by Joan Collins

Created on: May 28, 2010   Last Updated: August 15, 2010

Making crafts out of recycled materials creates a good feeling. Not only are you helping the environment, you are either creating a work of beauty or completing a useful project at the same time. Inspiration and creativity provide the ideas to make unique, beautiful and useful art projects that will have others wondering when you became such a great artist! Get started with these exciting crafts.

Comforter quilts:

Make a special comforter quilt that is full of memories. Cut up the old clothes your children wore when they were younger. The quilt will be twelve squares across and fourteen squares down. Cut each piece into a four-inch square. Sew them together with a one-fourth inch seam allowance. Cut enough seven inch wide squares to cover a 42-inch by 56-inch square and add the border to the quilt. Cut an old felt blanket for the lining and use a sheet for the backing. You can decide if you want to tie it or sew the three layers in the middle. If you do tie it, use scraps of yarn left over from other projects.

Fusible fabric:

Make your own material. Save those plastic shopping bags and create your own “fabric,” much like the recycled bags you can buy from local stores. It is a simple procedure that will take a nominal amount of your free time.

Cut the bottom seams off of three plastic shopping bags. Then trim off the handles and turn the bags inside out. Lay the out flat on a large sheet of parchment paper, smoothing any wrinkles. Stack them and lay a second large piece of parchment paper on top of the bags. Set your iron on “rayon” and allow it to warm up. Fuse the plastic bags together by ironing on top of the parchment paper, keeping your movement steady and constant. Make sure the entire stack of bags is covered from edge to edge. Stop and check to see if the plastic bags are fused together by lifting the parchment paper. Let the bags cool. Use your new material to make a purse, a bag, a dress or whatever your mind can conceive.

Decorator pillows:

Cut fourteen-inch squares from your old wool sweater. Sew it together on three and one-half sides, leaving and opening in the middle of the fourth side. The seams should be one-half inches. Trim the corners of the seams and turn the pillow inside out. Push the corners out to form a point. Shred old, stained tee-shirts and use them for stuffing. Hand stitch the final opening shut.

Candles:

Do not throw your chipped teacups away. Melt down your used candles. While the wax is melting, hot

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