“That could be good for something later!” Sound familiar?
I like saving stuff that has the potential to be used for something later. Some people call that being a pack rat. I call that thinking ahead. Granted, I do know when it becomes time to prune and toss out some of the stuff that isn’t getting used, but I was definitely one of those kids who picked up on the mantra of recycling all the grownups were pressing into our squishy elementary school minds.
And it wasn’t just about recycling; it was about recycling through arts and crafts! Think about all the egg carton flowerpots and soda bottle terrariums. For Christmas one year, I learned how a wire and one or two plastic bags could equal a handmade wreath. (It’s really quite a lot of fun, and if you’ve got spray paint, even more win!) Old newspaper has a million in one uses. Chances are you have had at least one hat made out of newspaper in your life, and who here doesn’t at least resort to using old newspaper to cover their worktable during crafting time?
Recently, I’d started saving the glass Starbucks Frappuccino bottles. For those who aren’t up to date on their coffee, the bottles look like this:
Their size and shape makes them very wonderful for doing all sorts of crafty things with them, and the durability of the glass means that as long as you’re not dropping them on hard surfaces from high places, you don’t have to worry too much about them cracking or shattering (unless that’s what you’re looking for). The last time I’d two bottles, it was to make a pair of container candles for a friend’s Christmas package. Yes, they were coffee-scented, although I misjudged the amount of brown dye to use initially and wound up with mostly green candles and some brown at the top. (Lucky for me, green is her favorite color.)
I guess I meant to do the same with these new bottles, and considering this semester has been very hectic and I love coffee, I was drinking a lot of these coffees. At one point, this is what my shelf looked like, post-cleaning and removing the labels:
Yes, that is the shelf of my dorm bathroom. Lucky me, that I have a very understanding roommate.
Apparently my itch to craft could not wait until I was home with my candle maker, however, because what resulted was this:
Amazing what inspiration will toss your way, no? I’ve done several others in this fashion in the following colors: blue, gold/green, and pink with black and silver hearts. (That is to say, I drew each black and silver heart, which is the most mind-numbing thing I have done of late–and I took a math class this semester!) The red and blue I’ve sold to friends, but the rest will soon be appearing on the Etsy store. I’ll be sure to let you know when. I’m also planning to draft up a tutorial for anyone interested in learning how I do it. I promise, it’s really easy!
To close, I’d like to offer up this link to another DIY project involving Starbucks Frapp bottles, found while Googling the image of the Mocha-flavored one above. It’s direct from Maize Hutton.com by way of the Spearmint Baby blog: Starbucks Frappuccino Vases.
Will Craft for Tuition 