Trash to Treasure

In honor of my mother, Carol Elizabeth (Dickin) Binnall, who is enjoying another Mothers Day in heaven, I wanted to post a little, simple craft.  Why?  Because my mother was really great at making something big and memorable out of very little.  She was truly a frugal homemaker.  We grew up doing crafts all the time, using whatever was available, and Mama always knew how to use scraps of about anything to help nurture our creativity.

Mama would make our birthday cake and decorate it elaborately, having taught herself all the tricks of the trade, with the very few tools my parents' budget would allow.  There were parties with our friends, she volunteered to help with Brownies, Girl Scouts, was a room mother, and more.  I remember one Halloween Sleepover she did for us and our friends where she made cupcakes and used licorice drops and licorice strips to make them look like black cats.  She sewed a lot of our clothes when we were younger, made a lot of the decor around the house, and knew how to make a meal that would satisfy our hungry family of five out of very little food.  She set the bar pretty high, and I'm grateful for the example she set for me, and the nurturing she gave our creative spirits.  Without that influence I wouldn't be as crafty as I am, and I take pride in creating much out of very little.  I'm grateful for what Mama taught me.

It's from Mama that I get my desire to repurpose what others would throw away, and create something to enjoy.   So ... here is my latest quick and easy craft project.

The last time we ate at one of our favorite restaurants, we had pancakes, and they brought out the Maple Syrup in cute little bottles.  Hubby shook his head when I took the empty bottles home in my purse, and laughed at me with his little remark "I would expect nothing less", as I asked him if he was surprised.  At first I used the little glass bottle to root some plants I had trimmed.  Then I had a wonderful idea.

This project is truly one of those where I'm glad that I save scraps of stuff.  In my craft supplies, I noticed I had some burlap flowers I'd purchased at a craft store years ago, a leftover scrap of burlap from a 12x12 sheet I purchased in the scrapbook department, and ribbon.    Perfect combination!  Let the creativity begin!

Step One:  Gather supplies.  See list above, and add scissors, rubber bands, little bitty glass bottle, and mod podge.  (You could use whatever glue you want, but I like mod podge because it's easy and sticks well.)

Step Two:  Cut burlap to fit bottle size.

Step Three:  Coat bottle with mod podge.  (My bottle of mod podge was bit enough for me to dip the little glass bottle in, so I did that and let it drip for a minute.  Then I wiped the bottom of the jar off so it didn't stick to the paper I set it on.)

Step Four:  Wrap burlap around glass bottle and hold tightly while securing it with several rubber bands.  I wrapped the rubber bands around my bottle as tightly as I could.  My bottle had a small neck on it, so I scrunched the burlap up and tied it very tightly to hold the 'scrunch'.  Then I set the bottle on a piece of paper to dry.  The rubber bands didn't stick to the bottle, so they were easy to take off when it dried.

Step Five:  After all is dry, remove the rubber bands.  Then pull off as many of the little strings from the top of the burlap as you want to create the frayed edge.  You can cut it down if it's too tall.

Step Six:  Wrap ribbon around the 'neck' of the bottle, tie it in a knot, and snip the 'tails' for a fun little look.

Step Seven:  Put burlap flowers in and voila!  You have a little fun crafty bouquet!

Here it is on my dining room table, amidst the other items I put on a doily-covered lazy susan.  It's SO cute!!

Take what you have, and find creative ways to use it to add fun and spice to your life and home!  It doesn't have to be designer, or expensive, or even made from brand new stuff!  Look outside the box and get creative!

This truly is one of those cases where "one man's trash is another man's treasure".  I'm grateful for God's provisions, and try to use what He gives in every way possible, down to the last scrap.  I'm often that way with my relationship with my Father God.  Hubby laughs at me and often says that I can turn just about anything and any situation in life into a lesson about God.  He's right.  Life is not trash unless you allow it to be trash.  It's time to turn what others would toss at you as trash into the treasure God so graciously has for you!  Be bold!  Be grateful!  Be creative!

Happy Mothers Day!