2013 Christmas Repurposing and DIY Ideas

Last year I did a couple of posts on Christmas Repurposing Ideas (here and here).

They really are worth a glance- there are lots and lots of great repurposed holiday ideas.

Here are some new ideas for saving old. discarded items that may otherwise end up in a landfill. And some fabulous DIY ideas for creating gifts and decor items for around your home.

You can also visit my previous post on DIY gifts that you kids can make for their loved ones here.

I am going to start out with a friend's beautiful DIY project that she created last Christmas season.

Using an old frame, some wire, holiday clips and some gift bags- she created her very own Advent Calendar. 

This would be fabulous for those parents that don't want their kids eating chocolate every day. You can see she has mixed it up with some school supplies for her girls. :)

And here are some more fabulous ideas:

Coffee Tin Snowman. Love this.

I think these repurposed jar votives are so beautiful. Just add some pinecones, ribbon and some cedar. I'll bet they smell glorious as well!

What a great excuse to open (and finish!) that bottle of wine! Cute.

How thoughtful would these be to give out to your neighbors?? :)

I love this repurposed wood sign to hang your stocking on. You could also use a repurposed coat rack. They are ALWAYS at the thrift shops.

Another great excuse to drink up that wine.  Paint the corks to create adorable ornaments for your tree. 

There is just SO much repurposed loveliness here! An old rake, part of an old door....Love it so much.  

If you are wondering what to do with your old baby food jars- here's a great idea! Turn them into sweet miniature snow globes. 

This is a similar idea to my friend's advent calendar.  Reuse an old frame and some ribbon to display your holiday cards.

Last year I posted about making old lightbulbs into ornaments. Or- you can simply place them in a bowl for an instant holiday decoration.

I love this. An old ruler, some random game pieces, and some glue and you have a super sweet, original ornament.

I posted about this last year- but it is such a simple and easy repurposing idea.... reuse last year's holiday cards for this year's gift tags. I do this every year.

Paint an old pallet to create a space-saving tree that you can hang your ornaments on.

Another simple and useful repurposing idea for last year's holiday cards. You can make them into bookmarks. I will be doing this, for sure.

And finally, one more idea for old holiday cards- because I know that you have PLENTY....

Turn them into holiday postcards to send a lovely message to your loved ones this holiday season.

And who doesn't love getting postcards?? :) 

So friends, these were my favourite repurposing ideas for the 2013 holiday season.

Of course, I found them all (minus my friend's calendar) on Pinterest.

I hope you've been inspired to look around and decorate your home by giving something you already own a new brand new purpose.

New life.

This is the reason for the season, after all.

Blessings to all.

DIY- Kid's Crafty Gifts And Keepsakes

We hear it said over and over during our lives- Christmas is for kids.

But you don't fully understand the truth behind this seemingly simple comment until you have children of your own.

I remember as a twenty-something feeling like something was always 'missing' from Christmas. I now know what it is. 

It's seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child. The awe. The wonder. The excitement. You can almost feel your own skin prickling with the anticipation that children feel as it gets closer and closer to Christmas Day.

And, since we as adults know that the best part about the holiday season is giving to others, why not teach our children while they're young this important lesson?

Here are some DIY gifts to make with the kiddies for giving (and keeping). They'll love feeling the satisfaction of creating something out of nothing, and you'll all love the time spent and the memories made.

Some Adorable Gifts Made From Footprints:

Is there anything in the world cuter than a baby or child's footprint? Doubtful.

Reindeer faces.

Love this 'Mistletoes' idea on a plain canvas. Super cute gift and/or keepsake. 

Very cute footprint Christmas Tree idea. 

Crafty Ideas For Hands And Fingerprints

Make a truly original gift for family or friends with your little one's Fingerprint Reindeer Ornament. 

...or use their whole hand and create an adorable Snowman Family Ornament.

I'm loving these Reindeer Handprint Ornaments, as well. 

This handprint and footprint wreath  on canvas is pretty darn cute, too.

Here are a few variations on a very cute keepsake idea. Make a wreath out of cut-out handprints. Love.

It's not really a keepsake- but I simply LOVE this DIY idea! Create a felt tree with felt ornaments and gifts. That way, your toddler will keep his/her hands off the real one!

 And I think that this idea for 'Elf Donuts' to make with the kids and leave out with Santa's cookies is just to die-for-adorable!

