Beautiful Art Projects from Stuff You Already Own

I own a ton of craft supplies. Seriously. Which wouldn’t be so bad if I had a pretty craft room, like the one on Martha (yes, I realize it’s a set and only 1/2 of a room, but it’s still more than I have). Instead, mine are in plastic hinged storage boxes and drawers lining the side of my room.

In an effort to save money, make my room look bigger, help save the world, and so many other reasons, I am genuinely trying to only make new art projects out of materials I already own. Sounds like a no-brainer… but I have a notorious habit of finding interesting projects online I want to try, if only I had one more item… or I get excited because JoAnns is having a great sale on fabrics. But they ALWAYS have sales on fabric. And I already have plenty of supplies. So no more trips to Hobby Lobby, or JoAnns, or the craft section of Wal-Mart. For as long as I can *gulp*

So, here are some of my project finds that can incorporate supplies I already have (or ones I can acquire for free 😀 )…

Enamel Flower Pins
These beautiful flower pins are the creation of from Canada. She put hers on safety pins, but theses little flowers would look quite pretty on a frame, or barrette, or a magnet. It’s another one of those you’ll never guess what this is made of type crafts!

Quilted Potholders
I have been eyeing this book for a while now… picking it up at the craft store, thumbing through it, and setting it back down. I do already have all of the materials… fabric, cotton batting, Insul-bright… and the patterns in the book are very cute. But part of me thinks who buys books these days?! Also, they are essentially just quilt blocks, layered with insulation, and bound like a quilt. You can find about a million quilt block patterns on line for free, or design your own. Though it would be handy to have the color photos and patterns all in one place, and I’m sure the book includes some good tips. But alas, I can manage just fine with the materials I have… and it means one less book to store in my room too 😐

Glass Votive Candle Holders in Spring Pastels
These are just incredibly pretty. A great use for those jelly and pickle jars from the store… just pull some out of the recycling bin (you aren’t throwing those glass jars in the trash, RIGHT??). Mod Podge dries clear, Mode Podge with food coloring will dry pastel/translucent. Who knew?! I also didn’t realize they make an Outdoor Mod Podge that is waterproof. Spiffy 😀

T Shirt Quilt
So I mentioned over a year ago that I wanted to make a quilt out of my old college t shirts… I have enough to make one just of Alpha Phi Omega shirts, and another out of GW event shirts, and probably one more just from “other” shirts I love but won’t wear ever again. I have way too many shirts. BUT I just finished making a huge quilt 😐 It’s quite a task… bit I think for these t shirt quilts I’ll tie them together, making the experience a little less exhausting. Here are some basic instructions if you are interested in making a T shirt quilt of your own 😀 (Google will give you a million more). I even already have the interfacing needed to keep the knit shirts manageable for sewing… it’s all just a matter of busting out my rotary cutter and an iron and getting these quilt tops made!