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Recycle Ties into a Quilt – Second Design

Close-up of a quilt made from upcycled neckties - mostly navy blue with some pops of color

This quilt is a complementary project to my first necktie quilt because it uses up the narrow sections of the neckties. Read more ›

November 24, 2023
Carla Brown
Creative Reuse Inspirations, Trashmagination Design
fabric, quilting, sewing

Recycle Neckties into a Quilt

Woman holds up a wide rectangular red quilt with hexagon designs

I’m very excited that so many people are enjoying my necktie quilt tutorial! Check it out!

November 8, 2023
Carla Brown
Creative Reuse Inspirations, Trashmagination Design
fabric, quilting, sewing

Recycled CD Seashell Ornament

Artist holding up a swirly peach ornament beside a recycled CD to show how it fits inside

What makes this ornament even more fun is that it contains a recycled CD to give it shape! Read more ›

August 6, 2023
Carla Brown
Trashmagination Design
CD, plastic

Tiny Embroidered Portraits

Two small portraits sewn with fabric and felt in 3-inch embroidery hoops

For my grandmother’s celebration of life, I made adorable embroidered portraits of her with each of her children. Read more ›

August 6, 2023
Carla Brown
Family Stories, Trashmagination Design
embroidery, felt

How I Weave Old Socks and T-shirts Into Rag Rugs

Smiling woman holds up a colorful woven rug outside with greenery behind her

I weave old socks and t-shirts into rugs – this helps me use up the t-shirt components that cannot be used in my fluffy rugs. Read more ›

June 21, 2023
Carla Brown
Creative Reuse Inspirations, Trashmagination Design
fluffy rugs, old socks, socks, t-shirts, weaving

How to Make Bags from Recycled Food Packaging

Woman holds up a large red bag sewn from recycled frozen strawberry packaging with handles made from a tae kwon do belt

In this tutorial, I share how to make fun bags from plastic packaging such as frozen strawberry bags, dried fruit and nut bags, juice pouches and more. Read more ›

June 21, 2023
Carla Brown
Creative Reuse Inspirations, Trashmagination Design
plastic, plastic packaging, sewing, upcycling

Plastic Tubs Creative Reuse

Bracelet made from colorful circles of plastic cut from laundry soap jugs and gift cards

Laundry soap and cooking oil come in heavy-duty plastic tubs or jugs that are tough to recycle – but you can creative reuse them at home and to make art. Read more ›

May 7, 2021
Carla Brown
Podcast
plastic

Hangers Creative Reuse

Wooden and plastic hangers on a clothing rack

Plastic, metal and wooden hangers can all be creatively reused to make furniture, costumes and other art. Read more ›

April 22, 2021
Carla Brown
Podcast, Weaving
metal, plastic, weaving, wood

Bread and Grains Creative Reuse

A chunk of brown bread with a glass of beer - photo by Gianluca Gerardi

Artists and entrepreneurs around the world find creative ways to make beautiful and useful things from bread and grains. Read more ›

April 13, 2021
Carla Brown
Podcast
food

Tin Containers Creative Reuse

Tea tins on square shelves by Jonathan Kemper, Unsplash

How can you creatively reuse your cookie, biscuit, candy or tea tin containers that make you feel sentimental? Read more ›

March 25, 2021
Carla Brown
Podcast
metal, quilting

Fluffy Rug Course

Woman laying on a very fluffy rug made from recycled tshirts in rainbow colors

When I shared my new fluffy rug method made from recycled t-shirts, the social media posts went viral, so I have now made an online course so you can make your own! Read more ›

March 15, 2021
Carla Brown
Podcast, Trashmagination Design
fabric, t-shirts, weaving

Umbrellas Creative Reuse

Nora's crayon art - umbrella in the rain

You can make so many useful items from a broken umbrella, using just the fabric, just the frame, or both! Read more ›

