Bike Gear Jewelry

This is a great way to use those old bike gears, but make sure you clean them good. ;)

Tools: Scissors, Craft wire or Jump rings.

Supplies: Old necklace or Jewelry Chain, Bike Gears, Embellishments ( I used candy dot jewels)

*note* if you don't have any bike gears around, go to your local bike store, in their maintenance area, they will usually give you some that they were just going to throw away.*

1. arrange your gears into a design you like. Attach them together using jump rings or craft wire. *I used craft wire for this part to add more texture and appeal. If you are using craft wire, wrap through each gear to bind, twist in the back and trim any extra wire. Seal the ends with glue so that they aren't sharp.

2. To add you bike gear pendant to your necklace/jewelry chain, you have 2 options:

A. attach with wire or jump rings so that it hangs down like a pendant from a chain.

or B. Split you chain/ necklace so that you have 2 ends and attach to each end with wire or jump rings, so that your gears are actually part of your necklace.

this is what I did, because I was recycling a broken necklace.

3. Embellish as desired. I used green candy dot gem stickers. buttons, charms, or beads would look FABULOUS!

I love how the gears give it somewhat of a steampunk look. don't forget to post your version in the flickr group!

Recycled Softies

Supplies: Felt sheets in green, blue, white, gray, black, brown and yellow, stuffing, embroidery thread

Softie pattern downloadable here

Tools: Sewing Machine, scissors

Water bottle

1. download and print out pattern and cut out felt pieces, You should have 2 water bottles, 2 lids, 2 logos, & 1 smaller logo.

2. sew on all your pieces like this:

4. sew (wrong sides together) around the water bottle, leaving an opening to stuff.

5. stuff your water bottle.

6. sew up the opening in your water bottle. :) clip strings.

Soda Can

1. Download pattern, print out & cut our felt pieces. You should have 2 cans, 1 lemon(for a lemon-lime soda) 1 grey can top, 1 grey soda tab, and some dots. :)

2. Sew on all the pieces as pictured, everything goes on one side of the soda can.

3. Dont forget to sew on the mouth!

4. Sew (wrong sides together) Leaving an opening to stuff.

5. stuff can and sew up the opening. Clip strings

Paper Bag

1. Cut your sheet of Brown felt in half

2. Cut ZigZags on top of both pieces.

3. Sew the eyes and mouth.

4. Sew up the sides and bottom using a simple straight stitch. Leave the top open.

5. Open bag partway and sew the corners.

6. Flip right side out and clip strings.

Crumpled Paper Wad Softie

1. Using 1 sheet of white felt, about 1 inch from the edge, hand stitch with pink or red embroidery thread a vertical line along the length of long side of the felt.

2. Using blue embroidery thread, sew horizontal lines about 1 inch apart across the felt, to create the lines on a "notebook paper sheet". (*note-if you are not too thrilled at the idea of handstitching all these lines, you really only have to stitch them across one half of the felt, (which will be the front of the softie)

3. Flip your sheet over, lines facing down. Using a wad of stuffing, (or I actually used an old pair of socks-more recycling:)) place it in the middle of the felt, and then bring the sides of the felt sheet up, and play with it a bit, until you are happy with the look of it.

4. You can stitch and knot this softie to close it up, butI found that using a bit of glue actually held mine together better in the places that I wanted it to, making it look more like paper.

5. Sew or glue on black felt eyes and a smile!

Recycled Spool Stamps

Not only do these little spool trees look cool, They are actually stamps! I cant wait to see your version in the flickr group!

Supplies: Spools, Stuffing, Fabric, Foam

Tools: Scissors, Sandpaper, Sewing Machine, Glue, Sharpie

1. Sandpaper your spool so that it's not so smooth. Draw your woodgrain, Everyone draws woodgrain differently, but here's how I do it--

Start by drawing some swirly circles

Start drawing lines around you circles going from top to bottom.

Keep drawing lines to fill in your woodgrain.

2. Cut 2 circles out of your fabric, about 1 inch bigger than your spool. Sew all the way around your circle.

3. Cut an X in the middle of the bottom layer and flip inside out.

4. Stuff it by going through the X.

5. Glue to the top of your spool, X side down.

6. Cut out your stamp from foam and glue to the bottom of your spool.

7. Start Stamping! :)

Coffee Tin Planter

This is a super simple project, but it looks really neat..

Supplies: Coffee Tin, Paint, Embroider Thready, Potting Soil, Flowers

Tools: Paint Brush, Scissors

1. Paint your tin, It will likely need 2 coats.

2. Lay your embroidery thread out flat, Lay your tin ontop of it.

3. Wrap you thread around the tin and tie. repeat with the rest of the strands of embroidery thread. I used about 3 strands.

4. Fill with potting soil and plant pretty flowers!

p.s. Don't you just love how I store my embroidery thread? ;)

Mini Animal Key Chain

Supplies:

Key ring, Jump rings, Needle, Paint and Paint Brush, Miniature Animals/Army men/etc

1. Poke a hole through the top of you trinket/animal.

Miniature animals are usually made from a soft rubber and you can just poke a hole through it with a needle.

2. Paint your animal.

(this is optional, I just didn't like the color of my horse)

If you do paint it, then you will also want to go over it in a coat of clear glue or nail polish so that the paint wont scratch off.

3. Hook jump rings through the hole in your animal, and attach a key ring.

Voila, you're all done!

GiftCard Accordion Mini Album

Tools and Supplies:

Old gift cards, Jump rings, Pictures, Heavy Duty Hole Punch (I used a crop-o-dile)

1. Print your pictures out to 'wallet size' and glue them onto the backs of your gift cards.

2. Punch holes through every corner of our cards.

3. Attach them together in a "chain" using jump rings.

4. Starting with the front gift card/picture begin folding it up like you would an accordion. (back and forth, back and fourth, etc)

5. Decorate the front card if you like!