Recycling our favorite projects for Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day, RePlay readers! In keeping with the recycling spirit, I'm posting a few of my favorite projects from that past. First is the sports jersey tote bag. Is the perfect accessory for any grocery store. It gets double recycling points because you don't need to get those disposable plastic bags.


Another fave is the cereal box wallet. If you've visited us at an outdoor event, perhaps you've even made your own.


And then there's the soda tab belt. The perfect eco-accessory for every wardrobe!

Let's ReMake every day an Earth Day!

We're getting ready for Earth Day!

Earth Day is coming up this April 22nd, and to celebrate, we'll be at festivals in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn. You can find us at Earth Day New York in Grand Central Station on Vanderbilt Street this Friday, April 20 from noon-7pm and Saturday, April 21 from 11am-4pm, or drop by McCarren Park in Brooklyn for Go Green! Greenpoint! Earth Day Festival this May 5th, or stop on by the Queens Central Y on May 6th for their Earth Day Fair! We'll be teaching a different crafty recycling project at each event, so come ReMake with us and celebrate at some of the greenest parties on the planet! For a full listing of our event dates and details, check out our event page.

Website ReMakeover!

Did you hear? The RePlayGround website got a ReMakeover! It is now cleaner and easier to navigate our site, and we've got a brand new page that explains how we add upcycling fun to birthday parties, workshops and all kinds of events! We also have a new page that explains who Tiffany is, and what RePlayGround is all about. So if you've been wondering what's new with us, please drop in on our new site here: www.replayground.com.

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!

Volunteer for Earth Day New York!

Earth Day New York is looking for eco-minded volunteers to help out with the festivities in Times Square and Grand Central Terminal over April 21, 22, 23, 2012.

Make an impact, meet tons of people, and have fun doing it! Sign up here.

RePlayGround will host an eco-crafty table outside of Grand Central Terminal, where we'll teach you to make your own recycling project to take with you. Be sure to drop by and ReMake with us! For more details, see our event calendar.

Trash art at the Suzanne Geiss Company

As soon as I learned of The Suzanne Geiss Company's inaugural exhibit on artist Rammellzee, I had to see it. Rammellzee created 3-dimensional sculptures of letter racers, which are poised to attack in futuristic galactic battles in order to liberate themselves from European meaning and iconic value.

As an admirer of all thing upcycled, I was fascinated by Rammellzee's sculpting materials. I saw skateboards, chunks of tire rims, cut up USPS boxes, spray can triggers, syringes, buckles, old air fresheners and much much more. The overall look of these letter racers hanging in an aerial formation made me think of the city's colorful diversity, and all the materials at our disposal. Rammellzee gave these materials a fantastic, fictional new beginning!

Below are images from my gallery visit. You can view this exhibit in NYC through April 21, 2012.

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!