In this video, Elizabeth Gleeson shows us how to repurpose those plastic shopping bags that pile up around the house into fun crafts that make perfect gifts for the holidays. You can use this new fabric for tons of projects including new purses, wallets, shopping bags or anyth ...more
After the turkey is carved and the leftover meat is refrigerated, don't get rid of the remaining carcass and bones just yet. You can make some delicious turkey stock with them. Just add them to a big pot of carrots, celery, onion, and water — then simmer. There are other food ...more
Just dried a load of laundry? Don't throw away that used fabric softener sheet just yet. You can repurpose a used sheet for a variety of practical uses around the home, such as picking up pet hair from your furniture, deodorizing your gym bag, removing static cling from your s ...more
Rubber bands are an ordinary, everyday, common household item, right? Their hidden in your desk, wrapped around your bills, holding your pencils together at the office, but what else can you do with rubber bands? What are some extraordinary uses? Woman's Day Magazine tells you ...more
Is your jewelry box cluttered up with pieces that are old, out of date or just plain ugly nowadays? This video to the rescue! Learn a few good ideas when it comes to giving some old costume jewelry a new life!
Everyone has extra t-shirts sitting around that don't get used anymore. Give one a new life, by sewing together a new outfit. The sexy GiannyL demonstrates this DIY closet hack that's simple and cheap. Just find a t-shirt, a needle, thread, pins, and a ribbon. Watch this video ...more
Ah, your mom’s wedding gown. You know – that 1980’s polyester monstrosity with poofy shoulders so large they’d darned near swallow your whole face that’s lurking in your folks’ basement? Yeah, that one. Well, kiddo, she kept that for you to wear on your big day. That’s right. ...more
When I was a little kid, I was obsessed with shells. And while most of my shell collection came from combing the beach for treasure, some of it came from a different source: dinner. Whenever my parents had fresh clams or mussels, I would take the leftover shells, soak them ove ...more
At one point in the '90s, about fifty percent of the CDs produced worldwide had an AOL logo. About fifty percent of the CDs in my home still have that AOL promise of 500 free hours on them. Though they never got me to join their internet service, I did get a lifetime supply of ...more
The Google Now gesture included in the Google Now Launcher and on Nexus devices isn't something I regularly utilize, and you might not either. There is a way to disable it, which is a good idea if you were executing it accidentally, but what's even better than disabling it? Re ...more
It's really no wonder why Christmas is the most popular and widely celebrated holiday of the year. Your whole family gets a chance to spend some much needed quality time together—and not just gorging on food like at Thanksgiving. But in all seriousness, that's not the reason a ...more
LEGO may no longer be in its heyday, but those colored building blocks of joy can still make some really cool and creative things. I mean, take a look at these pieces from LEGO artist Nathan Sawaya. While making something like that is undoubtedly impressive, it could be just a ...more
The next time a light bulb burns out in your house, don't throw it out. Believe it or not, burned out light bulbs aren't entirely useless. Besides creating an extra task on your to-do list, they can be hollowed out and used for a variety of different things from home decoratio ...more
I've always had an affinity for pretty wine bottles. When I was younger, my parents and my siblings would give me their empty wine bottles so I could collect them, and I loved every single one. Of course, once I reached a certain age, I realized that I loved what resided in t ...more
Got an old fugly wool reindeer sweater that's collecting dust in your closet? Don't just toss the warm coat because it's not very stylish. Instead, check out this crafting tutorial to learn how to repurpose an old wool sweater into cute wool mittens. Join Kim and Kris as they ...more
Vintage is in right now, but that doesn't mean everything you can dig up in your mother's closet is fashionable (we're thinking her neon '80s balloon pants here). If you happen to find a skirt in her collection that's dyed a nice color but cut entirely wrong to look good on an ...more
In this video, learn how to take things you find in thrift stores and repurpose them as cool, new items. In this clip, you will learn how to cut up a frumpy old skirt and turn it into an adorable, stylish oversized tote. This is a fun project that costs just a couple of bucks ...more
This is a great scarf or accessory inspired by the Fefe Dobson music video, and a great touch for your New Years' Eve celebration. All you need is a regular oversize T-shirt - ideally one which has a V-neck and solid color.
