Finding A New Home For My Old Leather Boots

Live Learn and Improve

 

I was rummaging in the closet the other day and found my old riding boots. Well... my second back-ups. When you ride every day in whatever weather, you have second back-ups. I don't ride anymore but there are a ton of miles on these and they are still very close to my heart. I really wanted to find an excuse to keep them around.

Photo By Carly & Art

Inspired by this picture I decided to transplant the Orange-Mint Plant that I knocked over in the dark the other night. The pot was broken to smithereens! 

Muti-Tasking as a door stopper for the shed door. 

I like this addition to the property.

Vintage plates upcycled to colorful candle holders

Live Learn and Improve

One of my most memorable dining experiences was in a small resturant in Souderton, Pennsylvania. The establishment was located in the town's old train station and it succeeded in maintaining a very vintage look. The one thing that impressed me the most about this place was that their plates, mugs, and utensils did not match. Each piece had a unique and historical characteristic to it which lent to the old time feeling of the restaurant.

Dinner tables are a place where family memories are made. I can still remember the plates my grandmother would serve Christmas Dinner on. From time to time I find that same print at second hand shops and it always takes me back. 

loglike of North East Wales showcases vintage plates that "serve" another purpose....

 

A Green Minded attitude allows them to boast the fact that their products utilize "natural and upcycled, vintage materials"

loglike caters to different tastes by using a variety of saucers (color, shape, design). These are just a few of my favorites...

The saucers are all genuine antique, (or vintage) originals, dating from Victorian times through to the 1960’s. All wooden components are hand-turned by loglike, from reclaimed wood. 

loglike's unique saucer creations can be found on their website or artisan shop folksy.com which also includes a tutorial on the project.

Reclaimed Oak and Railroad Pin Towel Rack in 4 Short Steps

Live Learn and Improve

Reclaimed wood in the home creates a warm and mature setting.

 This is a fairly simple project I've done composed of an oak barn wood board and old railroad pins.

 1.  Brush the barn wood with a wire brush to clean off spiderwebs and dirt. 

2.  Brush up the steel pins with steel wool to remove any rust and give a shine. 

3. Drill holes to match your pins (all the way through the board).  Two things to remember with this step... Drill bit size used should be as close as you can get to your pins (slightly smaller is better than slightly bigger)
Also, be mindful to drill into the board at a consistant angle. The holes I have drilled are perpendicular to the board.

4. Pound the pins into your holes with a ball-pine hammer until their points are flush with the back and the board. Your barn wood should sit flat against the wall. If your holes are drilled correctly your pins should be secure.

This is a very heavy project make sure it is hung securely. Your end result will be a sturdy hanger for winter coats, towels, etc..

 

Another creative t-shirt upcycler!!

Live Learn and Improve

Recyling artist Emily Kircher of ekra creates and array of beautiful rugs that display more than just a shade of Green. Try every color in the rainbow.

Since dyes are not used, Emily of ekra says that one of her biggest obsticals can be finding certain colors. 

I think that one thing that makes these upcycling projects so challenging is the fact that you are at the mercy of what you have. Without a doubt Emily has a strong-hold on how to make her rugs stand out with the colors available to her.

I love making rugs. I love just about everything about it, shopping for fabric, designing, combining fabrics to create effects. - ekra

  My motivation for making rugs from recycled fabrics is two-fold. First, to take a tiny bit of fabric waste out of the waste stream and remake it into something useful. Second, to educate people that unwanted fabrics can have a second life as something else and that if they don't want them, to please donate them to a thrift store so they can be used again. -ekra

Emily began selling her rugs in 2004 after years of perfecting her technique. 

These are available for purchase in her etsy shop, and consignsment shops which she has listed on her blog.

Upcycled Vintage Lace Transformed to Elegant Jewelry

Live Learn and Improve

No one can seem to really pin-point the origin of making lace but they will all agree that it has been around for a very long time.
 

During the Middle Ages, a ...
period of renaissance and enlightenment, the making of lace was firmly based within the domain of fashion. To be precise, it was designed to replace embroidery in a manner that could with ease transform dresses to follow different styles of fashion. Unlike embroidery, lace could be unsewn from one material to be replaced on another.

Hey! Imagine that, they were already thinking about reusing this stuff!!! This is exactly what Courtney Spivak and Christina Spivak of White Owl did. The two sisters have found a love for re-purposing vintage materials and collect a great deal from flea markets, estate sales, and even family. The result of their approach upcycling lace has an absolutely gorgeous and unique outcome. I adore their necklaces!

  

 Photos are courtesy of White Owl. Their jewelry can be found on Etsy

Upcycled Dinner Napkins Don't Ever Have To Leave the Dining Table

Live Learn and Improve

Another project of my own...

I've decided we need seat cushions for the kitchen chairs. So this is what I've come up with using old dinner napkins including the tye-strings and buttons from my old cushions. You will finds stains on these from time to time. None on these but there is always the option of dying the fabric if it is mildly tarnished.  

Pioneerthinking.com has a neat article on dying fabric the natural way with things found frequently just outside your door.

You could keep this simple and use two of the same napkins (same print front and back) or you can explore with a different fabrics on each side of the pillow. This will allow you to stretch your pattern throughout the house a little bit farther and my personal opinion is that the end result is often more creative.

One thing I love about projects like this is they have the potential be so personal when you use material you have had for years!