Project; Making Paper Beads using magazines. Doorway or Window curtain

Paper Bead Art. I never heard of it, but others have. Why it caught my attention was because it uses magazines (and I have too many) plus the suggestion that the paper beads could be strung together to form a doorway curtain (or a window curtain). While the suggestion pictured is using the paper beads as art, I would be more likely to make the paper beads as a project to use the old magazines, so I would need plenty of paper beads to then string a doorway curtain.


For the tutorial how to - see at curbly

and the paper beads are shown in this framed art piece

Project; Wall Art Framed using Job Jackets

Found this image at Decor8 of what looks like a fun project to use magazine, poster, art, child's art, awards, whatever else comes to mind to create an 'art wall' setting. The project uses what are called job jackets.
Can't you see some interesting ideas developing for use in your home - teen's room, bathroom, reading room, kitchen! Think of textures, designs you can coordinate, mix and match and make your own wall art statement.

Kitchen; photos of food, thin cookbooks,seed packages,calendar pages.

Childs room; child's art, nursery story photos, childrens books

Teen's room; oh the teens - record album covers, posters cut to size, magazine photos, cd covers, favorite visual teen things.

Bathroom; nautical magazines, seashore - seaside - seashell photos or use the real things, geometric designs in colors if that matches your bathroom theme, greeting cards.

I can think of several things I might do with the transparent film covers I already have for use in binders. And next time I'm in the city where those kind of stores reside, I'll look around for 'job jackets'.

Project: Shredded magazine strips to wallpaper

Interesting recycling use of old, saved magazines. Expand on the idea using recycled newspapers, old greeting cards, wrapping paper, colorful junkmail, past IKEA catalogs, maps. Think up your own creative way to reuse/recycle colorful articles which would otherwise be headed to the trash bin.



instructions posted at decor8 (fresh finds for hip spaces - and a new link I'm adding to my blog)

Shredded Bliss How To: Grab all the magazines you'd like to incorporate into this project, issues you won't mind sending to the shredder, that is. Find a shredder that creates strips (try Staples where you can find them for around $20) and feed your colorful pages through it. Collect the strips that appeal to you the most, that work within your desired palette and the 'look' that you're going for. Grab a narrow paintbrush and apply a craft glue to the back of each strip (Budget Living suggests Delta Sobo from Dick Blick. Locals: There's a Blick across from the new West Elm over by Fenway Park, they have it.).

Place the strips in a pattern on a dry, clean, smooth wall and allow them to set overnight. The next day, brush on an even coat of clear sealant. Let that dry overnight and viola! You've just given your walls a facelift for less than the cost of one roll of wallpaper. Budget Living shows it in a bathroom, but with the moisture factor to consider, I'd suggest this project for a small office space, entry way, guest bathroom (no shower/tub), or just for one wall - behind the bed or your work area, for instance. If you have a galley kitchen, this would look great on the back wall. By the way, Home Cheap Home is loaded with excellent projects, the focus being on use what you have vs. constant spending, so highly suggest picking up a copy.


And another clever idea ....

And here's another cool project that is totally animal friendly and easy to create in an afternoon. Use white linoleum, cut it into the shape of a zebra rug, and paint the black stripes yourself.




So, guess will need a plug for the book then - Budget Living: Home Cheap Home