(I've copied & pasted these from the 'Recycled Houses' thread)
Beer can butterflies! Aluminium cans are easy enough to cut using a kitchen scissors (mind the sharp edges though). This can be done with plastic bottles and containers too.
http://www.notcot.com/archives/2008/..._villinski.php
Paper lightshades – I love these to pieces. The second link has a tutorial for making a DIY one.
http://padstyle.com/iq-light/499
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=231484.0
Room dividers – the possibilities for these are endless. You can make a big one to stretch across the room, or smaller ones for doorways or just decoration. I love that you can use almost anything to make these :D
http://ayoska.wordpress.com/2008/05/...water-bottles/
http://flickr.com/photos/8171839@N05/792565548
http://frazierandwing.com/one_of_a_kind
(This one’s very cute)
http://www.designsprout.com/my_weblo...recycle-1.html
If you’re using beads for beaded curtains etc., you can make really cool beads from recycled paper:
http://flickr.com/photos/73966497@N00/588658460/
Decoupage – one of my favourite things ever hehe. You can give old furniture a new lease of life, and make plain old cardboard boxes for storage look really cool and designer-y.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6610020
(Everyone’s doing this with old maps and it looks amazing IMO, but you can use anything really)
http://flickr.com/photos/bombusdesign/498231251/
http://flickr.com/photos/moline/532041113/
T shirt rugs: these are really easily made using the latch-hook method
http://museumofhappiness.blogspot.co...-shag-rug.html
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5626795
Tin can kitchen storage… sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. I have lots of my craft supplies in tin cans lol
http://www.canadiandesignresource.ca...gallery/?p=927
You can also just use them free standing, and paint or decoupage them. I think some funny labels like ‘Can of worms’ or ‘Can or whoop-ass’ would be hilarious :P
Recycled paper baskets:
http://en.espritcabane.com/pretty-th...per-basket.php
I know I have loads more, I’ve to sort through all the saved links and see what else I have…. I get loads of ideas from sites like inhabitat.com, apartmenttherapy.com, curbly, notcot.org, craftzine, and my favourite ever -
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?board=347.0
If you go onto Flickr and search using words like repurposed, recycle crafts etc. you can get tons of ideas.
If you have access to a sewing machine or a lend of one, cushion covers and patchwork throws are easy to make up using old clothes, samples and swatches from fabric and curtain shops.
A few good sites for creative inspiration….
http://www.packratmag.com/
http://housewife.splinder.com/
www.treehugger.com
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com
http://hautenature.blogspot.com/sear....y.%20projects (Great blog, this is the DIY craft section)
http://craftzine.com/
http://www.notcot.org/
http://www.curbly.com/
This is one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a bit – I reckon you could get a similar effect by photocopying pics onto overhead transparencies (check schools & colleges for any they might be throwing away, now that everyone’s gone digital).
http://www.hgtv.com/decorating/film-...ade/index.html
Beautiful idea for felt or fabric rugs – I think this could be done easily enough using recycled materials like old clothes etc.
http://www.ecosalon.com/title/Felt_Like_It ,
http://freshome.com/2007/03/27/beaut...f-flowers-rug/
Think outside the box when it comes to flooring….
http://asthecrowflies.org/2007/10/14...l-paper-floor/
I’m trying to put together a prototype for sort of a parquet effect flooring made from cardboard… will post pics if I can get it to work…
Never underestimate good old collage for some really striking wall art
http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/20...er_sale_e.html
Cardboard furniture!! I’m itching to have a go at making some of these
http://freshome.com/tag/cardboard/
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/g...rniture-040982
http://www.trucdesign.com/index.php/...435-miss-julia
Imaginative way to store CD’s disguised as art :P
http://inventorspot.com/articles/han...s_wall_ar_9728
This, my friends, is how we’re all going to get rich – check out the price tag!!!!!
http://store.greenergrassdesign.com/droog-rag.html
Now go raid your houses for all those bags of old clothes and get busy LOL
I came across this – it might be easy enough to knock something together in the same style without having to break out the power tools!!
http://www.organizeit.com/poquikcloset.asp
These pine shelving units are fairly inexpensive and the shelf positions are adjustable – when my son was little I used to leave the top space quite big and run a bungee rope around the top to hang his clothes from. I was able to adjust it back to normal when he graduated to a wardrobe :P
http://flickr.com/photos/hoonynoo/1262698526/
Seaweed lamps – aren’t they beautiful? :D
http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/05/01/...lp-constructs/
Great idea for those old punctured inflatable sofas and chairs…. OK this one’s full of rubbish, but I think it’d look really cute in a kids room filled with squishy stuff like soft toys, cushions etc.
http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/05/20/...garbage-chair/
Decoupage gone mad…. This is stunning (and so is the price tag LOL)…. But is anyone else thinking aluminium foil?!!
http://mocoloco.com/archives/005596.php
Paper flowers – a few garlands of these would really brighten up a little girls’ room
http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/20...r_flowers.html
IRISH green DIY website :D
http://greendiy.ie/wiki/
Wooden pallet furniture…
http://en.espritcabane.com/furniture...ffee-table.php
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/200...rom_recla.html
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/b...pallets-052991
http://www.superuse.org/story.php?ti...etfloor-rdf181
http://en.espritcabane.com/garden/pallet-wood-deck.php
http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/look/...-austin-061009
Shipping container houses (I. Want. One. Of. These. :D)
http://weburbanist.com/2008/05/26/ca...s-and-offices/
http://www.architectureandhygiene.co...2con_main.html
More cardboardy goodness… :D
http://www.vivavi.com/catalog/produc...oducts_id=1223
http://www.lifedeathhappinessandstuf...furniture.html
http://www.gizmag.com/go/7969/
http://keetsa.com/blog/eco-friendly/...m-cardboard-2/
http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/04/07/...ard-furniture/
http://keetsa.com/blog/home-and-gard...rom-cardboard/
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/d...niture--050820
Recycled furniture from old bits of furniture and reclaimed wood…
http://www.enviromedia.com/enviroblog/?p=77
http://bedzine.com/blog/bed-news/rec...he-pile-chair/
http://coolhuntinggreen.com/tag/recycled-furniture/
http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/02/01/...llation-chair/
http://www.wendellrobbinsdesign.com/...llsize/f1.html
http://www.bravenewleaf.com/environm...us-furnit.html
http://blog.2modern.com/2008/03/discarded-recov.html