How to Recycle Items Into Home Decor

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit Home decorating doesn't have to be expensive. There are many items that can be "hacked" into decor. So before you donate or dump anything, look at it with a creative eye. Is there any way it can become part of your beautifully unique home? This article will give you some ideas to start with.

Steps

1. Make throw pillows from old t-shirts and sweaters. Throw pillows make the couch more comfortable and welcoming. It is also a chic look to have many pillows of different size and shape on your bed or couch. Store-bought pillows can be kind of expensive, so creating a pillow from one of your old t-shirts or sweaters is a great crafting project to try.
   • Pick your fabric. Sweaters are soft and comfortable, and tend to have great textures and prints. T-shirts are a fun idea, as well, because they can be a good conversation starter and they can make a room more personable. Which ever fabric you choose make sure that you really want to cut into it. There’s nothing worse then say “actually, I still wear that!” Tip: try working with a material that won’t give you much trouble for your first pillow, like a cotton t-shirt.
   • Trace out the area that you want to make into the pillow (remember, you aren’t limited to a square shape, however, this maybe the easier route to go for beginners). You can cut out two separate squares or keep the sides of the shirt connected, this all depends on the style you want in the end.
   • Stuff it! Next you want to turn the shirt inside out if the sides still connected. Sew one side together, allowing only the other side of the shirt-pillow case to be open. Turn it right side out. If you cut two squares out, face the squares backwards to each other (wrong sides together, as if it's inside out) and sew three sides together. You should be able to turn this right side out to reveal what the pillow should look like. Then begin to stuff. And don’t be cheap with the pillow stuffing either. You want a nice firm pillow right?
   • Using your sewing machine, finish sewing the open side. Voíla! You have a pillow made out of your shirt. This is a perfect accent to your couch or bed or even for traveling. Enjoy!
   • If you have feline friends, you can also Make a Cat Bed from an Old Sweater.



2. Turn an old boot into a planter. Do you have a pair of boots that have been with you through thick and thin? Are they too worn for you or anyone else to make use of them? Give them a new life with plants. These can be used inside or outside.
   • Line the inside of boots with wax paper. The wax paper will prevent water from leaking through the boot. Place the middle of one sheet of wax paper over the opening of the boot. Carefully move wax paper into boot with your hand until your fingers hit the bottom of the boot. There will excess wax paper over the edge of the boot. Repeat for second boot.
   • Fill each boot about three fourths way with potting soil.
   • Place one flower/plant in each boot.
   • Remove excess wax paper from the boots with a pair of scissors. Wax paper should come no lower than an inch underneath the top of each boot.
   • Fill the remaining fourth of the boot with potting soil.
   • Add a small amount of water to each boot.
   • Place the boots in sunlight. There you have it! A simple and easy way to reuse those old boots that you cannot bear to part with.
3. Turn old photos and cards into place mats. It's cleaning time, and you stumble upon a box of old cards. They could be Christmas cards, congratulatory cards, or even birthday cards. Perfect for adding personal touches to your home! One of the easiest and cheapest ways is to make your own place mats for your kitchen table. You can do this using any kind of card, and use the place mats as part of your seasonal decorating. A lot of times, birthday and congratulations cards can have many beautiful fronts that can be used year round.
   • Select different cards or parts of cards that you like. You can cut similar shapes like circles or squares from each, or you can keep them whole.
   • Remove the backing from one sheet of contact paper and arrange the pictures. You can either line them up side by side, or layer them over one another. You can even lay down a piece of construction paper first as a background, and glue the pictures on in shapes or letters. Be creative! Add your own personal family photos if you'd like too!
   • Once you've gotten everything laid out to your liking, remove the backing from another sheet of contact paper. Now, with a steady hand, lay the sticky side down without creating bubbles in the paper. Smooth out any bubbles the best you can.
   • Cut the place mat to whatever shape and size you wish. Now you have fun, creative place mats that you can truly call your own!
   • For more ideas, see How to Make Placemats from Greeting Cards.
   • You can also use leaves! Check out How to Make Table Placemats with Leaves.
4. Hold onto your wine bottles. Wine tastes great and looks great. However, have you ever looked at a wine bottle's label? They're quite often pieces of art in and of themselves. Learn How to Use Wine Bottle Labels As Art. You can also Recycle Wine Corks Into a Corkboard, and find other ways to Recycle Wine Bottles. There are even kits sold which allow you to turn any bottle into a lamp!
5. Make Art from Guitar Strings. After changing your guitar strings, you don't have to throw the old ones away. You can be creative and turn them into a work of art. The finished product can make an interesting centerpiece or even a wonderful gift for a musical friend!
6. Turn old drink cartons into baskets. See How to Make a Basket from an Old Orange Juice Carton. Alternatively, you can use them to make picture frames or bird houses!
7. Turn plastic bottles into candy dishes and intricate vases. The beauty of reusing plastic bottles is that whatever you make from them won't shatter! Check out How to Make a Soda Bottle Candy Dish and How to Make a Vase out of a Plastic Bottle.
8. Reshape old vinyl records. Did you know that you can Make Bowls out of Vinyl Records? Or use them to Make a Salvador Dali Clock?

