View allAll Photos Tagged Recycle
This is the tie rug that inspired me. Made by my sister Sandy over 15 years ago. A bit worst for wear, but it has been much loved
www.recyclart.org/2016/11/battlespoon-recycled-stainless-...
I made this pendant using a rotary tool and tungsten carbide cutters. For a rougher shaping I used my DIY rotary tool stand, it makes shaping little easier, because it releases your both hands for the actual work. Finally, I engraved the spoon and colored it with the heat.
recycling, 1940 style, The notice on wall reads, “ Warning, any person Burning or Destroying Wastepaper is Guilty of an Offence Against National War Regulations”
( thanks to Jeff Wharton for children re enactor photo )
A greenhouse spotted in Stropkov, Slovakia a few years ago.
It was made from recycled plastic bottles, strung on to wires. A brilliant idea. Sorry for the poor quality picture but I had to take this from a distance, through a fence. Best viewed large
I counted 10 of these bright yellow side loaders in the Cleanaway yard, but there might’ve been more out of sight. At present these are the primary trucks handling the residential recycling service across the ACT. I’ve always thought these large recycle bodies look too big on a 4x2 truck =]
Cleaning out my jewelry drawer and found some sushi and donut earrings. Instead of donating them I'm going to give them my dolls some new food!
Years ago we mistakenly started a tradition to hand make our Christmas cards. Shannon and I got to team up – her doing the paper crafts, me doing the photography. This was a great excuse for me to get my hands dirty and let out some creative hands-on desire. Cutting paper, gluing tags and stamping holiday scenes sure beats Photoshop. This year, we made the Christmas cards a bit more meaningful by using recycled material. While Shannon is hard at work on the sewing machine (pictures and blog posts to come soon I hope), I bring to you “The Recycled Christmas Card”.
ifsew.typepad.com/if_sew/2008/12/recycled-christmas-cards...
Little monster of three heads made of plastic bottles, you can have fun recycling. You will not save the planet but save a smile!
www.recyclart.org/2013/02/recycled-poppy-bag/
This is a really beautiful bag made out of pvc canvas. The canvas had been part of an art project in 2008/2009 by the artist Margot Olde Loohuis. The building on which the canvas was attached was about to be demolished and a new destination had to be found. MAAK: bureau voor hergebruik an institution that works with artists and recycling was asked to help in this matter. MAAK asked artist Marjolijn Kroon to design a bag for this project. The result is awesome and very sustainable.
++ More information at MAAK: bureau voor hergebruik website !
Idea sent by Marike Pool !
Grunge textured recycling symbol on vintage paper.
This grunge sign is released under a standard Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0 Unported. It gives you a lot of freedom to use my work commercially as long as you credit and link back to the same free image from my website, www.freestock.ca
A nicely decorated recycle bin at Garry Point Park, Richmond, B.C. Always remember the 3 R's, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
www.recyclart.org/2016/03/recycling-unused-garage-items-h...
On one hand, you want to decorate your home, but on the other hand, your garage and storage areas are so jam-packed that you can hardly imagine filling your house with more.
Thankfully, there is a simple solution: upcycling. Using scrap materials, broken-down objects, or outdated furnishings, you can create outstanding decorations you’ll want to display. Plus, sifting through your garage for fodder is a great way to start cleaning and organizing for spring and summer. Here are some of our favorite projects that make functional furniture from the stuff in your garage:
Odds and Ends
With enough creativity (and enough sandpaper and paint) everything in your garage could have a new life as gorgeous home decor. From that rickety wooden ladder ― which could make an excellent towel rack ― to your family’s run-down boat ― which could contribute pieces to large items of furniture, like beds and bookshelves, while you donate what is left to a good cause ― your unused garage items have more potential than you probably give them credit. Here are some small ways to reuse scrap in functional home furniture:
Unused bike parts
Suspend the wheels above your kitchen for pot racks
Bolt, the handles to the wall of your garage, to create a storage space for new bikes
Wind tires and inner tubes into a funky door wreath
Wooden picture frames
Fill it with chicken wire and use clothes pins to make a bulletin board or photo collage board
Screw in small C-hooks to create a key-hanger
Build a simple wooden box behind it to make a shadow box or bookshelf
Ceramic dishware
Break it up and mold it into garden stepping stones
Plant small flowers and herbs for a decorative indoor garden
Fill with scented, colored wax and wick for homemade candles
The Magic of Pallets
Nearly everything ― literally, everything ― shipped around the United States is accompanied by a strong, sturdy wooden pallet, which means if you have retiled your floor, bought bulk produce, or procured any other material in a large quantity; you likely have a pallet or two cluttering your garage. Fortunately, the look of weathered wood is exceedingly trendy, and it doesn’t take much effort to make a chic piece of furniture from a bulky pallet.
