Three R's: Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose

Back in my day, the three R's stood for Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic. Today our mantra is Recycle, Reuse and Repurpose, so I find myself salvaging those little plastic food containers used in restaurants like mini butter tubs, coffee creamer, and those little individual jelly containers just incase I might be able house them making minis. The grand kids' favorite place to dine out is A&W--yes, we still have that once very popular burger joint--, and the littlest one always wants a quarter to buy a trinket out of the machine. I used to tell her that it was waste of money, but I indulge her now with one requirement: I get the container.

So this week I have been turning trash into treasure.

Inspired by Julie Warren's Little Bits and Pieces video on making little baskets  (click to see video), I used my little collection of tubs and containers to make some baskets for the Bellingham Farmhouse.

 First, and without my camera handy, I made a toy basket for the little cowboy's bedroom--before I viewed the video. I painted the inside of the tub and the rim then wound jeweler's cording around the outer side, attaching it with tacky glue.

Now if mom can just get the little cowboy to pick up his toys at the end of the day. 

In the background you get a glimpse of my meager attempt to weave a basket.

 Next I had these three tubs in the bathroom that I had intended to leave them as plastic storage bins in a cuboard-less bathroom. Then I decided I'd turn them into trendy baskets.

 The materials are simple:

• 1 jelly tub with the rim removed
• a bit of fabric to line the tub as Julie demonstrates, making for a nicer tub.
• Cording that I found in the jewelry making supplies at Hobby Lobby
• Tacky Glue or similar

Julie nicely demonstrates how to assemble baskets. 

One down; two more to go.

With the plastic storage tubs transformed into stylish baskets, I moved on the laundry hamper, a coffee creamer container.

Same process. 

The Bellingham bathroom now has a more finished look, a little more trendy look.

My last little up cycling project is this little trinket container. You'll see what it makes later. 

My next project has taken a couple of days to finish, but I am very excited about this piece. To assemble it, I scrounged around my lumber stash as I worked on my design.

I know, it's pretty sketchy.

I played around with different woods and shapes. I had a couple of guidelines

• As little sawing as possible
• No trips to Hobby Lobby to buy more supplies; I wanted a finished product at the end of the weekend. 

I began with very thin balsa for the back, but it was too flimsy. A trip to my stash in the garage to look for something else produced this 1/4" thick piece that I cut into the back and shelves, using my scroll saw. I had 1/16" thick wood that would easily be cut with a sharp blade, but this project had to be be sturdy, heavy.

 I keep digging through the scraps that I have collected over the years to find legs and some embellishments.

The garden potting bench is beginning to take shape.

I'm getting really excited because I have made relatively few mistakes and nothing is crooked. I can't help but fill it up. Recognize the trinket container? My first bee skep. I even made the tall birdhouse.

With the potting bench finished (all but painting it--still deciding), I began painting the wooden pots that I purchased at--well you can guess. I wanted the clay look, so I mixed paints and got close. A bit darker than the inspiration pot, but I have some very dark real clay pots. 

I tried my hand at adding moss to the first pot. I don't know why since moss does not grow randomly on clay pots here in our dry Colorado climate.

So, I added some dried moss. Fair. Not really authentic-looking, but I'll take it.

I've scanned some of our garden catalogs that have arrived in the mail, shirking them down to 1:12 and I've printed some seed packets, and even a glove. There's more work to do to add all the embellishments.

My birdhouse in the left inspired by a commercial one.

And there it is, a garden bench that will be on the side of farmhouse. I have big dreams of creating a garden for the house, but I'm not sure just how far I will go. I need to finish the roof first. 

Thanks so much for visiting.