Revolving Desk Tidy

Time for another upcycling project! ♻️

This amazing desk tidy is easily made using some basic materials, but the best thing about it, is that it turns around! It gives you 360° access to all of your bits and bobs! No more cluttered workspaces!

Memory Baubles

Following on from my Christmas memory bauble tutorial, where I upcycled my old Christmas cards and Advent calendar, I have started to create lots of memory baubles based on different themes!

Pringles Tube Lighthouse

In previous posts, I showed you how to create a postbox and a mailbox out of an empty Pringles tube. I seem to be finding more and more ways of upcycling these versatile cardboard tubes, and so this time, I am going to show you how to turn one into a lighthouse.

DIY Upcycled Love Heart Gift Box

Welcome to another upcycling project! This time I am going to show you how to turn an empty cheese triangle box into a super cute love heart gift box, perfect for Valentine's Day! ❤️

You can include your own personal message inside, then fill the box with chocolates or other small treats and present it to that special someone in your life! ❤️

DIY Woven Paper Heart

In this tutorial, you will discover how to turn an old envelope, or some scraps of paper, into a gorgeous woven paper heart! Perfect for Valentine's Day, they are easy to make, and would look adorable attached to a card or gift for that special someone in your life!

Upcycled Christmas Card Baubles

Happy New Year!

My first upcycling project of 2020 has begun, and I am using all of my old Christmas cards, and a used Advent calendar, to create some super cute Christmas card baubles!

Aren't they fabulous!?

They are so easy to make, and the best thing is you can use any materials left over from Christmas to decorate them.

To make one, you will need:

• used Christmas cards / old Advent calendar / glittery card crackers
• circle punch (I used a 1.5" scalloped edge craft punch)
• pencil
• ruler
• scissors
• strong craft glue
• thread, string, ribbon or wool for hanging

Pringles Tube Mailbox

Following on from my previous post, where I showed you how to create a UK postbox out of a Pringles tube, this time I am making one into a US mailbox! As before, it can be used as a money box, a worry box, a message box or just for somewhere to store things in.

Pringles Tube Postbox

I am so excited to share my latest upcycling project with you! This tutorial will show you how to make a UK postbox out of an empty Pringles tube. It can be used as a money box, a worry box, a message box or just for somewhere to keep your ideas in.

DIY YouTube Play Button

Time for another upcycling tutorial! This time, I will be showing you how to turn an empty pastille tin into a YouTube play button.

TicTac Box Fairy House

Another upcycling project! This time I will be showing you how to create a cute, little fairy house out of a TicTac box. This is a great way to use up some of those small scraps of coloured paper that get stashed away so frequently. It's also fun to make with kids as it really doesn't have to be precise. In fact, the more natural and organic it looks, the better!

So, let's get started!

To make your very own fairy house, you will need:

• an empty TicTac box
• a glass of water
• nail polish remover
• a cotton bud
• scraps of coloured paper and thin card
• pencil and fineliner pen
• circle guide (optional)
• scissors
• craft knife, ruler and cutting mat
• double-sided tape and gluestick
• small craft punches (optional)

First, fill the empty TicTac box with water, close the lid and place it in a glass of water. (The water inside the box helps it to sink.)

 After a couple of hours (or overnight) empty the water out of the box and begin to scrape the label off with your thumbnail.

Then, using a small amount of nail polish remover on a cotton bud, gently rub over the use by date printed on the box, and over any remaining glue from the label.

Next, draw around the TicTac box onto a piece of coloured paper (approx A5 size). You need to draw around each of the four sides and the base making sure that no gaps are left. Then add a tab against one side, and a tab below each of the sides.

Cut this out, then draw some windows. I used a circle guide, putting a small one on the front and a larger one on the back, but it may look more natural if it is drawn freehand. Cut these out carfeully using a craft knife.

You then need to draw the window frames on another scrap of coloured paper. (Make sure the inside circle is smaller than the window circle you just cut out.)

Carefully cut these out using a craft knife, then glue them over the windows.

