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Tutorial: Turn an Old Playpen into a Laundry Sorter share

by Cristin Frank, author of Living Simple, Free & Happy: How to Simplify, Declutter Your Home, and Reduce Stress, Debt & Waste

Hi Green Upgrader readers! I'm Cristin from Eve of Reduction and I'm thrilled to announce that my debut DIY book, Living Simple, Free and Happy is now available for purchase on Amazon!

This guest post is one stop on my virtual book tour. This means, if you go to the book tour page and leave a comment, you can win a copy of the book (mailed to US residents, digital copy if winner lives outside the US). If you go ahead and purchase a copy (thank you!), please leave a review on Amazon and let me know on the landing page of my blog tour, you will be entered to win a free, online upcycling consultation with me, Cristin Frank.

And with that announcement I want to share an upcycling project that will help organize and simplify your life: upcycling an obsolete playpen into a lights and brights laundry sorter.

Anyone born before 1980 will probably recognize this wooden playpen from pictures of their toddler years - or the movie Back to the Future. Yeah, no one wants these any more. Well, except me...and maybe you by the end of this tutorial.

A neighbor of mine was getting rid of this playpen, so I took it off her hands before it became landfill fodder. I put it down in my basement and the next time I went down there, I was like, "What's that awful smell!" Yikes, this thing smelled so musty, to the point of reeking. The good news was, I was planning on hacking it up, which meant it would be in small enough pieces that I could seal it in a large black garbage bag with some kitty litter. The clay litter absorbs moisture and smells wonderfully and can save many old, musty pieces like suitcases, too.

I cut up the playpen into 8 sections so that they could be reassembled as two, four-sided laundry sorters.

You'll notice that I'm making 2 structures, each with 4 legs, but there are only 4 casters. To remedy this, I positioned two casters as the back legs, then repurposed a crib spindle to use as the front legs of the laundry sorters.

Because there were so many cut edges, and now the miss-matched wood from the crib spindles, I painted the laundry sorters to bring it all together.

Next, I reused a fitted sheet to make the laundry bags. This worked out great because I reused the fabric and elastic, plus the casing for the elastic was already sewn.

Click here to get the sewing pattern for the laundry bags.

The last detail was adding a bottom onto the sorters. I fully intended to cut up the original particle board bottom that came with the playpen, but the sorters left a very tiny ledge for them to rest on the inside and from underneath, I'd have to cut around the added front legs. I decided it would be easiest to simply use the remnants of the fitted bed sheet to tack down a fabric bottom. The fabric was really easy to work with.

If you like DIY projects that are easy, inexpensive, reduce waste and add beauty and function to your home, please check out Living Simple, Free and Happy on Amazon. It is also available at bookstores, home improvement stores and craft stores nation-wide.

The book includes 10 upcycling tutorials that take easy to find furniture items and transforms them into customizable, organizational solutions from your home.

What else do you get?

Simple techniques that eliminate clutter and keep it from returning
A personalized plan to help you reclaim your time
Practical (and profitable) ways to sell unused items in your home
Tips to eliminate debt and curb consumption
Dozens of exercises that help you identify and honor your talents, values, and goals

Please remember to leave a comment on my blog tour page to be entered to win a copy of Living Simple, Free & Happy. There you also see my blog tour schedule and can check in to learn more about upcycling, simple living, decluttering and writing a book.

Please know that I look forward to reading each and every comment, and Becky, thank you so much for being a gracious book tour hostess!

Posted: | Categories: Books, craft books, Craft Recycled, crafting books, crafty reuse, creative reuse, DIY, DIY laundry sorter, Living, reuse, upcycling, upcycling books

Mar

Tutorial: Turn an Old Playpen into a Launry Sorter share

by Cristin Frank, author of Living Simple, Free & Happy: How to Simplify, Declutter Your Home, and Reduce Stress, Debt & Waste

Hi Green Upgrader readers! I'm Cristin from Eve of Reduction and I'm thrilled to announce that my debut DIY book, Living Simple, Free and Happy is now available for purchase on Amazon!

And with that announcement I want to share an upcycling project that will help organize and simplify your life: upcycling an obsolete playpen into a lights and brights laundry sorter.

