that if they stand still for too long around me I will be seeing if I can find a creative use for them as well (smile).  There are a wealth of possibilities when we experiment with recycled materials, come back tomorrow to see what else I have got up to with my supplies.

Why not join me on some of my other platforms, and sign up to my Mailing list you will be getting information about what I am up to in my creative journey, tutorials, Arts and health advice and resources, giveaways and more


Stay blessed and be a blessing

Amanda

Friday 20 January 2017

31 Creative Things to do with Recycled Materials - Spiced Tea Box

Spice Tea Box Container

Great ways to alter your teabox!

I did a post about this container showing you how to alter it as it utilizes a product that I use quite a lot and that is tea. 

Recycling at its best!
I have a least two cups of Spiced tea a day, the morning ‘wake me up’ to get myself in the work frame of mind and the 'afternoon reflection', the tea has such a delicious taste, I will be sharing at some point about some of the other tea in the Palanquin range.

Over a period of time I got through so many boxes that I thought it was time to create something out of one of them.


I kept the structure of the box with all its parts as I didn’t need it to close but to house supplies that were quite tall, such as paint brushes and things that I use on a regular basis. 

I used brown paper on the box to get the texture and then added gesso it.  You can see instructions HERE


Sitting on the desk I also wanted a reminder of why I was there, and that is to create, and added encouragement with a ‘teabag treasure’ - what do you do with those teabags that are out of date? (you’ll find out about these soon).  

Choosing the lettering
There are lots of great ways you can use these boxes and I will be sharing some more ideas.  

Tea Box Treasures - Amanda Trought - Realityarts

Again, a great way to use recycled materials, for your own space and they can make lovely gifts and you can add your own style.  Join me tomorrow for another creative recycling idea.

For more inspired recycling ideas and useful tips check out Zero Waste Barbados and Journey to Zero Waste

Have a look at some of my ideas on my Pinterest Recyled Board



Stay blessed and be a blessing!

Thursday 19 January 2017

31 Creative Things to do with Recycled Materials - Alcohol Marker Holders

Welcome to today's post showing you 31 Creative things to do with Recycled materials.  Even after the challenge has finished I will continue posting until you have seen all 31 examples, as I had things that got in the way, but we move forward!  

When I make something out of recycled materials I get a real kick, knowing that I have created something that I want, worked out how it needs to be put together, and so been resourceful, and also that I have created something that has another use from its' original intended form.




After I had made the first free-standing pen holder, there was nothing stopping me from making another one. I allowed some of my supplies to dictate slightly how it would look. I really loved the way it turned out and it means that my pens do not have to be stuck in a draw taking up valuable space for something else.



This storage container was made from almond milk and juice cartons, along side cardboard. I worked out the height and width that I wanted and the amount of storage I would need.

The cartons are made from a durable waterproof material, and they don’t readily get recycled here, so I knew I needed to find a way to use them rather than throw them away in the bin, (honestly I am not a hoarder). I think there has to be more government initiatives and more of us have to think about just exactly we are throwing away and use less packaging where possible. What if your rubbish was put in a hole in your back yard, you’d soon run out of space and who would want to live with that, you would soon find a use for more things that you ordinarily throw away. 



Once I had all the dimensions that I needed I put it all together, using one of my favorite tools - my glue gun, and the plaster fabric and painted. And there you have it.  I think it is quite cool!  I am debating whether I want to put an image on the side, perhaps someone with a story wants to come forward and grace the side of the pen holder.


For now I think that they look great in my space.  If I do decide to decorate I will share it with you.  It would be great to see what you come up with using recycled materials, tell me which one has been your favorite so far.  

For more inspired recycling ideas and useful tips check out Zero Waste Barbados and Journey to Zero Waste  
Have a look at some of my ideas on my Pinterest Recyled Board

Tomorrow I will be showing a spicy alternative!

Stay blessed and be a blessing!

Tuesday 10 January 2017

31 Creative Things to do with Recycled Materials - Promarker Pen Holders - Day 7

Creative Recycling, one box/can/bottle/ at a time!


Do you have lots of pens all over the place that need a home?

