the ReFab Diaries

Custom cookie-cutters from cans? Yes. Easy (and free) to make. Fun to use. If you have an old aluminum pie tin lying around, they work well too.

And if you're concerned about sharp edges, check out the advice at Glitter Mint.


1. Super kid-friendly soda can heart cutter care of Food Doodles

2. Scrap-metal bird cutter from Lulastic 

3. Homemade lip and mustache cookie cutters from My Lovely French

Like most of us in the northern hemisphere, Melanie (of Bliss Bloom Blog) is craving flowers and dreaming of spring. In honor of Earth Day, she created these amazing egg carton roses. They're simple to make (great tutorial) and I love that the end product somehow manages to look both rustic and refined.

Thanks to Melanie for permission to feature this great upcycle. Get the complete tutorial here.

Sometimes I know exactly what inspires these round ups. For example, I once found myself collecting a lot of bottle caps (beer bottles, specifically) so I went looking for ideas for repurposing them. Then I created a blog post around bottle-cap decorating.

My friend Ruth recently tried her hand at a plarn project. Lucky for me she recorded her steps so I get to share her experience with you! For a roundup of 11 other plarn DIYs, click here.

Wow. How did it get to be January 8, 2014?? A post from me is WAY overdue ... my apologies. My year got off to a streptococcal kind of start. Horrible. But, here I am and I've got several fun bits and pieces to share with you.

I don't know why certain creatures become trendy in art and design, but I enjoy watching the waves. Owls, hedgehogs ... foxes!  I like it. If you know someone who'd like a foxy gift this holiday season, make 'em something!  Here are some fab ideas:

Yeah, shampoo bottles. I suppose you could use any plastic bottles, but we do go through shampoo at a rapid rate right? And the bottles are colorful ... ripe for repurposing! The collection above is all about kids (cold-weather, indoor fun?):

1. Awesome shampoo-monster caddies from Madame Criativa

2. Hold-owls ... beautiful tutorial here

3. A flotilla of post-foam fun ... care of Floris Hovers

4. A bold baby mobile ... DIY care of BB Bellezza




Some slightly more grown-up upcycles...

1. A catch-all wall for a kitchen, office or craft room ... full how-to at DIY Enthusiasts

2. Some simple caddies by Floral Chick

3. A grown-up pencil holder and ...

4. labels turned into gift bows... see more here

5. And finally, a bottle-turned-black-cat napkin or phone holder!  See the details here.

Christine Marie Davis collects old metal knitting needles and turns them into extraordinary bracelets ... the colors are wonderful! Check out the full collection and visit her blog. where she refers to herself as a "finder, collector, maker, breaker, smasher, basher."

No DIY for working with metal needles, but if you have old plastic ones lying around, they make great bracelets too!



Check out the tutorial (pictured above) care of Time for Tea.  If you're interested in what else you can do with old needles, take a look at this roundup.

'Tis the season (in my part of the world) for all things leafy ... watching them change color, fall and burn on bonfires. So in the spirit of leafiness, here are four DIY, upcycled art ideas for you:

1. Leaf burst from Myrtle and Eunice

2. Leaf and twig installation on canvas by Revolutionaries

3. The ghost of sunflowers past by Thrifty and Chic

4. Simple leafy silhouettes care of Bon Temps Beignet

1. Adorable, wheatgrass eggheads (spotted here)

2. Succulent centerpiece

3. A little floral happiness

4. The cat's whiskers

5. Mixed herbs under a banner

6. Radish heads!

This wonderful little dragonfly brooch was created using old book leather and a plastic soda bottle for wings. For instructions and more pics, see The Upcycler.

Ah ... the little Danon yoghurts. One dose a day, means lots of little bottles collecting quickly. Which means you'll soon collect enough to make this lamp! Construction is much simpler than you'd imagine; no special materials required. The completely tutorial at Reciclantes is really inspiring, as is the whole blog - please click through and take a look.

It's summer in my hemisphere. That means (amongst other things) that I'm suddenly driving over a lot of empty plastic bottles! I've started giving myself points every time I hear the loud crunch. But really? Do they need to be rolling around in the street? I think we should let our kids bowl with them instead. Then recycle them please Chicago!


1.  Monster bowling

2. Sumo bowling

3. Bowling "toss"

4. Rainbow bowling