Playing Card Box Tutorial
How to make a cube shaped box from playing cards – no glue. Instructions by Frances byrne of Stamp Owl’s Studio.
Author Archives: EcoResearcher
Paper bal
Mariët from Studio ML shares photos of how to make these paper balls and a template.
Christmas decorations with tetrapack
Video instructions and measurements for how to make these orbs from Tetra Pak by Luz Mireya Martinez Arcos
Triskele Paper Globes | Stunning handmade 3D Ornaments
Some information about the background and naming of Triskele Globes by Manja from Hattifant.
Spiraling Paper Ornament
I recorded the findings of Paula Beardell Krieg about these structures (but not her instructions and template). There are a lot of links to other people who have made these and looked at the maths involved.
Holiday Tree Mechanical Card
A short video of a simple card. Instructions available at Shawn Sheehy’s shop of pop up card instructions.
A Review on Upcycling: Current Body of Literature, Knowledge Gaps and a Way Forward
Sung’s systematic review provides good synthesis and critical discussion of varied definitions and practices of upcycling and some aspects of evolution and emergence of upcycling theory (abridged).
Collection: Safety Pin Bracelets
A collection of safety pin bracelet designs – looking for ideas and bead reuse ideas
Coffee bag bag with squaremill weaving
Shopping bag made from foil coffee bags using 1:6 ratio weave. By Ruutupunontaa.
Spills
Instructions for making paper spills by Will Blyth (1923) from David Mitchell’s Public Paperfolding History Project.
Henna dyed umber paper
Instructions from a Persian recipe for dyeing paper with henna. From Bodleian Libraries, Oxford.
Book: Distractions Enfantines
A book of 50 projects for children related to celebrations and the seaasons, by Marie Koenig dating from 1898.
How to Make Paper Tubes / Paper Weaving for Beginners
A thorough tutorial by Golden Hands using different types of papers.
Hats made from rolled paper
Make a beautiful paper hat with coloured paper or newspaper. You can also make a paper basket with the same method. Videos by Ksripriya Kanigolla
Alumets
Lydia Maria Child (1833) describes how to make ornamental spills, paper feathers and tendrils.
Book: The girl’s own book
Rhymes, songs, games and projects for the young girl during the shifts between Georgian and Victorian society.
A match box
Instructions on how to decorate a tumber include a description of how to fold basic paper spills or matches. 1831.
Book: American girl’s book or Occupation for play hours
A book from 1831 by Eliza Leslie. The projects that interest me include pincushions, reticules (bags), spill making and hexagon patchwork.
Spills: Let There Be Light
History of paper spills by historian Margaret Highland.
[DIY] Pixel art made with LEGO and iPad
Instructions for pixelator using paper and lego. By Touch Lab.
Pixelator
Pixelator is an on-going video art performance collaboration in New York City by Jason Effink.
Collection: Pixelators
A collection of pixelator designs
Transform Your TV
Instructions for pixelator using plastic pipe, wood, spray paint. By Corey Marie from The Hipster’s Guide.
Pixalator.
Pixelator instructions on the old Craftster site.
Roots of Maker Education
Who influenced modern Maker Education. Screen captures of interactive media by Open School British Columbia.
Quick Guide to Sustainable Design Strategies
Article by Leyla Acaroglu from Unschool for Disruptive Design.
Modular clothes made with loops
Seamless sewing & modular clothing using loops. News reports about Irina Arsentieva presenting her designs at the International Invention Competition in Sweden (2011).
Collection: Cardboard attachment techniques
Different methods of attaching mostly corrugated cardboard together with and without glue and tape.
Book: Beautiful stuff!: Learning with found materials
Encourage your kids to express their creativity as they discover, collect, sort, arrange, experiment, and think with found and recyclable “stuff.” Book by Cathy Weisman Topal, 1999.
The Attachment Test by Diane Jaquith
“An intervention in response to students’ over-reliance on tape and glue to hold things together in their three-dimensional artwork” Article by Diane Jaquith, Teaching for Artistic Behavior
Henri Orangutan
Jhess Knight explains how she made a baby orangutan puppet out of trash.
Gratification avoidance
Jhess Knight from the Puppet Smithery talks about working on puppet projects simultaneously.
Ways to Fasten Things Together
Two pages from Pauline Johnson’s book Creating with Paper. Giving an overview of some basic techniques.
Book: Creating with Paper
A book by Pauline Johnson (1958) step by step instructions, illustrated in black and white.
Turn a Discarded Box Spring Into a Shelf – Totally Reclaimed!!!