Do you want to see what you have and don't want to hide them? 

Have you a small amount of space to work with?

Then look no further!!  Over the next few days as part of the '31 Creative Things to do with Recycled Materials' and the 'Ultimate Blog Challenge' I have a few 'pen' storage ideas to help you with your problem.

I have always had this problem in my work space when I started out, especially when I worked from the edge of my kitchen table.  Many moons later I have a bigger space but still need to be mindful about what I store and where.

Moving into my current space I wanted one of those racks you see in the magazines, but surrounded by so many milk cartons and boxes I knew that I would be able to create something to my specification and at a fraction of the price.  

Creative Thinking Cap on to do something with this little lot!

I wanted something a cross between the one below but that could fit on my desk. You can check out the one below and they also have others which may work for you.

 


The holders that originally came with the pens were these and these didn't work for me considering the amount of pens that I have and the space that they took up.  I am going to have to find an alternative use for them:)



I wanted to make an upright holder and began to think of the best possible materials that I had and the design.  I didn't follow a pattern, I just knew how I wanted it to look and then just kept going and this was born.  

This was the before and the after, quite a transformation!
 

The Before - milk cartons and cardboard


The After

 I painted it an gave it a 'shabby chic' look and finished it with varnish and gold metallic rub.  I am able to view all the colors and keep everything organised.  


















The one thing that the pens could do with now is the color indicator on the top.  The pens that I originally brought were the old design, you can purchase some labels or again make your own.  

The top of the storage allows me to keep to hand the pens I am using in a project and the rest can be stored horizontally as needed.


I might add some swirls or stenciled designs to the storage container, but I am please with the results and the much needed storage that I now have for my pens.  Come back to see what I have done with my Alcohol Markers

For more inspired recycling ideas and useful tips check out Zero Waste Barbados and Journey to Zero Waste 

Have a look at some of my ideas on my Pinterest Recyled Board

Blessings





31 Creative Things to do with Recycled Materials - Birds - Day 6

Welcome to My Day 6 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge.  I am running slightly behind and hope to catch up with all the things I want to share with you.  I was inspired to make the ducks after watching Heather Santos on a course called Soul Food run by Mystele  There are always nuggets to take away in Mysteles courses for you to add your own spin on it.  Check them and their videos out they are both inspiring.

What is quite funny about watching ducks in the water is that they usually look so calm and collected on the surface, moving from one place to the other in the water, what we don't see is the action beneath the water.  Their feet are moving very quickly in a flurry to get them from one place to the next, yet here they are making it look easy.

31 Creative things to do with Recycled Materials
Amanda Trought - Mixed Media Art - Sculptured Bird

After making the first duck I just went on to make a few more, and now love how you can transform recycled material.  The base for the ducks is foil which really compacts well, so if you are looking for a use for any foil you may have laying around here is a great example.  Obviously if you have used it to cover food or cooking you will need to wash it first.

31 Creative things to do with Recycled Materials
Amanda Trought - Mixed Media Art Bird

31 Creative things to do with Recycled Materials
Amanda Trought - Mixed Media Art Bird

The other thing I use is recycled paper, made into clay, and I found a great recipe online.  I altered it slightly to suit but it is archival, long lasting and another fun way of recycling.  The last additions were the embellishments to make them unique. I will be posting my recipe and a video of how I make the paper clay for you to give it a go.

Ok, so you met these three birds you'll have to be introduced to the rest of the family...(smile) at some point I want to share some of the tropically based sculptures that are beginning to show up, but that is for another time!  

Stay blessed and be a blessing!

In the meantime you can:

Sign up for a course I will be teaching on

Sign Up HERE

My Course Bonuses you get for free when you sign up HERE

Free Booklet - 25 Ways to fit Art and Creativity into your life!

Art Workshop, Over 2 hours of instruction - sigh up using the link above and get this free

Thursday 5 January 2017

31 Creative Things to do with Recycled Materials - Day 3, 4 & 5


Welcome back to todays post in the Ultimate Blog Challenge.  For the rest of the month I will be showing you what I have done with materials that can be recycled.  Rather than throwing them out I have given them a new lease of life.  Using a bit of imagination and lots of creativity there is so much we can do with the things that are normally disguarded and with resources depleting on the planet, we have to find a way to reduce what is readily thrown away and save some of the earth for generations to come.