If you're a habitual thrift store and consignment store shopper, then you know that every now and then you'll stumble upon a vintage necklace or ring that has one part that's sooo pretty, but the rest looks pretty tacky or too old. Give new life to the little bits of vintage j ...more
Let's face it: Despite knowing that we should always carry around our recycled, reusable tote bag to the store to cut back on plastic bags, we've still got a whole closet load at home. It's nearly impossible to always have a reusable tote with you, or enough usable totes for e ...more
Due to the current bohemian/indie trend in music, film, and fashion, vintage and recycled wares are in high demand and sell like hotcakes in many stores. But don't waste your hard-earned money on overpriced vintage goods when you have the materials lying around the house to ma ...more
Plastic bags on their own aren't quite strong enough to hold anything too heavy (at least not for an extended period of time), but when broken down into "plarn" - plastic yarn - they can be woven into some very sturdy fabric. This video teaches you how to make "plarn" for wea ...more
Unwanted advertising is everywhere. Annoying pop-up ads, overly loud late night commercials, spam...it never ends. And before spam, there was junk mail. Junk mail is even worse because unlike TV commercials and internet ads, it's physical. You can't just delete or ignore it—an ...more
The cost of scrapbooking can really add up. You can still create wonderful scrapbooks to artistically document your memories by shopping smart and cutting costs by being resourceful. You can use things you already have around the house. Scrapbooking is a great way to preserve ...more
Recently gained some weight (or lost a few pounds after getting yourself hooked on an intense exercise routine)? We've all been there, and know that your clothes probably aren't fitting the way they used to. But don't just throw your outdated threads into a plastic bag and tos ...more
Repurpose your old T-shirts! Create a fun summer look by creating a halter top/corset style look out of an old T-shirt. All you need is a sharp pair of scissors and a few embellishements or accessories. You won't even need a sewing machine.
Don't throw out your old, worn out jeans - repurpose them! This video shows you how to take some of your old blue jeans and transform them into a useful, elegant and classy denim pouch. All you need are a few basic sewing supplies.
This is a great holiday project that also encourages recycling! Take a few old cereal boxes and repurpose them into either tags (which you can use for gifts) or glittery photo corners that you can attach in your albums or scrapbooks.
Repurpose a pair of denim shorts into a fun and cute messenger bag! You'll need a pair of denim shorts (or jeans), scissors, needle and thread, straight pins, pliers, chains, your favorite vintage brooches or buttons, and a length of Velcro.
Plain tees are indispensable because you can match them with anything, from the plain to the outrageous. But sometimes you get tired of wearing the same old gray tee shirt time after time and want to spice things up a little. Watch this fashion tutorial to learn how to repurp ...more
A drawstring halter dress is so perfect for summer. They're cute and breezy, allowing your skin to breathe, and aren't too boxy, so they don't visually add extra pounds to your silhouette. Learn how to repurpose old T-shirts into this summertime staple by watching this video. ...more
In this tutorial, Elizabeth Gleeson shows you how to take an ordinary thrift store find like a slip and repurpose it into a totally cute and wearable minidress for summer. This look is so cheap to create and will look great all season long! So, follow along and save money this ...more
Have an old fridge (or, like the creator of this video, easy access to a scrap metal yard)? Convert it into a meat smoker! This DIY guide will teach you how to repurpose a disused refrigerator for smoking meat. For complete, step-by-step instructions on how to make your own co ...more
In my opinion, vodka gets a lot of undeserved flak. It seems like most people have a bad experience in college with a plastic bottle of vodka and never go back. I can't blame them; it took me a few years after graduating college to start to enjoy vodka again—but now I adore it ...more
What's better than stuffing yourself during Thanksgiving dinner? Gorging on leftovers the next day, of course. Everybody loves a good turkey and cranberry sauce sandwich, but what are some other creative ways to re-purpose all the leftover turkey meat, mashed potatoes, stuffin ...more
Old T-shirts are usually relegated to our closets or heaped in piles to be donated to Goodwill, but even the frumpiest of T-shirts need not be discarded when you can repurpose it! Check out this video for an easy way to convert a T-shirt in a sexy dress, all from Gianny L! Th ...more
Shower curtains and shower curtain liners are great for making sure that your bathroom floor doesn't collect water, but eventually you'll want to replace them. When you do, the old one can be repurposed for a number of practical uses around the house and outdoors. You can use ...more
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, but there's no need to spend a lot of time or money on a fancy centerpiece for the dinner table. With a few clear glass jars and simple objects you can find either in your backyard or your local supermarket, you can quickly put together ...more
This is a great way to repurpose your old covers! Tired of your old iPhone cover? Rather than spend $30 on a new one, why not just paint the old one until it suits you? It's way less expensive, and better on the environment! Things you'll need: old smartphone cover spray pa ...more