Things You'll Need

• For throw pillows
  • sweaters
  • t-shirts
  • scissors
  • needle and thread
  • sewing machine
  • stuffing
• For the boot planter
  • an old pair of work or military boots from the closet, (2) 3 foot sheets of wax paper from the kitchen
  • a pair of scissors
  • one small bag of potting soil
  • water
  • 2 of a small plant or flower of your choice.
• For place mats
  • Scissors
  • contact paper
  • glue
  • old cards or photographs!

Related wikiHows

• How to Reuse Old Shower Curtains
• How to Recycle Towels
• How to Recycle Your Socks
• How to Buy Nothing
• How to Reuse an Empty Altoids Tin

How to Make Hypertufa Planters

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Would you like to give your garden a different look? Hypertufa, or tufa, plant pots have a coarsely textured, stone look. With their thick, porous texture, they are good quarters and backdrops for smaller plants, such as cacti, succulents, and alpine plants. These are versatile pots that you make yourself, so they can be any size you want. Does that tickle your green thumb? If so, read on.

Steps

1. Have your supplies ready, especially the pots or molds you will use.
2. Mix three parts peat moss, three parts Perlite, and two parts Portland cement in a wheelbarrow, bucket, or other large container.
   • Measurements may be approximate.
   • Try to get all the lumps out of the peat moss for best texture.
   • Wear gloves and avoid breathing near the mixture.
   • You can use a shovel or trowel to stir.
3. Gradually add water and stir the mixture, until you achieve a stiff, workable "mud pie" consistency.
   • You should be able to form a ball of the mixture in your hand.
4. Place some of the mixture in a plastic plant pot, bucket, or other form.
   • Whatever you use as the form should be much larger than the opening you want in the finished plant pot, because the walls will be quite thick.
   • Make sure the shape of the pot or form you use will allow you to remove the finished planter easily. It should have sloped sides with no undercuts.
5. Press the mixture against the sides of the form, leaving a thick wall with an opening for a plant. Make the walls 1-2 inches (2.5 to 5cm) thick. You will be able to see the shape of the finished plant pot as you complete it.
6. Add a hole in the bottom for drainage. You can use your finger to form the hole.
7. Allow the planter to dry thoroughly for about 7 days.
8. Carefully un-mold the planter and add soil and plants.

Video

Hypertufa gardener

Tips

• Try this using this material to make stepping stones and other garden statuary, too.
• Use Portland cement, not ready-mix concrete.
• You can embed materials, such as leaves, in the sides to create imprints. Or, texture the material with a wire brush.
• Hypertufa is quite alkaline and may cause the soil you place in it to become alkaline, also. Choose plants that prefer alkaline soil.
• Tufa is a naturally-occurring, porous rock formed by precipitation of calcium. Hypertufa is a mixture of Portland cement and various aggregates in imitation of naturally-occurring tufa.
• You can mix the dry ingredients and store the mix, wetting only as much of it at a time as you need for one project.

Warnings

• Wear gloves when handling Portland cement and avoid skin contact. If your skin does contact this mixture, rinse well.
• Avoid breathing the dry mixture or getting it in eyes.

Things You'll Need

• 3 parts peat moss
• 3 parts Perlite
• 2 parts Portland cement
• Water
• Container in which to mix (wheelbarrow, large plastic bin/bucket)
• Gloves
• Shovel or trowel
• Plastic plant pots or other containers to use as forms
• Leaves or other texture items (optional)

Sources and Citations

• http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Make-Hypertufa-Pots-18630332 Original source of article, shared with permission.

1. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tufa
2. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertufa
3. ↑ http://www.gardenstew.com/about1779.html

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make Hypertufa Planters. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.