With that said I am always up for a challenge and I have over the years found ways to save my self some money when it comes to the use of storage containers.  Using a bit of paint and a glue gun you can do wonders to any surface:)  Take a look at my Pinterest board, there are some lovely things that I would love to try - inexpensive solutions that look great.

Here are 3 very different storage containers that I have created


Storage Tin made with rolled paper



This one is made out of a tin covered in rolled paper, it makes for a very sturdy container, and I have added a border round the tin to stop it from falling over.

Plastic bottle container - looks unique!


Plastic bottle with the top taken off it makes a cup like container that is used to store all my pliers and Stanley knives



This is the top of another bottle that has been turned upside down and covered with the rolled paper.  It makes the container study and now I have a great place to put the rocks and stones I collect.  You can make them as big or as small as you like and decorate them either with a color scheme or something funky.

I have some great examples coming up so do come back tomorrow to see what they are.  

Stay blessed and be a blessing!

Monday 2 January 2017

31 Things to Create with Recycled Materials - Ultimate Blog Challenge - Day 1 & 2

Welcome, Welcome, if I haven't yet wished you a HAPPY NEW YEAR, glad you could make it.  It is so weird that we are at the start of the year so soon.  Time seems to be moving faster the older you get, and we try and hold on for longer looking back to those times when time seemed to be limitless.


/


Any how, this month is seeing me get involve, plan, put in place lots of things that I hope will be a blessing to you.  I will be taking part in the Ultimate Blog Challenge which started yesterday on the 1st January 2017.  I am not sure quite what happened, well yes I did - Family happened and I didn't get my act together before hand and upload my post for you to get into the action yesterday with me, so you get two posts in one today! (smile)


31 Things to Create with Recycled Materials




Over the Christmas and New Year there seems to be a lot of waste generated and I have found quite a few ways to do something about it!

For the rest of the month I will be sharing 31 Things to Create with Recycled Materials, these are things that I have made and use in my studio.  I have found so many uses for the things that readily get thrown away (if you don't have the recycling facilities in your area) and I have also found great ways to create the things that help with storage that you would normally purchase and costs sometimes and arm and a leg when it comes to storage for art supplies.

I will also be sharing many of the creative tools and techniques I have been able to use, make, that serve me not only in my studio but also around the home, some of them are really cool, and I hope you like them.  Check out the videos that I will be creating alongside these posts on my YouTube Channel


By the end of the 31 days you will be looking at those things you recycle with new eyes, and you will also be thinking about the things that you can make. I will be creating some 'How to' videos and tutorials for you, so if you see something that I have shown you that you would like to make then let me know that you would like to learn that specific thing.



Why not be part of the creative solution to doing something about our environment and see what you could create with the things you have around your home - and it means that one less bag goes to landfill!

So here are the first two things that you can create:

Day 1: Supplies holder made from Toilet Rolls and paper



The sections are made from toilet rolls card board and then wrapped with rolled newspaper.  It all makes for a very sturdy storage container and can be made in a variety of designs.



A handy loop is created at the back to allow the container to be hung up or stand up.


The only other materials that were used was gesso, paint and glue.  This container was also part of my Creating on a Budget posts and I did a video for you to get a better look.  It can be further decorated with doodles, or embellishments.


Day 2: Weaved paper storage container



This was a lot of fun to create, and I would love to try bigger things to create.  I have seen some cool baskets and rugs weaved from these paper tubes.  They are very sturdy once rolled and can be shaped into a variety of things - worth a try!


This container is made entirely out of rolled paper that is glued together.  A combination of the rolled paper and the weave technique gives you a very strong storage container.


I painted it white once I had put it all together and then added some glitter paint.  It does the trick and holds some of my scissors and other tools.  

Do check out my YouTube Channel to see some of my videos created .

Come back and join me tomorrow to see what else I have been making.  Stay blessed and be a blessing.
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