New Upcycled Coasters!

It took me a while to get these finished, but I think they're quite cool. I definitely learned that decoupaging takes patience (and wrist stamina).

"Coffee Table Hero"

"The Conversationalist"

"Pretty In Pink"

The Bins

Our recycling bins are overflowing...again. My downstairs neighbor is the recycling "captain". And as the recycling captain, he's responsible for rolling our bins out to the curb every 2 weeks. But more often than not, he forgets. Hence, bi-weekly turns in to monthly, and our bins begin to vomit recycling. This is especially annoying if you're trying to empty your personal bin in to one of the larger, vomiting bins. Add a dash of wind and you end up with a dangerous, unpredictable tsunami of glass, cardboard and plastic. Not fun.

But despite these minor annoyances, it's good to know that my building mates are eco-conscious, avid recyclers. Yes, recycling tsunamis can be a drag, but it's still much better than seeing an overflowing trash bin.

Recycled cardboard deer trophy, $52 - from Cardboard Safari.

Vintage glass spice jars, $29.99 - from Vintage by Alex Keller.

Wood camera, $20 - from Twig Creative.

Upcycled plastic bag flowers, $18.50 - from Ffflowers.

Recycle This!

I'm an eco-conscious person, so whenever I need to package up an order (from my Etsy shop), the recycle bin is my first stop. There's a gaming shop down the street--they usually have a slew of small boxes. And every Monday, Trader Joe's is the box mecca. I usually hit them up around 10 or so, when they're re-stocking. That way I get the odd-sized ones...like the case boxes for Clif Bars--those are perfect!

I've already stockpiled a massive collection of recycled packaging materials too. Craigslist has been the best for that. Last week I totally scored! This couple had just moved to Seattle and had A TON of left over packaging. I swooped by and took it all. Probably won't need any of that until next year.

Let's recycle people!

Upcycled laundry box book, $18 - from Soma Venus.

 

Recycled turquoise flower tags, $4 - from A Hue of Duck Egg Blue.

Painter's tape core/yellow brocade bracelet, $12 - from Becklaces.

Reclaimed packing materials, $3.85 - from Home Salvage.

Eco-friendlier. New chalkboards -- the "all-wood" series.

For those of you familiar with my Etsy shop, you've most likely seen my staple item: the repurposed chalkboard.  Typically, I upcycle these from old windows and cabinet doors (and feature a functional assortment of vintage/salvaged hardware).  On a recent salvaging expedition, I came across a big 'ol pile of wooden cabinet doors that were still in like new condition.  Usually, I sand and paint these, but these guys were in such great shape that I decided to leave them in their natural state.  They are now part of my "All-Wood" series, and were just recently listed in my shop.  Here are the stars of the show:

THE SOUS CHEF - $49.

GRAPE NOTES - $47.

THE ROOTS - $45.

TURN A SQUARE - $47.

HOUSE OF CHALK - $39.

"House of Chalk" has now been nominated for the "Trash to Craft" Challenge.  The eco-friendly item that wins will be featured on "The Daily Green"!  To vote, head on over to Etsy.  Here's the link: Trash to Craft Challenge.  Vote for Half Pint Salvage!