I cut up the playpen into 8 sections so that they could be reassembled as two, four-sided laundry sorters.

Because there were so many cut edges, and now the miss-matched wood from the crib spindles, I painted the laundry sorters to bring it all together.

Next, I reused a fitted sheet to make the laundry bags. This worked out great because I reused the fabric and elastic, plus the casing for the elastic was already sewn.

Click here to get the sewing pattern for the laundry bags.

The book includes 10 upcycling tutorials that take easy to find furniture items and transforms them into customizable, organizational solutions from your home.

What else do you get?

Simple techniques that eliminate clutter and keep it from returning
A personalized plan to help you reclaim your time
Practical (and profitable) ways to sell unused items in your home
Tips to eliminate debt and curb consumption
Dozens of exercises that help you identify and honor your talents, values, and goals

Please know that I look forward to reading each and every comment, and Becky, thank you so much for being a gracious book tour hostess!

Posted: | Categories: Books, craft books, Craft Recycled, crafting books, crafty reuse, creative reuse, DIY, DIY laundry sorter, Living, reuse, upcycling, upcycling books

Jan

5 Packing Peanuts Alternatives share

Packing peanuts are the pits from an environmental perspective. These single-use packing materials are made from Styrofoam, a petroleum product, and they're a huge waste of resources.

Of course, you can find ways to reuse those packing peanuts, but the greenest option is to skip them all together.

Whether you're packing for a move or wrapping up something fragile for shipping, it might be tempting to pad your package with peanuts, but there are lots of other, more eco-friendly ways to protect your valuables while they're in transit. We've rounded up a few packing peanut alternatives, and I've love to hear your ideas in the comments!

1. Shredded Paper

Do you have a paper shredder to dispose of things like bank statements and bills with sensitive information on them? Instead of dumping that paper in the recycle bin, save it for the next time you have to pack and ship something fragile. I love this method, because not only does it replace a disposable petroleum product, but it extends the life of that paper just a bit longer.

2. Linens and Towels

Next time you're packing for a move, don't put your linens, towels, and clothes in separate bags and boxes from your breakables! Instead, use all of that free fabric to wrap valuables. You'll end up with fewer boxes, which means a quicker, easier move, too!

3. Reclaimed Paper

Junk mail, old newspapers, and magazines are perfect for wrapping up breakables, whether you're shipping something or packing for a move. Just make sure you use lots of layers, so your valuables will arrive safely.

4. Popcorn

This might sound crazy, but in a pinch you can use popcorn in place of packing peanuts. Yep! Actual popcorn! Just make sure you go with the air-popped variety. Buttered popcorn would be a hot mess by the time your package arrived at its destination.

5. Fabric Scraps

Seamsters! Those bins of fabric scraps that you've been hoarding are invaluable when you're moving. Use them to pad boxes with fragile items.

What other eco-friendly packing peanut alternatives have you guys run across? Let's keep the ideas going in the comments!

Image Credit: Packing Peanuts photo via Bigstock

Posted: | Categories: alternatives to packing peanuts, Home+Decor, Living, packing peanut alternatives, packing peanuts, reuse, single use plastic, styrofoam

Jan

Spotted: Upcycled Packing Peanut Garland share

Aren't packing peanuts just the worst? They're made of toxic Styrofoam, intended for a single use, and they get everywhere when you open a box that's full of those suckers. Reader Hester Burch of Fun in the Making shared a beautiful, seasonal way to reuse those nasty little peanuts, so at least they're not landfill-bound after you unpack a boxful of them: snow swag!

Hester says:

Create a winter wonderland. Foam peanut snow swags would also be cool décor for a winter wonderland prom theme. -bonus that the materials wouldn’t cost anything!

All that you need to make your own are:

packing peanuts
embroidery needle
white string or embroidery thread

If you need more details, check out the full description of how she made these on Hester's blog! I love how they look all strung up on her chandelier, and I think they'd look lovely strung up in a window or layered up on the mantle.

Have you guys found any fun ways to reuse packing peanuts? Share your ideas in the comments!