February 28, 2021
Carla Brown
Podcast, Trashmagination Design
fabric, metal, plastic, sewing

Hub Caps Creative Reuse

Hub cap art by Sharon Zigrossi from Blooming Hub Caps

You can paint and sculpt plastic hub caps to make exquisite works of art – you’ll never look at a hub cap the same way again! Read more ›

February 15, 2021
Carla Brown
Podcast
metal

Envelopes, Newspapers, Magazines and Junk Mail

Yellow paper and pulp balls

Learn how to make your own paper and get inspired by artists who creatively reuse paper into clothing, sculptures and collages. Read more ›

January 28, 2021
Carla Brown
Podcast, Trashmagination Design
paper

Dried Paint, Brushes, Cans Creative Reuse

How to Build a Bat House - 2004

Many paints are made with plastic so let’s find way to reduce our impact, and learn about ways to creatively reuse paint, brushes, graffiti, spray paint cans and more. Read more ›

January 15, 2021
Carla Brown
Podcast
plastic

Weaving Recycled T-Shirt Rugs

White rug woven from recycled t-shirts by Trashmagination

You can make very cute woven rugs from recycled t-shirts without spending much on equipment. Read more ›

December 25, 2020
Carla Brown
Podcast
t-shirts, weaving

Fish Scales, Skin and Bones Creative Reuse

Gyotaku or fish printing of a rosebud rockfish by William Twibell, 1987

Learn how artists and scientists are creatively reusing fish scales, skin and bones – from jewelry, to paintings, to even a replacement for petroleum-based plastic. Read more ›

December 7, 2020
Carla Brown
Podcast
fish, food, leather

Yoga Mats Creative Reuse

Rolled up green yoga mat

Get lots of ideas for how to use your old yoga mats, plus learn about a type of yoga mat made from recycled neoprene wetsuits! Read more ›

November 17, 2020
Carla Brown
Podcast
plastic

8 Items You Might Not Creative Reuse

Mussel shells by Pixabay

Trashmagination is all about encouraging you to creatively reuse found items and recyclables to make art. However, some materials can be hazardous to your health if you don’t take precautions when working with them. Read more ›

November 5, 2020
Carla Brown
Podcast
plastic

Hair and Pet Fur Creative Reuse

View of Mark Bradford's work Pickett's Charge at the Hirshhorn Sculpture Museum - photo shows many layers of papers and ropes along a curved wall to make a colorful mural

Can you creatively reuse natural or synthetic hair? Read more ›

October 27, 2020
Carla Brown
Podcast
compost, plastic, spinning

Visible Mending

Denim quilt sewn with patches of velvet and decorative buttons

There is a creative reuse trend to mend your clothes with decorative stitches, making the item stronger and also more beautiful. Read more ›

October 20, 2020
Carla Brown
Podcast
fabric, sewing

Leather Creative Reuse

Table with large scrap of leather on top of a cutting board with many tools

What can you make from that leather couch on the curb, your old leather jacket or even the leather labels on your jeans? Read more ›

September 29, 2020
Carla Brown
Podcast
leather

DIY Plastic Recycling

Plastic caps to be drilled for taiko player craft

Designers around the world are building machines that allow people to DIY their plastic recycling. Read more ›

September 17, 2020
Carla Brown
Podcast
plastic

Inflatable Floats and Decorations Creative Reuse

Inflatable pool toys - photo by Toni Cuenca, Unsplash

Inflatables made from vinyl, rubber and nylon are very difficult to recycle but they are extremely popular during hot summer months and as holiday decorations. Read more ›

August 24, 2020
Carla Brown
Podcast
plastic, rubber

Buttons Creative Reuse

Denim quilt sewn with patches of velvet and decorative buttons

Learn about the incredible ways artists work with buttons and get ideas for creatively reusing your own buttons. Read more ›

August 10, 2020
Carla Brown
Podcast
metal, plastic, quilting, sewing, wood
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