I’m *finally* getting back on top of my email Inbox & feed reader after a few mad weeks of juggling work and house moves – here’s some super-interesting links I’ve been sent/read about.

• Andy at Hide Your Arms has pulled together a great list of 100 reuses/restyling ideas for old tshirts.
• MJ over at Making Do with the Not So New linked to Printable Paper – templates for printing specialist paper patterns rather than, for example, having to buy a 100-sheet pad of graph paper when you only need one sheet. They can also, obviously, be printed on the back of scrap paper too.
• I’m always a little sceptical about the value of petitions but this one on the Number10 website is about a good idea: making phone books opt-in.
• Nancy at 21centurydressmakers has been making photo/postcard stands using empty plastic bottles and other food containers.
• Calfinder have pulled together a short list of fantastic reuses for old window frames.
• And finally, pictured above, Mayaluna at maya*made has reused spent coffee grounds and an old sack to make a great smelling pin-cushion that also helps keep the pins & needles rust free.

We’ve had a message from Amy:

I have a large box of spare buttons, all odd, different colours, different sizes, the ones you get on items of clothes in case you lose one.

Does anyone have any useful suggestions for re-using? Looking forward to your suggestions

Woo! buttons! I love spare buttons! :)

And they’re a hot crafting item at the moment too: I love the idea of button bouquets, but there are also button coasters (perfect for lots of less exciting buttons), collages and using them as embellishments for boring shoes or tops.

My favourite pairs of earrings are made from buttons too: before I trained myself to wear dangly ones, I just glued by favourite buttons onto stud findings but now I’ve got a pair that are simply three colourful buttons on headpins – I wear them all the frickin’ time (even now as I type this ;) ).

Around the home, I’ve seen them used instead of gravel in clear fake-flower vases or on top of the soil in plant pots — and if you can’t think of a reuse for them, put them in a bag on eBay and button-cravers like me will snap them up ;)

Any other suggestions?

(Photo by nkzs)

This is a bit of an anticipatory post since said cone is still currently covered in a few of hundred grammes of yarn but anyway…

Yarn/wool cones. I bought a giant cone of yarn on eBay the other day from someone clearing out their yarn stash. I thought I’d use it for for my next big crafting project, a crocheted blanket but as the yarn is, well, sunshine (read: oh-my-God-so-bright) yellow, I’ll have to get another one in a less retina-straining tone to calm it down a bit – and that means I’ll then have two of these hollow cones.

The one I’ve got at the moment is about 20cm (8″) tall and tapered to around 7cm (3″) in diameter at the base from around 2.5cm (1″) at the top. It’s made of heavy duty cardboard – so recyclable – but you know me*, I prefer to reuse instead of recycle. I’ve also seen a lot of similarly sized plastic cones about which aren’t so easily recyclable.

Since it’s a craft-related item, I’m sure there are loads of crafty reuses – but what about practical things too?

* if you don’t know me, hi, I’m Louisa. I like to reuse and repurpose random things. It’s nice to meet you.

We’ve had another email from Agata:

Hey, it’s me once again :P I love jewelry: bangles, charms, earrings, bracelets, broaches and so on. Do you have any ideas, what can I transform into this bling-bling stuff?

I already know about waterbottle beads and paper beads, but what else?

As I’ve said before, I love fun, DIY jewellery too – making it as much as wearing it.

I’m not sure whether Agata is asking for ways to transform/revamp old jewellery or make new stuff so ideas for both are welcome.

My favourite earrings at the moment are ones I made from salvaged buttons – the buttons dangle on wires but I’ve made small buttons into cute studs before too.

I also love Jane Eldershaw’s junk jewellery and the great stuff Alison Bailey Smith makes out of old wire from televisions.

As for renovating old stuff, I’ve got a wooden bangle that’s a lovely shape but has got a weird pattern on it – that’s ripe for wrapping in wire (just as soon as I find some suitable stuff), and I’m always taking apart old necklaces to salvage their beads for new projects.

I suspect this is a pretty wide topic and it comes down to personal aesthetics in the end about what you make but what’s your favourite thing to recycle into jewellery (or beads etc)?

(Oh, and Agata: once you’ve made all your new stuff, you might want to check out this post: how to make jewellery organisers by recycling stuff?)

(Photo by sloopjohnb)

Ok, a bit of a random one but, against our completely uncoordinated better judgement, my friend Katherine and I are currently learning how to belly dance.

We’re both naturally clumsy but it turns out that life isn’t like a film where the most hoof-footed woman becomes a goddess once she enters a dance studio. Imagine a drunk person on a pogo-stick during an earthquake: they’d still be more graceful than me.

We’re planning to distract from our natural lack of skill with fancy-swancy hip scarf/belts and since I’m the craft-y one, I’ve been charged with the task of creating them. I *could* just go and buy some scarves from the market and decorate them with sequins, “coins” (circles of metal that clink together) and bells from the haberdashery but, really, where would the fun be in that?

So any suggestions for other, more interesting, more recycled things to use instead? For both the scarf/belt itself and the decoration.

I thought maybe ring pulls/bottle caps for the coins – I’m not sure how to attach them though. I’ve also got a decent stash of empty drink cans for crafty use – shapes cut from them would be nice and light but possibly a little sharp… Thoughts?