Our site is already packed to bursting with DIYs to help you transform your pallet into nearly any type of furniture, from bar tops to entertainment centers. You can also visit 1001Pallets which is the best resources on the web for recycled pallet projects! Because pallets are made to last, constructing outdoor furniture, like deck chairs, picnic tables, and garden shelves, is a smart use of your materials.
Refreshing Old Furniture
Perhaps you don’t need help converting the items in your garage into furniture ― because it is furniture already. There are plenty of reasons you might choose to hold onto unused couches and tables, such as sentimentality, but allowing them to take up valuable storage space is unnecessary and wasteful. Instead, you should strive to rejuvenate the old pieces and give them places in your home.
Usually, refreshing old furniture is as easy as a new coat of paint and some updated fittings. However, if your old items are antique or you would prefer to restore them to a former finish (sans water rings and scratches accumulated over the years) you may need to put in some extra elbow grease:
First, identify the wood finish. This can be extremely difficult, and it is of particular importance to get right, so if you have little experience with shellac, lacquer, or varnish, you would do better taking your furniture to a professional at a home improvement store.
Next, clean the furniture. Wood surfaces should receive generous applications of orange or lemon oil to remove dirt and wax. For water stains, wash gently with a warm, damp cloth and dish detergent, or apply a thin layer of mayonnaise.
Revitalize the wood. Dry, cracked furniture can be brought back to life by draping it with cheesecloth soaked in oil and vinegar. Then, you can erase superficial gashes by rubbing them with walnut meat.
Finally, refinish the furniture. Once the wood looks healthy, apply the appropriate finish to areas where the prior coat is thin or worn out. Then, your old furniture will look good as new.
Teaching kid to recycle the waste, even the bird helps.
Everyone is responsible to protect the environment.
www.recyclart.org/2016/12/lampshades-recycled-rubber/
Seeing a picture in a design magazine of man creating a lampshade with thin ropes of leather, my imagination was triggered. I love to use rubber, and with a pile of old inner cycle tubes in my workshop, I started right away.
It took some time to find out how to cut the rubber to get straight strips. I use old and new frames. Without a standard pattern, I wind the strips of rubber around the frame. Put a decorative light bulb in it, and it creates a graphic pattern on the wall.
www.1001pallets.com/2016/09/pallet-crafter-interview-12-t...
Today, we had the chance to ask some questions to Tim Steller, Crafter from Sarasota in Florida (USA) who specializes in making all kind of beautiful Artworks mainly from recycled wooden pallets; you can follow the work of Tim on its website: Steller Artworks. If you think you deserve to be featured in the next interview, please, drop us an email.
Tell us a little more about you? Who you are? Where are you from?
My name is Tim Steller and I am a 36-year-old pallet artist that lives in sunny Sarasota Florida. I enjoy my beach-style life with my lovely wife Ashley and my almost 3-year-old boy Camden. Along with our knucklehead dogs Angus & Maverick. They’re goofy and lovable. Or for short we call them Gus and Rick.
Why do you craft?
I craft because, like most of us, I have an appreciation for wood and the characteristics it has and what it becomes. I love being able to look past pallet wood’s original purpose and recreate something new. I also try to express myself with art into everything I make just to give it a new feel.
How did you learn to do wood crafts?
I learned to do wood crafts with a lot of trial and error techniques. Actually, oddly enough, I got inspired from pumpkin carving. It’s one of my favorite things. Then I remember, a long time ago, borrowing a friend’s jigsaw and really got to know that machine so I went and bought my own and got to carving.
How long have you been working with pallets?
I've been working with pallets for about 2 years now and love them. They have the coolest, roughed-up look I can never recreate with chains or hammers. And when I find one by a dumpster it's even better because I know I'm giving it a better purpose.
Why did you choose to work with pallets instead of purchased wood?
I prefer working with pallets for many reasons, but mostly because they already have wear and tear, and natural knots missing. Imperfections are perfect for me. I always try and keep the nail heads in my artwork to give it that raw look.
What are your can’t-live-without essentials?
There's not a lot in my workshop I can't truly live without. My essentials list is short just because I hate being "attached" to any materials. But as far as for my work I can't go without my saws, power drill, hammer, crow bar, blowtorch, and sander. They’re my hard workers. I also can't work without my wireless speaker. That's a must. But more importantly, my family keeps me going every day. They are my world.
Are there any brands that are your favorites?
For tool brands I love DeWalt, Rockwell and Black & Decker. For my wireless speaker, it's the JBL Flip. It’s the best out there.
How would you describe your crafting style?
My crafting style would have to be an "Island Lifestyle". I live by the beach and most of my artwork is sea life inspired. I have also done many custom pieces with other subject matter or styles, but I prefer the tropics.
Are there any crafters/artists/designers that you particularly look up to?
