Craftside: How to make a hole in a plastic toy from the book ReCraft

How to make a hole in a plastic toy from the book ReCraft

I have an awesome tip for you today from one of my favorite books, ReCraft: How to Turn Second-Hand Stuff into Beautiful Things for Your Home, Family, and Friends. If you like making jewelry with plastic toys try heating up a needle and carefully poking it into the toy to melt the plastic.

For the holidays I tried another project from ReCraft. I made glitter coated tea cups that are just darling votive holders. If you like making stuff out of other stuff (like me), then I bet you will L.O.V.E the Frances Lincoln Ltd book:

ReCraft: How to Turn Second-Hand Stuff into Beautiful Things for Your Home, Family, and Friends

Buttonbag , Nicola Kent

In today's thrifty times it is seems right to re-use fabrics and buttons and customize old clothes rather than buying brand new ones. The Buttonbag book is packed with instruction and ideas on how to re-use, re-cycle and re-create fantastic things, thereby transforming old into new.
There are about 40 step-by-step projects for a range of items including items for the home, clothes and accessories for all ages plus patterns, templates and basic techniques. Illustrated with photographs and hand-painted illustrations, the emphasis is on simple, easy-to-make items with a twist.

BUTTONBAG is a young innovative company breathing new life into old crafts by updating them in a fresh, contemporary way. Since founding the company in 2005, SARA DUCHARS and SARAH MARKS have graduated from a stall at London's Greenwich market to a network of more than 200 stockists across the country including John Lewis, Liberty's of London and Oxfam, and in 2010 they sold over 50,000 kits. Following a degree in English and Art NICOLA KENT sold handmade greetings cards before getting sidetracked into a successful career as a TV producer. She went on to produce a wide range of programmes for the BBC and Channel 4, and also wrote for top-rating children's animation The Cramp Twins. Since having children Nicola has focused on writing and illustrating. Recent work includes labels for Buttonbag's exclusive Christmas range for John Lewis as well as working on a number of her own stories for young children.