Putting a new spin on Maker Faire!

We’re ReMaking it at Maker Faire in New York City again this year! It’s coming up this weekend from September 29 – 30th and being hosted by the nice people at the New York Hall of Science.

This year’s RePlayGround project is a DIY pinwheel made from scrap materials (what else would be use?) attached to a straw. It’s one of my favorite new projects and definitely takes upcycling for a spin.

If you’re there on Saturday be sure to check out my soda tab bracelet demo at the Maker Square Stage from 1 – 1:30. Bring your own soda tabs or be one of the first 20 people at the demo and get free supplies to make your own bracelet. If you can’t make it to the event, you can always check out this easy how-to video.

Hurray for ReMakers and Faires!

Create a cereal box cyborg! This weekend!

Make it to the last weekend of summer Maker Days at the NY Hall of Science! In honor of Make's iconic robot, RePlayGround will be on site helping museum goers reate their own upcycled version. We'll have super-crafty super-friendly instructors help you customize robot from cereal boxes and other upcycled materials. You can find us at the NYSci from 11 – 4pm this Saturday and Sunday, August 25-26. This project is free with museum admission. Making stuff doesn't get any better than that!

Then, be sure to put Maker Faire on your calendar - September 29-30. It's two jam-packed days of making, crafting, hacking, deconstructing, reconstructing, building, and just bout anything you can add -ing to. Whew. It will blow your crafty mind!

Go to camp without leaving home!

It's the last week of Maker Camp so tune in this week for DIY bookbinding, creating your own marshmallow cannon, and more.

The great thing about Maker Camp is that if you miss a session you can always tune in on Make Magazine's YouTube channel. If you missed my session last week, you can still catch the complete video on how to make your own woven basket from scrap paper and weave as you watch.

The basket pictured above is the one I wove during the session. It took me over an hour to make, so I finished it up at my Brooklyn studio, then took it up to my roof for a glamour shot. Make your own upcycled fun before summer is over!

Got a bug to make stuff? Come to the NYSCI this weekend!

This weekend we'll be at the New York Hall of Science for Maker Days! Can I hear you say woo hoo?!?

We had loads of fun at the last event creating art just for the NYSCI from keyboard keys. See a few highlights below and you can view more pics on our photo album.




This weekend's projects include cereal box rockets and bottle cap bugs. Sure to be loaded with do-it-yourself fun! We'll be there from this Saturday and Sunday, August 11-12 from 11am to 4pm. Meet up and make stuff with us again on August 25-26. Same time, same place. See you there!

Weave your way to Maker Camp!

Can't get away to camp this summer, but still have that bug to make cute and crafty things? Maker Camp is virtually the best camp for you! It's hosted on Google Plus so you can tune in from your own home.

There are tons of projects like making your own junk art robots with with Joe Szuecs, and creating marbled paper with Dale Dougherty. And I'll be on hand Monday August 13 doing a do-it-yourself woven scrap paper basket. Check out the schedule for what you want to make. Material lists and instructions are posted just before the project week starts.

Come to Camp and Make stuff!

Upcycled fashion design!

There's no better way to explain ReMaking than to wear it on your sleeve. So that's what we've done here! Here are a few of my favorite upcycled fashion items that I've created from something almost trashed. Can you guess each scrapped material?



The design of this dress started out a little baggy, but I transformed it into a dress with a little upcycling magic... and some help from my iron and sewing machine.


This dress fits Kathy to a T.


Perfect for a rainy day, you can even find instructions for this skirt on our website. If that isn't enough of a hint, then our clues are all dried up.

Guesses? Ideas? Have you made your own upcycled fashions?

MAKE it to the New York Hall of Science this weekend!

Looking for ways to beat the summer heat? We have loads of cool new projects for The New York Hall of Science Maker Days!

This weekend well be getting crafty with CD suncatchers that you can make and take with you. We were also inspired to create a one-of-a-kind art piece from a pile of computer keyboard keys we’ve had just waiting for a special project. Then it finally clicked that the Maker Days were perfect place for them to debut.