Carol made a bed base and pallets into handy shelves for craft storage.
Collection: Puppets from discarded materials
A huge array of puppets made out of waste/rubbish/trash/garbage/junk from all around the world.
Trash Puppets makes a puppet show
Following the journey of Jhess Knight from making puppets to making a puppet show.
Escape From Trash Mountain
Escape From Trash Mountain is a poignant look at how good relationships and fervent optimism are the key to saving our planet. The show’s central set piece is a large mountain of trash that transforms into a cave and becomes the epic playground for our heroes to fight trash bats, navigate treacherous ravines, and outwit hideous trash monsters!
World Without Waste
The film of the story of Coca-Cola’s closed loop recycling process – both a narrative and physical testament to the concept of re-use. A stop-motion animated “World Without Waste”, in which the pieces of the film itself – including it’s narrator Bill Nye – are built out of recycled materials including used bottles, labels, and cardboard.
Fusion Wayang Kulit puppets
Fusion Wayang Kulit is an award-winning team working hard to revive the beautiful Malaysian art of wayang kulit (shadow puppet) by fusing the traditional with pop culture and sci-fi elements.
Old Paintbrush ideas | Upcycled paintbrush craft | Paintbrush people
Video by Mansi Patel
The Carton Campaigners
The campaign by Pro Carton has carton characters as the 5Rs of Responsibility.
Paintbrushes by Karen Lilly
Paintbrushes sculpted with paper clay by Karen Lilly from North Forest Studio.
Collection: Recycling superheroes
A search for superhero characters that represent the 3 or 5 R’s or waste hierarchy – and some more I found along the way.
Collection: Climate superheroes
Looking for other examples of Climate Superheroes!
Climate Action Superheroes
Eight new animated characters on a mission to protect the planet, have been pressed into service by the UN to empower children worldwide and boost the drive towards sustainability by 2030.
Collection: Quotes on being frugal/thrifty
Some quotes on being frugal, minimalist, thrifty, resourceful.
Collection: This into that quotes
Graphics of alliterative phrases meaning ‘turning one thing into something better’.
Collection: Kaleidocycles
A number of ways kaleidocycles can be made from fabric, wool and beads.
A tetraspinner is born! Spinning Tetrahedrons
Interactive 3D textile art: a cyclic tetrahedron made from fabric, textile paint, quilted and beaded… by Sue Duffy.
What is a Kaleidocycle?
Machine embroidered designs by Carol at AnnTheGran.
Upcycled Tie Necklace Tutorial
pcycled tie necklaces with DIY tutorial by Aletha Israels from Artstar.
How to make chair seats from old neck ties
Tutorial for shair with woven tie seat by Mag Ruffman.
Glamarita recycled clothing
Ronnie Ryno’s tie designs include Prom and Wedding dresses, ballgowns, cocktail/party dresses, corsets, skirts, halters, vests, totes and belts.
How to Make Necktie Valentines
Instructions by Diane Gilleland, CraftyPod.
ReMake your own necktie cell phone case!
Instructions and video – by Tiffany Threadgould.
Old-Fashioned Paper Chain Belts
Instructions by Dorothy Costas from Treasury of Arts and Crafts | Paper Projects for the Elementary School (1977).
Book: Treasury of Arts and Crafts | Paper Projects for the Elementary School
Almost 500 lessons and bonus ideas by Dorothy Constas (1977).
Woven Necktie Hanging
Instructions using a simple nail loom from the 1976 book ‘Treasures from Throwaways’.
Book: Treasures from Throwaways
A book from 1976. 194 projects from tin cans, barrels and crates, old furniture, spools and spindles, old clothes and rags, junked metal, decorative paper, cardboard, glass, China, clay, plastic materials, plus “equipment and utensil conversions.”
Belt made from empty cigarette packages
An early example of flink chain using the silver paper lining from cigarette packets (1972).
Book: Working with Odds and Ends
A children’s craft book – projects from the 1970’s made from discarded materials from around the house.
Re-cycled Tie Skirt
Instructions by Jane Mencsh-Mutshnik in volume 11 (UK version) of The Family Creative Workshop (1975).
Books: The Family Creative Workshop
A set of 24 books from America (19 in the UK series) from the 1970’s by Allen Davenport Bragdon (Editor) – most of which are available at the Open Library.
How to make straw stars
Video by Svetlana Bell showing how to make a simple frame from household materials and 6 and 8 pointed stars.
How to do visible mending
Master the art of visible mending with Flora Collingwood-Norris’ colourful tutorial – from Gathered.
Transform Avocado Stones into Beautiful Pendants!
Instructions by Ruth Hofer – how to carve pendants and inlay stones.
Lavender bottles
Instructions from All Year Round by Ann Druitt, Christine Fynes-Clinton, Marije Rowling.
The ABC of Tools
The ABC of Tools by AccessArt provides pupils and students of all ages with a handy visual reference to some of the most common hand tools.
INFINITE FLIPPER | NEVER ENDING CARD – DIY
Video instructions by Parshwanath.
Lenticular Photo Display
Carla from Trashmagination designed a craft called a lenticular photo display using the triangular wood shapes from clementine boxes.
The Weather Tree history
The original Weather Tree designed by Dorothy Thelwall (1983) with a description of its inspiration from a story from China.
Collection: Tie weaving
Finding ideas for woven ties.
Collection: Tie skirts
A collection of skirts made from ties.
Collection: Tie dresses
Different styles of dresses made from old ties.
Collection: Tie tops
There are a great variety of styles of top that can be made from ties.
Collection: Tie bags
Many styles of bags all made from ties.
Collection: Tie patchwork & quilts
Many ways to stitch ties together to create quilts, rugs, hangings and more.
Hanging ornament tassel
Another early example of a Windmill Loop technique to make paper tassels.
Mary’s star path
The idea is to have as many stars on the path as there are days in advent. The stars are laid in a path at the end of which is the empty stable. Mary moves onto a star each day, the star she stood on flies up onto a blue cloth behind her and by the time Christmas comes the sky is full of stars and Mary has arrived at the stable. All Year Round p174 Ann Druitt, Christine Fynes-Clinton, Marije Rowling (1995).
Spool Sewing bird pattern and mobile
A simple nad sweet design. Michael Fulkerson designed and created the birds and mobile for the Spool Sewing website.
Autumn gnome garden
Beautiful description of Autumn Gnomes role at a seasonal table and the Gnomes’ Bonfire Party. All Year Round Ann Druitt, Christine Fynes-Clinton, Marije Rowling first published 1995.
Book: All Year Round
A calendar of celebrations. This book is a festival store cupboard: a treasure trove of tomorrow’s much loved childhood memories, all mingled together with a mix of coloured thread, delicious cooking smells, softly sparkling candle light and the snatch of a favourite song. Ann Druitt, Christine Fynes-Clinton, Marije Rowling, first published 1995.
How-to: a dreidel from an Acorn
Simple, natural, easy to make, clean looking, and super spinning dreidel tutorial by tali buchler.
Magic ball of wool
The idea is that as the child knits, little presents appear and fall out of the ball of wool. Instructions in The Children’s year by Stephanie Cooper, Christine Fynes-Clinton, Marije Rowling (1986).
Book: The Children’s Year
First published more than thirty years ago, The Children’s Year has helped generations of families rediscover the pleasures of creating rather than merely consuming.
Collection: Tie coats
Different ways to make a coat or jacket from old ties.
Tutorial: Paisley Necktie Schoolbag
Tutorial by Laura Kluvo from Rick Rack Ruby that appeared in Craftster (2005).
Gallery: Rick Rack Ruby Tie bags
Laura Kluvo from Rick Rack Ruby made a range of bag styles from neckties.
Collection: Weather trees
Some varied Weather Tree designs.
HOW TO MAKE BEADS FROM PLASTIC BOTTLES
‘Plastic bottle cutter’ on youtube demonstrates making narrow tubes out of plastic bottle which can then be sliced into beads that look like bugle beads,
Let’s make beads {for free!}
Lindsay Weirich demonstrates heating a strip of plastic bottle to form a bead.
Collection: Melon seed jewellery
A collection of jewellery made from melon seeds
How-to: DIY Liquid Watercolors from Upcycled Dried-Out Markers
How to make watercolour paint from old felt tip pens. Instructions by Julie Finn.
Collection: Folded carton wallets
A simple design for carton wallets
Carton Wallet
Instructions by Kathy Ciceri with template (2007).
Recycled Crafts
Recycled craft projects by Kathy Ciceri.
Collection: Accordion carton wallets
A collection of wallets that utilise the lids of the cartons as closure to explore the differences in design that people have discovered.
Collection: Carton tipper trucks
A collection of vehicles made fom packaging with bamboo skewer & straw axles.
Crisp packet survival sheets, blankets, bivvy bags and more
Instructions to make a range of heat reflecting products to help people living on the street.