Posted: | Categories: crafty reuse, creative reuse, DIY, Home+Decor, how to reuse packing peanuts, Living, packing peanut crafts, packing peanuts, reader tip, reuse, upcycling

Jan

Spotted: Egg Carton DIY Sewing Kit share

Got an old egg carton laying around? Turn it into a DIY sewing kit to keep all of your notions organized!

Have you ever been in the middle of a sewing project only to realize that you need a safety pin or your measuring tape, and they are....somewhere? It's so frustrating to hunt around for those tools, especially when you've really hit the flow during your sewing project. Sure, you could hit the big box store for an organizer, but those are often made from plastic in far-off factories. Instead, you can save some money and reduce your impact with this super cute project from Country Living!

I love how well-planned this is. It's got a spot for those little embroidery scissors and for stashing a few safety pins. Every time I do a project that uses elastic, I end up having to stop in the middle to hunt for some safety pins to feed it through the casing, so this would be the biggest time-saver for me. They use the egg spaces for your pin cushion, thread, buttons, and measuring tape. I think this would be a great way to get yourself organized before you start a project - gather all of your notions into your carton, so they're at your fingertips!

All you need to make your own egg carton sewing kit are:

An old egg carton - they used a 6-egg carton, but a 12-egg one would work just as well.
Scrap fabric
Pinking shears and scissors
Hot glue gun and glue
Scrap piece of elastic
Pin cushion or more scrap fabric and batting to make your own

You can probably sort out how to make this kit from the photo, but if you'd like extra instructions, you can get the tutorial here!

Posted: | Categories: crafts, crafty reuse, creative reuse, DIY, DIY sewing kit, egg carton crafts, reuse, sewing kit, upcyling

Jan

Craft Recycled: 5 Ways to Reuse Old Crayons share

Got a stash of broken crayons that you can't bear to part with? Check out these fun, crafty ways to reuse old crayons!

Coloring isn't the only way that you can get crafty with crayons. Instead of throwing away those pieces of crayon that are too small to use for coloring, stash them in a box! Before long, you'll have a nice stash of colorful, waxy bits that are perfect for all kinds of craft projects.

1. Crayon Valentines

Use those old pieces of crayon and a heart-shaped mold to make cute Valentines for your kid's class.

2. Broken Crayon Monograms

Broken crayons are a bummer, but collect enough of them, and you can create very cute mongram-style art! Wouldn't this make a cute end-of-year gift for a special teacher?

3. Make New Crayons

Yep! You can use those old crayons to make new ones! All you need are a few common kitchen supplies, and you're ready to rock.

4. Crayon Drip Art

Crayon drip tutorials usually call for using new crayons, but that seems like such a waste! Just follow the same instructions, but use those tiny crayon pieces instead!

5. Crayon Shaving Hearts

Can you tell I have Valentine's Day on the brain? How cute are these colorful hearts made from wax paper and tiny pieces of crayon?

Have you done any crafts with your old crayons? Tell us about them in the comments!

Posted: | Categories: Craft Recycled, crafty reuse, crayon crafts, creative reuse, DIY, how to reuse crayons, reuse, upcycled crayons, upcycling

Jan

Spotted: Upcycled Crayons share

Crayons are pretty much a fact of life if you've got kids around. Whether you go for conventional or much-more-eco-friendly soy crayons, the other fact of life when it comes to crayons is that you end up with lots of...let's call them "crayon nubbins."

You know what I mean, right? Those little leftover pieces of crayon that are too small to color with but too big to toss? I bet you have a box of them somewhere making you feel guilty. Well, guilt no more, my crafty friends!

Because crayons are made from wax, they are super easy to melt down, and you can make those old crayons new again by just popping them in your oven and letting the bits melt together into new crayons! Of course, if you just stick the crayons on a cookie sheet, you'll end up with a flat, waxy mess. A beautiful mess, but not good for coloring. You also want to make sure you choose the right baking time and temperature. That's where this upcycled crayon tutorial from Hands On As They Grow comes in!

Your kids will love watching through the oven door as those crayon nubbins form new, usable crayons, and I bet that they will treasure the crayons they made a lot more than the ones that come out of the box.

Ready to refresh your crayon stash? Click here for thetutorial!

Posted: | Categories: crafting with kids, crayon crafts, DIY, kid crafts, reuse, upcycled crayons

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