Cigar Box Jewelry Box

This week we found a new use for an empty cigar box! We started by cutting down chopsticks to serve as compartment dividers. After hot gluing the chopsticks to the bottom of the box, we cut out magazine pages to fit in the compartments, and glued the squares down with a glue stick. We found you can also give the inside of the box a more finished look by spraying on a few coats of glossy lacquer.

We picked this box up at Refugio Cigar House around the corner from our RePlayGround studios. A lot of cigar stores have empty boxes that pile up by the end of each week, so if you'd like to try this project, ask your local store for any cast-off boxes.

Check out our other crafty cigar box projects at Craftzine.

This smokin' hot jewelry box makes a great summer project!

Blast off with Maker Days at the NY Hall of Science!

We’re back and the New York Hall of Science this summer for Maker Days and we couldn’t be more excited to make projects with you! This weekend is the Maker Days kick-off and we’ll be on-site sharing our recycled projects galore. Not only do you get to make stuff, you get to take the stuff you make. And bigger bonus - it’s free with museum admission!

RePlayGround be on-site from noon to 5pm these three weekends this summer:
July 23 – 24, August 6, 7 and August 20, 21
The great big NYC Maker Faire is coming your way on August 17 and 18th and we’ll be there, too.
Each weekend will feature different projects from cereal box rockets, bottle cap magnets, magazine gift bows and more.

So rev up those recycling engines and get ready to blast off with our Maker Days! We can make it great – with your help!!

Turn an outdated necktie into a picture perfect camera strap!

Here's a project that's "suit"able for any occasion - a necktie turned camera strap.

Stop on by Ecouterre.com for the complete how-to.

If you'd like more of a hands-on tutorial for turning neckties into new, come out to the Creative Connection in September. I'll be teaching a class on turning neckties into new. Fun! And trashy!

Make crafty memories!

Check out my latest project over at Craftzine and learn how to make a memory mirror frame.

It makes a great gift for weddings, birthdays, graduation, and every other event in-between.

What a good lookin' family, if I do say so myself!

Go postal AND go green!

A fellow design junkie recently alerted me to the new eco-stamps available at the US Postal Service.

She writes:
"Hi Tiffany, Have you seed the "Go Green Forever" postage stamps? I went today to our local post office and Wola! The clerk said to me 'I've never seen anyone SO excited about stamps'. Apparently I must have had an out-of-body reaction when I saw them!"

So of course I instantly went on-line and ordered my own stamp sets.

Get yours, too! And help spread the eco-word by mailing it. In the words of Stacy - Wola!!

Crafty friends can organize, too!

Nothing warms my crafty heart more than when a friend recently told me he and his girlfriend sat down one afternoon and whipped up a few projects from my book, ReMake It.

That is until he told me in his upcycling frenzy he decided to reorganize his CD collection and reused old boxes as organizing labels.



From Brian:
"So, here is my "bigger" craft project inspired by your book -- I'm getting close to finishing it up.

Anyway, as you know I end up with my share of beer containers and 6-pack holders, and I have wanted "labels" for my CD collection for a while now. So, instead of buying plastic or metal little label-holders, I started with a Sixpoint Brewery 4-can container (that's a great beer, BTW) and cut it up along the folds in the proper sizes -- so the "corners" of the can container are the folds of my labels. Then, sticking on some mailing labels to write on, I'm able to label each of the compartments of my CDs. I also used another 6-pack and a container for crackers, and now I'm getting close -- one more 6-pack and I'll be all set. And you know I'll be good to have another of those soon. :)

For me, its a big deal, since like many music lovers I have a unique filing system -- I use a genre-based system -- so Kate needs the lables to find anything!"





Happy crafting! And beer drinking (for more boxes of course!)

crafty kits by RePlayGround!

We're super excited to introduce our brand new recycling craft kits on Etsy! We've had a few projects which have had such a demand, we decided to make them available to everyone! Now you can bring RePlayGround fun to your next party with our pre-cut materials and step-by-step instructions. These projects are also great for events, fairs, a classroom setting, or a good ol' craft night at home! Recycling has never been so fun and easy!


Magazine Gift Bows (includes a simple version for craft beginners, and a fancy bow for the craft savvy)

Food Box Wallet

And the recycling fun doesn't have to stop there! Check out our event page to hire RePlayGround to run a workshop at your next party or event. We have loads of crafty inspiration to share!

Recycle-A-Bicycle

Recycle-A-Bicycle (RAB) is a community based bike shop that works with NYC youth to refurbish bicycles for new use. The non-profit organization salvages 1,200 bicycles a year from the landfill, and teaches students bike mechanics and repair techniques necessary to get junked bicycles back on the road! Every purchase from the store supports youth programs and environmental initiatives. RAB reaches kids and adults with programs where you can earn a bike through volunteer work, internships, and a Kid's Ride Club, along with adult education courses in maintenance and cycling skills. RAB estimates they have diverted 36,000 pounds of waste from NYC's landfills yearly. That's a big impact!

Another program RAB offers is Recycled Arts, where young people can transform old bike parts into crafty, artistic creations! We're always excited to see people getting creative with scrapped materials. Take a look at our own spin on recycled bicycle with our bike chain jewelry:

For information on how you can get involved with Recycle-A-Bicycle, or to donate a junked bike, check out http://www.recycleabicycle.org/