Trash to Treasure of the Month

Each month I am going to try to feature a unique, functional item that fits the Trash to Treasure theme. January we are going to learn how to make a beautiful footstool out of an old dresser drawer. Dresser drawers are a common find along the side of the road or in thrift store and yard sales. More often than not they are discarded because one of the drawers is damaged but the added bonus to the thrifty recycler is that you now have two or even three drawers to make this fabulous footstool with. One to keep and some to give away or sell! Follow this link for step-by step instructions for making your own trash to treasure Dresser drawer footstool with storage.

Make A Denim Rag Quilt From Old Jeans

Jeans are a hard thing to throw away. No matter how stained and holey they are they are like old friends, you just can't bear to throw them away. But sadly there comes a day when they become unwearable. With just basic sewing skill you can turn those beloved old jeans into a treasured quilt either for yourself or a favorite teenager in your life-Read More:

Scrapbooking is Made For Trash Pickers

Scrapbooking is a hobby that is perfect for dumpster divers, pack rats, trash pickers hoarders. Call us what you want we don't care. Scrapbooking allows you to use all those old buttons, zippers, paper clips, shells and doo-dads you were saving to create something fabulous. You can even make your own paper by recycling newspaper! One thing you come across a lot while Dumpster Diving is old hardback books, since the internet became so big apparently people don't find the need to read books as much. Sad, but true. One way to combine scrapbooking, recycling and thrift shopping is to make an Altered Book.
"To make an altered book is to transform a hardback book into a work of art. Once altered, it is no longer the expression of the original author, it becomes the expression of the altered book artist. This altered book tells the story of my grandmother. It is a little different from other altered books, but the techniques can be used when making your own altered book - regardless of the theme." Author Bobbi Holmes teaches you How To Make an Altered Book.
Her pictures and instructions are absolutely fabulous I'm going to get started on my own today. I'd love to see what ideas y'all come up with for your own altered books. Now I know what to do with that old dusty set of encyclopedias!

Crafty Recycler Article

One of the terrific writers over at E-How, Bossypants has written a wonderful article after my own heart-How To Think Like a Crafty Recycler. Not only does she give you lots of terrific ideas to start generating your own craft projects from discarded objects. Bossypants also has generously included a treasure trove of links from other E-How writers who also have great recycled craft ideas. Visit her page to find a new use for almost everything!

Following the interests of another blog of mine Sack It To Me.I am reposting this great idea that I found on Martha Stewart. She suggests using oilcloth but I think that the reusing an old vinyl tablecloth would work equally well. You could also repurpose raincoats picked up on a thrift store foray. If you have access to an embroidery machine they could be personalized easily.You can find the instructions and free pattern for making these reusable lunch bags here

Keep Your Old Cell Phones out of the Landfill and Make Some Money

We've all seen the ads on television about getting cash for your old gold jewelry, I even sent a broken gold chain in and got $40 for it in about five days! Did you know that those outdated cell phones taking up space in your junk drawer are actually worth something?I still can't figure out why we don't throw away things like that even though we are never going to use them again but the fact is most of us have at least one cell phone hanging around(I have several that made a trip through the washing machine-they didn't make it)and working or not here is what you can do with them both to keep them out of the ever-growing landfill and to put a little extra money in your pocket. Click on the cell phones for a link to my article with step by step instructions to Get Money for Your Old Cell Phone.

Free Pattern Crochet Crayon Tote from Milkjug

How many milk jugs a year end up in the landfill?Americans throw away millions of plastic bottles every year. We use 2.5 million plastic bottles per day–most of them are milk jugs and water bottles. According to the EPA, milk jugs that aren’t recycled will never degrade. Well being the hostess of the contest I had to come up with my own idea. This is a free crochet pattern for a drawstring crayon tote using an empty milk jug for the base.It did not photograph well but it is really cute.This pattern is my own design that I worked really hard on so please do not copy it to your site and take credit. I would welcome a link. Don't forget to enter the free monthly contest by leaving a comment with your best idea for recycling a milk jug. I'll award the prize on February 1 2009 as well as posting next months trash object.

The Motherload of Free Coupons

You don't need to wait for the great coupons in the Sunday paper anymore. You can find printable coupons in dozens of categories at Cool Savings.com Every week the coupons change so be sure to check back before heading off to the grocery store. Some of the categories they offer coupons for are groceries, health and beauty, babies and kids, pets, restaraunts,travel and home and garden. They also offer some great money saving tips and links to some of the best free samples on the internet. You could save $50-100 a month by using their coupons. Great Site! Make sure to click on the free samples tab and check that out too.This is a no-cost sign-up.

Monthly Contest- Free Prize

Everyone loves a contest and it's even more fun with a great prize. this month's Trashy side contest is to come up with the best use for an empty plastic gallon milk jug. In my family there is an abundance of them since we drink a gallon every day. We really need our own cow. The neighbors have some but they are those mean ones with horns and they don't really appreciate you trying to milk them. Anyway I have a great prize (very green of course) made by a very special artisan in the lovely state of Connecticut. So put on your thinking caps and no, that doesn't count as a use for a milk jug and send me your best ideas, I'll post them throughout the month along with a free pattern for my recycled milk jug.Don't forget pics if you have them.

Dirty Little Secret

I have a dirty little secret to confess- I am a middle-class mom to 5 children, 4 who are under 7...You wouldn't know it to look at me, I LOOK pretty normal.But here it is- I am A dumpster Diving, thrift store shopping fanatic. I've even been known to shell out a few bucks to neighbor kid's to go down the road and schlepp back a piece of discarded ratty furniture so no one sees me do it. Oh and god help the car following me too closely when I spot one of those shining flourescent beacons beckoning me to a yard sale. Hop in the car with me and join me on the journey to make old things new again-Hideous clothes, you may wonder "What were they thinking?" I'm trying to judge whether that sleeve will fit over my daughters head when it becomes a new hat. Rickety chair left forgotten on the side of the road while life whizzes by-Screech! in the back of the truck you go... Hurry up and get in the flea market opens at Sunrise