You can find us at the NYSci from 11 – 4pm this Saturday and Sunday, July 28-29. We will also be at upcoming Maker Day weekends August 11-12, and August 25-26.

We have some new, fun projects up our vintage sleeves for those events - like upcycled robots (it's not a Maker Faire without a robot), bottle cap bugs and more!

The goodness doesn’t end there. The NYC Maker Faire is at NYSci once again from September 29 - 30. Don’t miss it! Make it!

Necktie Gadget Case for Father's Day!

Father's Day is fast approaching, and we have a DIY project that will make a super-fun gift for Dad.  It's the Necktie Gadget Case, and you can make it out of one of Dad's old ties.  (Just be sure not to cut up a tie he's going to miss!)  For step by step instructions, check out our DIY video tutorial below!

ReMake a vinyl record clock! Just in time for Mother's Day!

I'm pleased to share some new DIY videos with upcycled home decor ideas. This first project puts a new spin on an old vinyl record. Instead of trashing it, transform it into a clock. It looks good on your wall, or share the recycling love and make one for a great Mother's Day gift. My clock is Sonny and Cher. What will yours be?

Check out all of my new videos on my DIY page. Happy ReMaking!

Weft, Warp, ReMake!

Disney Family Fun posted this Hula Hoop rug project on their blog. Using scraps of old t-shirts as the warp and a Hula Hoop as a loom, you can make a beautiful circular rug! For step-by-step instructions, check out Disney Family Fun.



photo via Disney Family Fun

Our book ReMake It! features a t-shirt rug project as well. Cut up strips of an old t-shirt, pull them taut, then loop and tie to make your own recycled rug. See detailed instructions in our book!

A Paint Can Planter is perfect for Spring!

Spring is here, and we've got a great upcycling project to help you celebrate! It's the Paint Can Planter (project #77 in the ReMake It! book) and it's a fresh, colorful way to display newly bloomed flowers!

Materials:

empty paint can

paint brush

paint

rocks

potted plant that's smaller than 5 1/2 inches in diameter

Instructions:

1) If there's paint left inside the can, use that paint to paint the outside of the can. Let any additional paint in the can harden and dry. Remove any labels from the outside of the can and paint it. Save the lid for project #77 Paint Can Lid Clock (which can be found in the ReMake It book)

2) Fill the paint can halfway with rocks.

3) Place your potted plant inside the can. Fill up the rest of the can with rocks around the sides of the potted plant. You'll want the top of the plant pot to line up with the top of the paint can. Now, rock out with your new, low-cost planter!

RePlayGround at the American Folk Art Museum!

This February 2nd, 2012, RePlayGround will be hosting Make It Thursday at the American Folk Art Museum! We'll spread some crafty recycling inspiration with an upcycling talk, then we'll teach how to make your own soda tab bracelet. ReMake It! author Tiffany Threadgould will also be available for a book signing.

Admission to the event is $10 and includes refreshments. For more information on the event check out the museum website: http://www.folkartmuseum.org/index.php?p=folk&rd=9568&id=8998

American Folk Art Museum

2 Lincoln Square

Columbus Avenue at 66th Street

New York, NY 10023

Thursday, February 2, 2012 from 6pm - 7:30pm

Altered books

Here are some creative ways to upcycle old books. A good book never goes out of style!

Bookworm Linked Bracelet by Etsy jeweler TheUnwrittenWord

Hanging Hearts Valentine by Etsy crafter BooksETC

Book Purse: You can find a tutorial of this project in our book ReMake It!

Recycled Goods at Crafted at the Canal!

This Saturday Dec. 10th you can finish your holiday shopping in eco-style. Crafted at the Canal is a holiday craft fair that will be open from 10-5PM, and will include over 30 vendors! RePlayGround will be selling new recycling kits to make cereal box wallets and magazine gift bows, and you can pick up a signed copy of ReMake It!, which makes for the perfect gift for crafty friends and family.

RePlayGround's blogger Kathy Tingum will be there selling her recycled magazine frames, vases and other Twofold Designs items, so be sure to drop by and say hi!