I always save all of my paper towel and toilet paper rolls. Now I have a fabulous repurposing DIY idea for  Christmas decorating around the home!! I also have an abundance of baby socks for the hats. My kids would LOVE making these carolers. :)

Here's a beautiful and simple idea to do with the kids. Paint an old or thrifted plate with chalkboard paint and you have yourself a cute Christmas Countdown DIY craft.

My boys would be SO excited to wake up to these GIANT snowmen all over my home. Another cute and easy DIY project that will bring BIG grins! All you need is some construction paper or cardstock.

So, grab your kiddies, some paint, some paper- whatever you have on hand- and go crazy!

They'll love it, and you'll have some beautiful gifts to give at the end!

Blessings.

Band Tees and Bellies. Love.

I just LOVE the 'rocker-chic' look of a band tee on a pregnant belly.

Is it just me?

I thrifted this Bullet For My Valentine tee shortly after I had my second child and it has become one of my favourite go-to tees.

So naturally, I can't bring myself to put it away just yet. I realize that I am treading a fine line between my love for this shirt and stretching it out beyond post-baby recovery, though.... haha. 

Here is my belly in my fav rocker tee:

Tee- (Non- Maternity) Value Village  $5.99
Skinny Jeans- purchased for previous pregnancy

Scarf- FREE.  Cast-off from my Mom (Who actually got it as a cast-off from my baby sister, lol) At least it's stayed in the family...

Chambray Shirt- Sister found at a Goodwill Thrift shop for me. I'm SURE she spent under $5 on it.

Thanks for reading friends. Hope this gives you some ideas for dressing your pregnant and non-pregnant bellies.

Are you all ready for Christmas?

I will be posting some repurposed Christmas ideas in the next couple of weeks and re-posting my blog about real vs artificial trees and which one is greener....in case anyone missed that one and is curious....

Peace.

In My Closet- An Eclectic Mix Of Maternity And Non-Maternity Clothing

Well friends, I am now 18 weeks along in my third pregnancy.

I am busy, busy, busy these days- but I DO want to share some of the thrifted maternity outfits that I pull together.

Being 18 weeks along, I can get away with half my closet being maternity clothing and the other half still being my regular clothing. I like to mix and match- if I choose maternity pants, I try to wear non-maternity on top. Only because I know someday soon, it will be all maternity from head-to-toe.

Because I believed that I was finished having kids, I had given away all of my mat clothes. Thankfully, I was able to get them all back, or else I'd be thrifting A LOT more in the coming months....

Even so- you need to freshen up your wardrobe every now and then, so I have thrifted the odd item since I found out that I was expecting this time.

Here is the outfit that I wore today to run some errands:

Black top- Value Village $5.99 (non-maternity)

Purple-ish Cardi- Free from my Clothing Swap (non-maternity) 

Also seen here

Navy Maternity Jegging- from last pregnancy

Stretchy Belt- LOVE these while pregnant! Thrifted long ago.

Scarf- Talize- $4.99

Here is something that I wore 4 weeks ago, and continue to wear all the time. I love wearing layers since our temperatures fluctuate so much while we're pregnant. With layers, you can add or remove easily throughout the day as needed. 

Black Top- (Non-maternity) Value Village $4.99

Cobalt Sleeveless Sweater- (Non-maternity) Talize $4.99

Necklace: Just One- World Changing Fashion

Hope that gives you pregnant girlies out there some ideas on mixing maternity with non-maternity clothing. 




Thanks for reading, I hope to post again soon!




Blessings.

Clothing Bag Sale This Weekend!

Almost ONE YEAR ago today (!!), I posted about the awesomeness of Bag Sales.

I spoke of how they are the ultimate thrift experience.

You fill a bag with various lovely items that you find among piles of 'other people's treasures', and you pay one set price.

This weekend the Mountain Kidz Klub will be having another of their Clothing Sales (bag sales) at Eastmount Community Center.

You can either do $1 an item, if you only see one or two items that you like (I cannot imagine that, but it IS an option). Or, more likely, you can fill a small bag for $5 or choose to fill a large bag for $10.

These bag sales are fabulous- especially if you have children. But try not to bring them with you, if possible. You will need both hands free to dig through the piles of clothing and accessories.

Here is my favourite Bag Sale find to date:

Great scarf, yes? And since it was in a bag full of clothing, it probably cost me about a quarter.

If you are in the Hamilton area this Saturday, November 16th between 9am and 1pm pop in to Eastmount Community Center and fill a bag!

Then send me photos of what you found!! :)

Unfortunately, I have 2 weddings to work that day and won't be able to attend. I will live through you, my friends. Haha.

Blessings.

