the ReFab Diaries

Guest post: Trashy Crafter (Recycled Book Beads)

in , by Candice






























Very excited to host The Trashy Crafter today! I'll let her introduce herself ... enjoy  :)  

Books are magical, they give you the ability to go on a jungle safari one minute and a deep see dive with mermaids the next. But what happens when books has gotten lots of love from years of use? The pages get creased, dog-eared and ripped, the bend or even start to fall off. That’s where my Mom Helen and I come in. And this is where the story of Trashy Crafter begins.

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Upcycle: Free eBook - 14 upcycled jewelry projects

in , by Candice

If you enjoy making your own jewelry, especially if it involves a little upcycling, this is for you. A completely FREE eBook from the folk at All Free Jewelry Making featuring 14 projects that upcycle everything from eggshells to sunglasses to CD's.

Oh, and aluminum cans. Remember my tin-can daisy jewelry? That project is in there too  :)






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Repurpose: Don't trash the mini-blinds!

in , by Candice


The mini-blinds. If you rent an apartment (flat) anywhere in the world, I believe you probably live with mini-blinds. They're ugly. And hard to clean. And I think that when people dream of owning a home, they also dream of a life without mini-blinds.

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Repurpose: Fab clock on a ReFab budget ...

in , , by Candice



If anyone tried to profile my "style" it would be, at best, eclectic. At worst, disjointed and fickle. Case in point: I saw a $98 clock on Fab.com that made me look twice. That little "I can make that" voice went off in my head like a siren... after all, how cool would it be to turn an expensive "Fab" into a "ReFab"? On the other hand, it's not quite "me". There's an aesthetic out there epitomized, for me, by Ariele Alasko. It resonates for me.

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Upcycle: Soda can cookie cutters

in , by Candice


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




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Upcycle: Old Flip-Flops... new Slippers

in , by Candice

As I write this post, there are just a few hours left to enter the Retrash giveaway. The lovely Nathan (Retrash founder) just repurposed an old flipflop (thong) and then I saw this! If you want to see some extreme flip-flop upcycling, check out Kenyan based Ocean Sole. If you want to re-purpose a pair of your own old soles, keep reading.

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Giveaway: Retrash - a new book about upcycling and sustainable living

in , by Candice

Celebrate Earth Month by supporting Retrash — a new book about upcycling, recycling, and living a sustainable lifestyle.

Nathan Divine, founder of the website Retrash, is a kindred spirit. I can't remember how I found his site, but I remember the thrill!  Nathan has spent the last 3 years gathering inspired projects by amazing artists. And, in turn, inspiring people to rethink the way they look at trash. Now he's put all of his findings in a coffee table book by the same name (Retrash). The book features the work and ideas 82 designers in 20 countries, including Australia, USA, Germany, Spain, UK, Canada, Israel, France, Romania, Malaysia, South Africa, Thailand, Netherlands, India, Portugal, New Zealand, Italy, Argentina, Belgium and Hong Kong.

I've had the opportunity to see some of the projects ...  and I've created a little sneak peak below of the some of the amazing refashions and upcycled jewelry ideas. To coincide with Earth Day, Nathan launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to print the book (on 100% recycled paper, of course). Just two days into the campaign, it's about 60% funded. How cool is that?

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Earth Day: Global upcycling ...

in , by Candice


It's Earth Day. So I'm sending a rather literal message here ... upcycling going global? Upcycle old globes? Have some fun but let's remember that we only have one of these Earth things. We should probably take care of it.  :)


Going clockwise:

1. What I believe is a now famous Wendy Gold upcycle - the Flutter by Globe

2. An old favorite of mine published by My Sister's Suitcase in 2012

3. A fun planter with butterflies ...

4. And another Wendy Gold creation. Peace.










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