the ReFab Diaries

The owl and the pussycat went to sea.
In a beautiful pea green boat ...
The zebra was jealous
And yes, she lacks feathers
But nevertheless, off she floats!

I love paper lanterns but often see them tossed into dumpsters. How about making a hot air balloon instead? This whimsical, wonderful DIY is care of Momtastic.

If you know me, you know I love to decorate with books ... and pages of books.  This is a lovely, simple way to create something new from an old book (a chewed up kid's book perhaps?) and a wire hanger.  Mark Montano's Paper Flower key holder. 

My good friend Lisa (of Poldapop Designs) recently found herself facing a NY's eve date with her hubby, minus the "great new dress" she'd planned to conjure for herself.  Two little girls, the holidays, a small business to run .... and stomach flu (!) had all contributed to this fix.  So what did she do?  She refashioned a dress that had been collecting dust in her closet for years!  Here's the before and after:



Awesome right?  I've "reconstructed" a number of things in my closet over the years ... recently making a Target sweater a little more "Anthropologie" by removing an elasticized hem and adding a big button! You do NOT need to have mad sewing skills to pull this off.  You really don't.  So check out the great round up of projects (21 of them!) recently published at Crafting a Green World.

I LOVE this!  Two old t-shirts, a little bleach, a little embroidery thread (or "floss" in US english) and voila! 






Very eco-chic ... get the how-to from Joy Beadworks.

If you sew for children (or you shop for them using a tape measure vs. the sizes printed on the tags) you NEED these little measurement charts.  And I do mean need ... 'cos they're beyond cute. 





Might also be fun to print off a bunch and tape them into an album or scrap book year after year... a mobile "growth chart".  Thanks to Oliver+S.

If you save all those paper grocery bags (you know, the ones you have to use because you left all your reusable bags in the car ... because it was raining and your kids were screaming?) ... use them to wrap gifts!  Alisa Burke is beyond talented and I love her eye.




Pin It