There are so many crafters out there that all inspire me to challenge myself and think outside the box and try to see things from different views. Too many artists to list but Dali has always been my artist I grew up studying and many tattoo artists that work with 3-D effects. It’s amazing what they can do with a needle. Detail is the key to finer artwork.
Where do you do your wood crafts? How would you describe your workspace? How did you make your workspace more functional and/or inspiring?
I do all my wood crafting at my house. I converted my garage into my art gallery where I paint/stain and next to my garage is my car port that I use for my wood working. My workspace is not that typical as you will see everything from fine art to skulls on shelves and everything between. My work space is art to me. Organized confusion is the best way to describe it. I thrive on creative chaos. This makes everything so much easier, because everything I do is from my home. When I want to have family time, I just shut the garage doors, sweep up the car port, dust myself off and I rejoin my normal life.
What types of things inspire you?
Living down here in Southwest Florida, there is inspiration everywhere you look. You just have to be able to stop and look at it and appreciate it without feeling the necessity of taking a selfie to post up. It's just the lifestyle down here that I find inspiring. But I do also get inspired every time somebody says, “Wow, did you cut that out with a laser cutter?” Nope! Just my jigsaw and my hands made that piece.
Where do you look for inspiration for a new woodcraft?
I look at all kinds of artwork all the time and I get inspired from ideas and try to blend them. Also, a lot of times my clients from that past will order a new piece with a theme in mind and that will get me inspired/excited to try something new. Change is always fun.
When do you feel the most creative?
I guess I feel most creative late night, after the little one is down for the day. It’s quiet, and I’m at peace. My toughest critic (besides myself) is my wife, but I’m glad of her input. It’ll get me thinking of ideas – or rethinking them - and then the chemistry starts. I’ll get the music playing and that’s the perfect setting for creativity.
We live in such a mass-produced, buy-it-now society. Why should people continue to make things by hand?
One of my biggest selling features is that every piece is one-of-a-kind and can't be duplicated. But that's mostly because of the wood. They absorb differently and each has its own characteristics and that makes it unique. Just to know it was handpicked, broken apart, sanded, etc., is such a quality in itself. In other words you won't find my artwork on Amazon anytime soon.
What is your favorite medium to work in (other than pallets)?
I also love to work with other related arts such as sketching and painting but I I’m also a bartender at a busy marina where I get to be creative and use local ingredients to make some of the best cocktails in the SW Florida. This is a craft that is taking off around the world and I love being a part of that scene.
What are your tips for people who'd like to start crafting? What are your most important safety tips when woodworking?
Tips for beginners: Try to have fun and don't get discouraged with your first attempts. That's how you learn and the next will be that much better. Also try to make a work space outside, not on your patio. The wood and tools will add up quickly and then your patio is a cluttered workshop with dust everywhere. Your other half won't be thrilled. Lastly be careful. Tearing apart a pallet is tough and dangerous, especially if you’re using saws. Also, know your tools. Practice on something easy first. Pallets have split boards with sharp ends, large nails waiting to pierce you and they're heavy. If you can get that pallet home, then you’re half way there. You can take apart an entire pallet with just a hammer. I've done that. But you can also learn dismantling techniques with saws, but once again, be CAREFUL! Watch some YouTube first.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Guilty pleasures would have to be collecting abstract art, my weird skull collection fascination, Halloween, horror films (old and new), Tattoos, loud music, Jeeps, boating, big dogs, and a few others.
What are some of your other hobbies or favorite things to do (other than crafting)?
A few hobbies I like to do are going to a certain beach with the family and collecting driftwood. I'm working on some cool table tops with using driftwood as the base. Other hobbies would include football, basketball, and soccer to stay active.
What are some of your best tips for breaking down, prepping, and cleaning pallets before you build with them?
The first thing you need to know is if the pallet you found is free for the taking, or does the company recycle them? If they do, you can't take that pallet. But there are plenty more around you can take. Next, make sure there are no chemical spills on it, like from a construction site. You don't want those. Once you break it apart you can either remove the nails by hammering them out in reverse or cut them off with a bolt cutter. Then it's time to sand. 80 grit works to get it down to smooth but finish with a 220.
Have you designed any special tools or jigs for wood crafts?
I don't have any hand-made tools I use but I have a variety of tools I use. I do like using my paints and stains for my projects and I make a lot of my own color combinations along with stain to give it a unique look. I try to imitate wood aging like barn wood or petrified wood. I've used all kinds of brushes that I've made; even using an old sock!
What are some wood working skills you really want to learn?
There are endless skills you can use in wood crafting. This has been going on since the dawn of time, haha! I would like to start working with bamboo soon but that's an entirely different operation I need to learn.
What is the one project you’re the proudest of so far?