The event is held at Build It Green! in Gowanus, 69 9th Street, Brooklyn, NY. Build It Green is a great resource for second hand furniture and building materials, and their new space is loaded with recycling inspiration!

See you there!

Cheapskate's guide to green gift giving

This holiday season it's ok to be a little tight on cash. RePlayGround will help spice up your gift giving the cheapskate way. Our book ReMake It! Recycling Projects from the Stuff You Usually Scrap is filled with ingenious ways to cut down on your holiday shopping bill, and impress friends and family with your eco-crafty know how. You'll be giving out hand crafted necktie iPod cases, tree ornaments made from holiday greeting cards, a yoga mat carrying case from old cargo pants, and much more!

For more info on the book, click here.

Grab your copy today and start ReMaking the season!

ReMake your holiday shopping at Union Square in NYC!

As we're entering the holiday shopping season, think about giving the gift of ReMaking this year. Our ReMake it kits are on sale at the Karma Kiss booth at the Union Square Holiday Fair. You can pick up a wine cork trivet, bottle lamp, stationery kit, and more. The gift of ReMaking never goes out of style. And neither does the gift of wine, for that matter. So consider picking up a wine cork trivet for your fave adult. If you can't make it to the holiday market, you can always score ReMake It kits online at Karma Kiss and Greenfeet. And don't forget to pick up my new book at Barnes and Noble! Happy holiday ReMaking!

A minty fresh Halloween!

I hope everyone had a happy Halloween out there! As usual, I remade mine from scrap I had at my studio. I was an upcycled tooth fairy complete with a pleated skirt made from toothpaste tubes, a wand made from toothbrushes, toothbrush jewelry, and sparkly wings, tank top, and tights.

Want to make your own upcycled tooth fairy skirt? Head on over to Make:Projects for my step-by-step instructions. You can get a head start on next year's costume and try this pleated, upcycled skirt. It'll take a little while to collect all of those toothpaste tubes. But don't fear, after all of that candy this year, you'll be needing an extra dose of toothpaste.

What were you for Halloween? If you made (or remade) your own costume, you have 2 more days to enter it into Make's Halloween contest. I hear there are some scary-good prizes!

More crafty creations for Halloween! Courtesy of Kiwi!

Hey there blog readers! Spend your Halloween in crafty style tomorrow and try one of these crafty projects. I wrote up two new projects for the October issue of Kiwi Magazine.

Dish up this sweet recycling project with scrap paper and candy wrappers. Then, put a new spin on an old T-shirt with this spider web project. These projects are a sweet way to flex your recycling power this Halloween. So grab a copy of Kiwi Magazine for the complete how to and get crafting!

Craft up this cardboard carton candy carryall!

Getting into the crafty Halloween spirit? Check out these sweet candy totes we made for Craft. We used an empty salt container, oatmeal cylinder, and ice cream carton. It's a great trick for turning empty containers into Halloween treats. Get the complete how to over at Craftzine.

Tie one on

I was just searching the internet for inspiration to make something nice to make my brother's upcoming 40th birthday. I want to make something for him from my dad's old neckties. I came across these great finds and just needed to share: Diane Gilleland's heart shaped necktie pins over at Craftstylish.
 

image courtesy Craftsylish 

This awesome dress from Glamarita's Etsy shop. Maybe not so appropriate for my brother, but something for my own wish list. 

 

image courtesy Glamarita's Etsy shop 

Here's Laura Martin's site Ties that Matter. She's my new friend and fellow upcycler collected from my recent Creative Connection event. Love her range of products from upcycled neckties. 

 

 image courtesy Ties that Matter

Whoa. Some of those neckties are up there on the styleometer with my dear old dad's neckties.

Then there's this whole Sewing With Neckties blog devoted to cool tie finds.

 And don't forget project 50, necktie gadget case, from my own book, ReMake It.

 

So, definitely inspired, but still trying to figure out that perfect gift for the tech-savvy brother who doesn't-really-wear-ties-himself all that much. Any ideas out that can tie together the sentimentality of my dad's neckties and a gift my brother would definitely use?