Magazine Page Valentine Pockets

Hello everyone! I know, it's been forever since I've blogged...we recently moved our home, our family, our dogs, and coincidentally, my business.  So, things have been a little crazy, but we are getting settled again and it's time to blog some more!

I realize this is totally belated, being that Valentine's day is over, but I wanted to share this fun tutorial from Unplug Your Kids.  It just seems so fitting for the Junk Mail Gems blog because it uses recycled magazine pages!  Just a little something to tuck away until next year...although who says you can only send love notes on Valentine's day?  Make one today!  :-)

DIY Thrift Store Table Turned Train Table!

Looking for a train table for your kids?  Why not try making one?!  I just had a BLAST making my own out of an ugly thrift store table. Check out my fully photographed process in my IDMommy blog! This would make a really fun project to do along WITH your older kids, and it's not too late to start making one as a Christmas gift this year!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Recycled Kids' Art Project: Used Magazine Collage!

Okay, I'm mooching off of myself again, but I thought this would be a good post to share here on my Junk Mail Gems blog too!  I used to make collages all the time when I was little.  Here's how you and your kids can have fun turning old magazines into art too!

DIY Retro Clock Bottlecap Magnets

I just love these magnets for two reasons.

1) They are made from recycled bottle caps (and you all know how much I like to recycle!)
2) They feature graphics inspired by some awesome classic clock designs that I have always wanted to purchase but cannot afford.

Check out the great tutorial on How About Orange for complete step-by-step instructions, as well as the downloadable graphics!

Man, I have a gigantic bin full of bottle caps just SCREAMING to be used for this project, not to mention a stack of artwork from my kiddo to display.  Now I can have little reminders on the frig of the clocks I'd love to purchase some day when I strike it rich! (after we sell our house and I can start hanging art on the frig again, of course!)

(via Cut Out & Keep)

DIY Recycled Bottle into Outdoor Oil Lamp

Greetings Junk Mail Gems fans! Wow, it's been forever since I've last posted! I've been really busy these past two weeks. Last week was my annual "busiest week of the year" as I was tending to my Paintertainment business, face painting at a local county fair. This week was spent trying to catch up on my mountains of backed up freelance design work and Junk Mail Gems wholesale orders. In the midst of this chaos, I've moved into my new office and have been getting things in order. (photos to come in a later post!) Needless to say, I've been "burning the midnight oil" for the last two weeks! And speaking of burning oil... (how do you like that transition?!)



...I want to thank my super awesome brother Ben for finding this cool idea and passing it on to me. Erik Anderson takes you step by step through his tutorial (with fantastic photos) to create this unique oil lamp using an old bottle. Such a cool idea! Summer may be winding down, but it's not too late to light up a torch in your backyard and have a party, so check it out!

As I get more caught up on my orders and projects and get my new office together enough for some nice photos, I'll be posting pics of the new digs and sharing some more fun DIY recycled office organization ideas! Stay tuned!