I guess the piece I'm most proud of is my first one I ever made, which I still have. I have made many pieces that are hanging in million dollar homes as well as high-end restaurants and businesses and some of my favorites are the hammerhead shark, the hog fish, mermaid and the Marlin but my first one is my favorite. It's a very simple piece made of 7 boards with a song quote on it. I still think it’s very cool.
What else would you like to share with the pallet community?
The one thing I can share is to keep thinking of the possibilities. Take a pallet and turn it around. You have a 6 shelf herb garden you can throw up on a wall outside. You don't need to hammer a thing. Just try looking at things from a different view. Pallets are adult-sized Legos for us to build with. The online fascination is growing each day and now people appreciate it because there's a story behind each one. Let's keep this movement going!
If you’re ever in the Sarasota FL area, I am at the Siesta Key Farmers Market on Sundays displaying my art, and I would love to talk to you.
Editor’s note: Thank you for your time and for sharing your story with us, and with our fellow Crafters. Your work is beautiful and inspiring to all of us, and we truly look forward to more from you in the future! Keep those gorgeous pieces coming!
Thanks Tim for this interview :)
To find more on Tim: Steller Artworks website.
A tug pulls a Dept. of Sanitation barge full of of paper and cardboard waste to a combination recycling plant/paper mill on Staten Island, where it will be converted into corrugated boxes and other paper products. The amount of paper recycled each day is the equivalent of the amount of paper produced by as many trees as there are in New York City's Central Park. Jersey City, NJ, is in the background.
Waste Management Dempster Recycle One on a Volvo WXLL chassis dumping commercial/school recycling at Clayton Ward Recycling Co. in Kennewick, WA on April 3, 2012
See this truck collecting residential recycling crates: www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9FsoZauBa4
See this truck collecting commercial recycling carts and dumping at the local recycle center: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Lbd5a_dyZw
Our thanks goes out to our first oyster shell recycling businesses: 8th & Union Kitchen, Tonic Bar and Grille, and Trolley Square Oyster House of downtown Wilmington; George & Sons Seafood Market and The Back Burner Restaurant of Hockessin; and Grand East Buffet of BrandywineHundred.
Their participation provides us and others with the shell we need to ramp up our restoration projects.
Stay tuned as we sign up more green businesses, and who knows? Maybe we'll expand to your county next ;-)
www.recyclart.org/2015/12/recycled-art-interview-6-cindy-...
We continue our series of posts interviewing "recycled art" crafters & artists. This week, we interviewed Cindy Fortin from the blog Upcycled Design Lab as she is one of our active crafters and she bring nice ideas from all kind of materials to the Recyclart community. If you think you deserve to be featured in the next interview, please, drop us an email.
Tell us a little more about you? Who you are? Where are you from?
Hi my name is Cindy. I live in the beautiful state of Colorado with a wonderful guy two dogs and a cat. For several years I worked in corporate America but for the past 10 years I have enjoyed part time employment and more time to pursue things I enjoy.
Why do you craft?
The short answer is it keeps me sane. It is the best therapy I know of.
How did you learn?
My mother taught me to sew and my father made me all kinds of great toys and Halloween Costumes when I was kid. I also like to experiment.
Since when are you working with recycled & upcycled materials?
I guess I have been upcycling since I was a kid. I can remember making puppet heads from empty ivory soap bottles. I also made my prom dress from the fabric that was used on the sets from one of our high school plays.
What are your can’t-live-without essentials?
Not sure but I do find myself using E6000 glue on a lot of projects. :)
How would you describe your style? Are there any crafters/artists/designers that you particularly look up to?
I would describe my style as Upcycling 101. I like to use my imagination and work with lots of different materials. Most of my projects are easy to intermediate skill level and don't require a lot a specialty tools or training. I also like to use common items so that others can easily duplicate the projects.
How is your workspace, how do you make it inspiring?
I tend to work all over the house. I am lucky enough to have a room dedicated to crafting and creating but most of the time my projects tend to spill out into other rooms.
What sorts of things are inspiring you right now? Where do you look for inspiration?
I am inspired by things I need or want. If I need something I try to figure out a way to make it with things I have on hand.
When do you feel the most creative?
At night I tend to fall asleep designing projects in my head.
We live in such a mass-produced, buy-it-now society. Why should people continue to make things by hand?
Creating and making things is part of human nature. I think that sustainable living and DIY are only getting started.
We follow your work since a long time and we saw that you work with different kind of materials, do you have a favorite medium to work with?
I don't really have a favorite medium. I like to cut, paste, hammer, sew, melt, mix, paint, dye, mold, tear, bleach, stain, bend, disassemble and reassemble things.
What are your tips for people who'd like to start crafting?
Make time for it and dive in.
What is your favorite thing to do (other than crafting)?
I enjoy reading, hiking and working on my blog.
Thanks a lot Cindy for this interview! :)
To see all the posts by Cindy, it's here.