Upcycled | It's Still Me…

Feb

Upcycle – Paper Plate Holder Covers

I’ve run out of paper plates many times and in a pinch have used paper towels instead. Only for sandwiches and dry snacks. A easy solution was to cover the plates holders with new $1 shower caps from Dollar Tree! I wouldn’t recommend using this method with hot foods but it works great with snacks and sandwiches! When dirty just toss them into the washer with your cold wash items and line dry.

Nov

Upcycled – Button Art

Nanna’s Buttons

Saved buttons passed down as functional accessories for clothing but now looked at as art. Read more

Nov

Rainy Day in ‘Bama

If we ever have another drought all we need is for the government to make everyday a holiday…guaranteed to rain!

At least now all my rain barrels are filling back up. They had to be drained and moved when we had the house painted. All of the rain barrels ended up needing a good rinse too since so much gunk had settled in the bottom.
Since they are back in place I’ve been thinking of a way to cover them. When I first made them I painted them so they wouldn’t stand out (they were blue). This time I want to wrap them in something, something interesting and unusual but I’m not sure what as of yet… stay tuned!

Read more about the rain barrels here – Rain Barrels

Oct

Meet Mister Black – Train Case Project #2

Meet Mister Black – a.k.a. a $2 American Tourister train case from the 1970′s. I’m thinking for this one I’ll add some white or pink transfers on to the outside and spruce it up a little. This case has an adjustable and removable mirror inside and also a tray. It’s a lot lighter than the blue one that I posted about in my Glamping Project post a few weeks ago. The handle doesn’t lay down flat like my blue one and it’s missing the key for the lock, but it will do just fine for storing small items or just sitting out as a type of decorative tote.

Mister Black – 1970′s train case project number 2

How do you think it will look with maybe some white flower or maybe even some light pink or red graphics? Too hip for someone like me to use as a carry-on bag? My last trip through the airport I didn’t notice any bags like these, but I might next time. It’s kind of like when you purchase a vehicle that seems to be not so common and then you see them everywhere you go.

For this case I did not have to do any major cosmetic work and the inside is in great shape. Here’s a few tips and tricks that I used to perk up Mister Black:

Wipe down the exterior and interior using a mixture of mild soap and warm water
Use a magic eraser to take off any paint transfer or sticky places on the exterior. Don’t rub too much or you will dull the exterior
Wipe down with Armorall wipes or leather cleaner to treat the exterior and help bring back the shine
Fill with four cups unscented cat litter – place in a sealed garbage bag for three weeks to help remove any odor – if there is still a smell change out the cat litter and leave it for a couple more weeks
Decorate and have fun with your new train case