the ReFab Diaries

I love orange but the kiddie clothing industry is less enamored with the color than me. So I chopped up a summer onesie to add some color to a long-sleeved bodysuit. If you don't already know how to use "wonder-under" or some other wonder substance that turns any fabric into an iron-on transfer, then you're missing out. Below is my creation:

Here's a super simple book fold! I love this because it's way to work with magazines and journals, which are rarely good for folding.




Find the full tutorial here.

If you're looking for a unique thank-you gift for a teacher, this upcycled book-paper apple would be a hit. Great way to repurpose both old book pages and colorful scrap paper. Complete tutorial at NoBiggie.

Last year I turned some old sweaters into hats.  Here's another really great way to re-use a favorite old (often stretched out) fuzzy item ... thanks to I am Momma, hear me roar guest-blogging at WhipUp.

What can I say ... I'm a big dork, and so is Ms K. So Ms Ro's bookworm halloween costume was inspired by Mila's Daydreams ... a blog that went viral overnight. Sadly, the original daydream pics have been removed due to copyright infringement all over the place. But Design Mom still has a few of the original images - see them here.


Make it!
This was as super-simple costume to create. I bought a couple of nylon garbage-bag dispensers from the dollar store and removed the plastic piping from each end. I sewed them together, stuffed the bottom half with poly stuffing and everything else you see is pipe-cleaners. Total cost: $5. This would not have worked if the kid hadn't been so comfortable wearing her pipe-cleaner specs.  :)

This tutorial for making book page fabric is so fab! Pictured are a table cloth and a little clutch. But imagine the possibilities! Maybe a small waste-paper basket from the slightly-larger pages of a magazine like Real Simple? Or a set of storage bins/cubbies? Gift bags?

I'm not much of a purse person (!) - I tend to have all my stuff in a bag and I carry that same purse until the falls apart.  But I love the aesthetic of this little clutch.  



It's also a great way to craft with scrap leather. I often see brightly colored faux leather jackets in thrift stores. Wouldn't it be cool to turn them into more useful things, like this purse?

Check out the tutorial care of Cheri from I am Momma - Hear me roar guest blogging at A Lemon Squeezy

The very first blog I became devoted to way back when is "How About Orange".  No matter what material she works with, the result is classy! 





Check out Jessica's tutorial for making these wonderful, recycled paper flowers. Great way to upcycle magazine or catalog pages.

Picking up a crappy old globe is easy and cheap.  I can see SO many ways to have fun with this upcycle ... especially if you have friends/family around the globe.  This is a recent Design Sponge post.