We all know we should dress for our body type, and that there are different cuts and fits of clothing specifically tailored to enhance our shapes, but there exists one universally flattering piece of clothing out there that we believe flatters all: the pencil skirt. When purc ...more
This video from Educational Art Institute shows us how to repurpose old CDs for use as Christmas ornaments. There are many different ways to do this. One idea is to use glue applied onto the CD in any pattern or design and add one or more colors of glitter. If you don't like t ...more
Android 11 has a new power menu. When you long-press the power button to shut down or restart your device, you'll see the usual buttons in addition to payment cards and a set of toggles for any smart home devices you've added to Google Home. It's a cool feature, but it does ma ...more
Since leftovers are such a coveted thing following a big cooking holiday, I decided to follow up my previous post on reusing Thanksgiving leftovers with 13 more ideas for doing more with your holiday scraps. While making turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce is an oldie but ...more
Dried out markers are the worst. They take up space, and for some reason, even though they're totally useless, most of us have at least a few lying around just for the sake of not throwing them out. Luckily, Julie Finn over at Crafting a Green World has come up with a way to r ...more
Oh, yeah. I was a skeptic, too. A few things are worth noting, though. 1) This stuff is cheap. You can get started on a project for very little money. Even advanced fabrication tools are reasonably priced. 2) This stuff is a global standard. You can develop a system here tha ...more
As crazy as it sounds, there are times when bottles of wine go unfinished. I love a glass or three of vino, but am often guilty of not finishing the bottle. Sometimes I don't have the time to finish it, and other times I like it so much that I open bottle number two and can't ...more
I love cheap, nutritious food: lentils, rice, toor dal, and other beans and grains. Even popcorn. The only problem is that they usually come in floppy plastic bags that make measuring ingredients more difficult. I usually open up one corner of the bag only to have everything c ...more
With only a day left until Halloween, a full and detailed costume is too much to throw together for most people. But you still have to dress up as something, right? No one will give you candy or let you into a Halloween party if you don't even put in some effort. A mask is ab ...more
There may be no other crustacean with as many names as the crawfish: crayfish, crawdad, crawdaddy, mudbug, Florida lobster, spiny lobster, rock lobster, and freshwater lobster (to name a few). But no matter what you call it, there's no denying that it's a popular delicacy in t ...more
Augmented and mixed reality experiences attempt to break us out of windowed computing experiences and allow us to place software anywhere in the room. But that software doesn't have to take a rectangular form—theoretically, the web doesn't have to restrict itself to a page in ...more
If there's one thing that gets used far too frequently in the modern kitchen, it's the trash can. Home cooks everywhere waste enormous amounts of food by throwing it away before it's actually ready to be tossed. So much waste... so depressing.. One way to lessen the amount of ...more
I'm not a big fan of single-use tools, especially ones that don't get used particularly often. And I'm especially not a big fan of seldom used single-use tools that take up a large amount of space. One of these tools is the steamer, which is on the list of "kitchen essentials ...more
It happens to even the most avid cereal eaters: sooner or later you open a box, unfurl the crinkled plastic bag, and find that the cereal inside is stale. Maybe you forgot about it, maybe you ate it too slowly, or maybe you just found a new, better cereal and left it behind li ...more
Given how much use it gets on a daily basis, the power button is always one of the first hardware features to call it quits on an Android phone or tablet. So if your power button is acting up, or you don't want it to, you can extend its lifetime by simply finding ways to use i ...more
Perhaps the best part about Easter is the fact that, even after the day is over, there's usually still a lot of candy left. Jelly beans, gummy bears, Cadbury eggs, peanut butter cups, marshmallow peeps — there's no end to the sugary goodness in your awesome Easter basket. Yet ...more
With how quickly technology evolves in this day and age, it's only natural that people replace their computers every couple years—even sooner. It seems that right when you get a new desktop, there's always a faster model with more features released the following week. What do ...more
With the Galaxy S20, Samsung has officially removed the Bixby button from its flagships. While it was a controversial key, in its later days, it did give us the ability to launch an app or custom action at the press of a button. There's still a way to do something like that, b ...more
From vodka to beer, booze is great for drinking, great for mixing, and, yes, great for cooking with. But there's really no alcohol better for bringing into the kitchen than wine. From savory dishes to sweet ones, wine is so versatile that it can make almost any meal better. An ...more
Considering how much smartphones cost in the first place, we're understandably reluctant to throw them out when we've bought a newer model. And this is probably the best practice, too, as there are many great uses for an old Android device. Don't Miss: Turn Your Old Android i ...more
In my opinion, there is no candy greater or more timeless than Sour Patch Kids. They're the ultimate treat: sweet and refreshing, yet sour and tangy. These contrasting flavors are what make Sour Patch Kids perfect for the people of all ages—especially your kids. So let's make ...more