Apply double-sided tape around the edges of the TicTac box and along the top and bottom of the front and back. Then carefully position the coloured paper so that it wraps around the box. You may need some glue to hold the final tabs down on the base.

Once this is done, cut a small arch-shaped door out of another scrap of coloured paper and glue it to the front of the house.

To add some decoration, punch several flowers out of patterned card and glue them to the front and back of the house, then draw on some detail using a brown permanent fineliner pen.

FRONT

BACK

Using the following template for the roof, draw around it onto some thin patterned card and cut it out. Score along the dashed lines and fold them as shown to create the roof shape.

For added decoration, punch two hearts out of red paper and glue these to either side of the roof, then finish it off with more fineliner pen detail.

For the chimney, cut a small rectangle of paper (the same colour as the house if you wish) and, using doudle-sided tape, wrap it around the TicTac box lid.

Ta-Dah! A cute, little fairy house is complete!

I really hope you enjoyed this project and that you will soon start creating your own little fairy houses. Maybe you could make a row of them, or hide them around your home in the hope that the fairies will find them and move in!

*UPDATE* I have added a video tutorial for this on my YouTube channel, so check it out for more details!

Happy crafting!

Lindor Wrapper Bag

You may already know, from some of my previous posts, that I love to upcycle. I hate throwing things away that I might find useful one day, and food packaging is one of the things that I love to hold on to. Although a lot of food packaging can be sent away for recycling now, so much of it still can't, and so I love the idea of creating an item out of something that might otherwise be thrown away as rubbish.

So here is my latest creation - a small bag, or purse, created out of Lindor chocolate wrappers.

Candy Wrapper Bag

I'm not one for throwing things away. If something can be reused, or repurposed, then chances are I'll find something to make with it.

Several months ago, I started saving crisp packets and chocolate wrappers again, along with any other thin plastic packaging, with the intention of making another candy wrapper bag. 

And here's the result!

The zip was rerepurposed from an old handbag and the strap came from an old torch that no longer worked. 

I find it incredible that something so beautiful can be made out of materials that get thrown away every day.

Altered Tin Design

This was a challenge: what could I create using the remains of some Christmas crackers?

They were too beautifully patterned to throw away, so I started thinking, and decided to try another altered tin design.

And here is the result!

With the addition of some paper flowers, a small key, a paper doily, some small faux pearls and a printed image of a pocket watch, the theme I was trying to go for was Victorian Music Hall. 

I was particularly inspired by this image from City Varieties Music Hall, Leeds.

It would be lovely to use this tin to keep theatre tickets in.

The card was quite thick so I had to separate the layers, and because the top layer was already coated it didn't tear.

I love the shine on the finished item. The coating on the card was already quite shiny, but with the addition of several layers of PVA glue it really sparkles now!

Upcycled Shelves

Following on from my DIY display shelves tutorial, I have put another old box file to good use.

I rescued this one from a bin, and as I only had one I decided to do something a little different with it.

The lid was already broken off, so I neatened the edges and removed the fittings with a flat screwdriver as before. I then taped over the holes that remained.

I cut the lid to make three separate long pieces - two to create the middle section, and one to strengthen the left side where the lid had been. These were then glued together and taped into place. The pieces had to be measured carefully so that they sit flush when fitted in.

To create further shelves, I used pieces from another box file lid that I had left over from the last project, and cut them to fit. I cut out eight pieces, doubled them up for strength and taped them firmly into position. I measured the spaces between them carefully so that each 'square' space was the same size.

I covered the back and sides with one piece of white wood-effect sticky-back plastic, then used smaller pieces to cover the shelves and the inside. The whole structure was now strong, solid and secure.

I could have kept it looking like this, but I decided to add some colour with a square of patterned paper inside each space. These can easily be removed or covered over if I ever want a different look. 

Hopefully you have been inspired to create something similar yourself...

Altered Tin Designs

Continuing with the paper flower theme, here are two more of my altered tin designs. I have really enjoyed creating these, especially reusing materials from other items.

And here are the three tins together: