Green crafts are a great way to reuse old and unwanted materials. Recycle paper, cardstock and fabric using a few different craft techniques, including rubber stamping, to make a variety of interesting things. There are many other benefits to using recycled and repurposed materials for crafts. It is often cheaper than buying new materials. It is also a great way to find unusual and different materials that will make a project unique and truly stand out from the crowd. One man's junk is another man's treasure and it is surprising what treasures can be found with a little creative thought!
1. Pencil Holder or Desk Tidy
Kate Pullen
The card tubes that biscuits and snacks are sometimes packaged in are perfect for making pencil holders or desk tidies. Make these decorative pencil holders by using paper that has been decorated with rubber stamps. Add embellishments cut from scraps of paper or fabric to add the perfect finishing touch.
2. Gift Wrap
Kate Pullen
Pieces of discarded parcel paper or other packing can be given a new lease of life as gift wrap. Stamp some rubber stamped designs over the paper to make it into pretty gift wrapping. Use the same stamps to make matching gift tags or gift cards for a co-ordinated finish.
3. Gift Tags
Kate Pullen
Small pieces of cardstock or thick paper can be turned into useful gift tags. Cover these with paper so that they coordinate with the color scheme of a project or paint the tag using an acrylic paint. Tags found on clothing and accessories can also be recycled as gift tags. These are ready shaped and are often found complete with a ribbon or string. This makes them ideal for the times when time is short. Ready made gift tags are also ideal for using as templates. Keep any interesting shaped tags to one side for use as a template for future projects.
4. Gift Boxes
Kate Pullen
Pieces of used cardstock or thick paper are perfect for recycling into gift boxes. Plain cardstock can be decorated with rubber stamps whereas patterned or printed cardstock can be covered with paint or paper before stamping.
5. Jewelry and Accessories
Kate Pullen
Small pieces of fabric such as felt are ideal for recycling into items of jewelry and accessories. Use rubber stamps as an outline for embroidery to make an unusual brooch. Rubber stamps can also be used with fabric paint or ink to decorate fabric. This is a good way to make patches or embellishments for sewing projects.
6. Candle Holders
Kate Pullen
Rubber stamped images are perfect for using as templates for glass painting projects. This is a good way to decorate glass jars for use as candle holders. A simple glass jar can be transformed using some glass paints and some suitable embellishments such as glass beads or craft wire.