'The True Cost' Of What We Purchase- This Documentary Is Uncovering It

I am SO excited about this documentary that will (hopefully) soon be released, The True Cost.

Director Andrew Morgan sets out to uncover the lies of Fast Fashion and sweatshop labour.

If you have 4 minutes, PLEASE watch the trailer at the end of this post.

Here are some of my favourite quotes from the teaser:

"With the events at Rana Plaza [the garment factory collapse], it was now the case that 3 of the 4 worst tragedies in the history of the global apparel industry had happened in the last year."

This hurts my heart. How do we allow this to continue? I posted on the Rana Plaza collapse here and here.

"People have a preference to remain ignorant. So even though they actually CARE about something like sweatshop labour- they actually will make an effort NOT to know about it."

I completely agree with that last quote. The more people learn, the more they struggle with the choices that they chose to make in the area of consumption.

"This consumption of goods is a response to our DISCONNECT between the product being created by a PERSON."

Agree. Completely. It's easier to believe that our clothes are being manufactured in a factory by machines, or something....over "THERE".... It gets tougher to purchase inexpensive clothing when we realize how it came to be, and how it affected (negatively) the life of another human being.

"Instead of 2 seasons a year- we practically have 52 seasons a year. So, we have something coming in every week. And Fast Fashion has created this so that it can essentially shift more product."

This is, to me, the biggest problem with the apparel industry. We want the 'newest of the new', but we can't pay what it's worth, so we get it cheap by sacrificing other people's health, safety and lifestyle. Fast Fashion is described here by Wikipedia. I posted on the benefits of the Slow Fashion Movement here.

"Fast Fashion is about producing with little regard for the workers that make it and little regard for the environment from which it came from."

Absolutely- this business model is absolutely unsustainable for the earth and it's citizens.

"I think we as Citizens of the World have a responsibility to CARE who is making these products and what we're putting them through by demanding these prices."

Couldn't agree more.

Please, please, PLEASE watch the trailer here:

And please friends, CARE about where your clothing comes from. RESEARCH which companies run ethically, and support them. SUPPORT locally-owned shops and owners where you live. Or, choose to shop second-hand, as I do.

There is a TRUE COST of the clothing that we consume here in North America- and we are not the ones paying it....

Be thankful for what we have and be aware of how our choices affect other people on the other side of the earth.

Peace.

DIY- Ideas For Using Chalkboard Paint Around The Home

Well, now that I am a homeowner (!!), I am trying to decide how to make the space that I will be moving into my own.

How will I get rid of the feeling of "THEIR (the previous owners) house" and make it feel like "MY house".

Probably the easiest, and least expensive way, is by painting.

You can choose the colours, the sheen, and the texture- if you wish. You can choose to make a room feel warmer or feel cooler... bright and cheerful or calm and mellow.

One kind of paint that I will definitely be using in my new home is chalkboard paint.

For those of you who have never heard of such a thing- it is SUCH a fabulous invention! Simply paint it on a surface and transform that surface into a place that you can write/ draw on- and just let your creativity run wild!

Here are some ideas for using chalkboard paint on a small-scale.

For Labeling:

Paint a plate/ platter with chalkboard paint and you have a cheese and cracker plate on which you can identify the different types of cheese for your guests. 

Use it to label your dry pantry items. If you want to change what the jar holds, simply erase the label and write something else on it.

Use chalkboard paint to label mason jars containing office and/or craft supplies.

Love this- paint pots with chalkboard paint and you have a very pretty way to let people know your what your house number is.  













Or you can use chalkboard paint on a bit of a larger scale.




To Personalize Or 'Freshen-up' Your Tired Fridge:

I love the idea of being able to write on my fridge. They are always SO boring.... Although, I DO foresee some chalk on my clothes.....

You can also use Chalkboard paint on a VERY large scale.

On Entire Walls:

I love this idea for a powder room. You can change up the design on the walls whenever the mood strikes. Brilliant. Also an FYI- chalkboard paint comes in an array of colours! So, you don't need to use just black on your walls! Although I think it works beautifully in this room....

Seriously- THIS is a GREAT idea!! I LOVE that they took a likely unused area of the home and made it into a usable, enjoyable, fun space for the kids! :) 

This is a great way to keep the family organized. Everyone can see what is happening that day/ week/ month as they are entering or leaving the house.

Or, you can use chalkboard paint to simply say "I love you".

Such a sweet idea. Reminds me of when I used to find notes from my mom written on napkins in my lunch. Love it.











Well friends, I hope you also found some inspiration for your home somewhere in this post.

All of these photos and more can be found on Pinterest.

Blessings.