Grow your Own.

I'm Growing PET Bottles!

Actually We had freeze and frost warnings again, Yesterday for early this morning, (Someone please tell Mother Nature it is May 18, OK?) I was saving the bottles in hopes to maybe make a hothouse/lean-to for the garden, or maybe a chair. But I am also using some of them to make beads. Anyway they came in handy as an emergency cold frame for the plants. Covering each plant was a big pain in the ass, especially since I had to do this last week too. I had just put the bottles/frames away when I had to haul them back out.

Doncha love the debris? They flew off the Elder Tree. We used to call them Helicopters, or propellers. They fly off the tree like propellers. They all landed in the garden.

Anyway I promised a post on my trash can.

This was one of those paper/cardboard barrels, usually seen in the garment district and such. I inherited it when I took the excessive fabric remnants our school/church had left after a harvest fest one year. I have two of these. I decided to cut one down and make a waste can. This is the beginning. I coiled paper from the news and inserts as well as the magazines we get at xmas.
My attempt at being decorative...My square insert.

Finished with the coils. Now it is sitting there waiting for a topper. A band or something around the top. I tried folding the aluminum cans but it didn't work for me. I was thinking a copper band would look nice but I don't wanna pay an arm and a leg, it defeats the purpose of upcycle/ repurpose/ frugal. Try and try again I guess.

Is it May Already?

Wow . Summer is almost here. So what have you been up to you may be asking?

WELLLLLLL.......Besides the gallbladder problems and the subsequent surgery I had back in march ( yeah, happy birthday to me, you had a gallbladder!) to remove the nasty organ, and the depression that followed.....( same thing last time I had surgery too...Hmmmmm...I see a pattern here....no more cutting...or drugs)..I have been trying to create things from my waste products.....NO not that waste, the waste from the packaging this family uses.

Like soda Cans, plastic bottles, ( shut up! I have to buy my water, the water here sucks and the cheap-o filter systems are just as bad....you gotta buy the cartridges talk about waste, I dont even know how to repurpose those things. I would love a burkey ( sp.) wanna buy me one? costs around 200.00 last time I looked.), video tape and plastic supermarket bags.

Now I know I posted about crocheting those pesky bags into bag,bags... but sometimes I forget to bring them and worse still my oldest and her husband still bring them home...they never use the re-useables...grrrrrrrrr.....I feel like the garbage gremlin, going around cleaning up their waste all the time.

So I am always trying to find creative and dare I say it lukrative outlets to upcycle.

My first attempt at a mobile.....

CAN ya see it better here?

Soda cans cut into tear drop shapes. I punched a hole in the top and bottom, used eyelets and strung them with 30 lb test line. The small glass beads are clear crystal chips that i PURCHASED at the craft store in the jewelry dept.I alternated long and short lines and then added the chip lines in between, in addition are 2 lines of faux bali beads.

I liked it but it looked too industrious. It was too heavy as well, didnt swing too well with a light breeze. Also it was not very frugal. Crimp beads and eyelets are expensive.

My next attempt............

My daughters fingers...LOL she is holding a dark background to help me get the shot...

Ok so I can't get a good shot. These are cut into hearts and hung on 8lb filament with blue dangles for added weight. The 8lb test however, is too light. So this keeps tangling...My next attempt is a heavier weight line which is in progress.

The 30 lbs test line I could not tie I had to use crimp beads b/c the line was too thick and heavy. The 8lb test I could tie and it stayed and I did not need to use eyelets either ( more money saved).

Next.....my trash can.