Drop-Side Cribs: Immobilize? Repurpose? Recycle?

I held a garage sale last week, and two days before our sale, it was declared officially illegal to re-sell or even donate a drop-sided crib.  Of course, this being our "done having babies" sale, I had a nice drop-side crib all ready to sell.  It now leans against the side of our garage, awaiting it's fate.  Let's just say I'm glad I only paid $30 for it at a garage sale, so I'm not out much cash.

If you have a drop-sided crib that you'd like to keep using, you can get an immobilizer kit that does just that...immobilizes the sides, making it safe to keep using.  For cribs manufactured from 2000-2009, many manufacturers are offering these kits for free.  If your crib manufacturer is not on the list, you can purchase one online as well for $10.

However, if you're like me and you're done having babies (unless God has other plans), and can't sell your crib or donate it, what do you do with it? 

The first thoughts that came to my mind were to make some kind of giant tomato cage or trellis for vines. My husband's idea was to chop it to bits and roast marshmallows over it in one of our outdoor fire pits. My neighbor suggested I see if a local antique shop would like to use it to display antique dolls in.

I did a little web surfing and came across this great post at "Easy Frugal Living" full of ideas to repurpose old cribs into useful items like benches, photo display boards, and even wall art...

"Vintage No. 35" has a great idea to use the springs as a jewelry display stand:

"Upcycle" also posted many great ideas, including a really cool craft station, a cart, a work bench, and a hutch to name just a few...

You can Google "repurpose crib" and find many other great ideas out there, but these are the first few that caught my eye.  I'd love to hear your ideas if you can think of anything else...we really don't have room for our big, white, drop-side crib in our house but if I can find some cool way to re-use it before my hubby takes his chainsaw to it, it would make a fun tutorial post!!  ;-)

Junk Bonanza 2010

I just returned to my studio after an overwhelmingly inspirational visit to the Junk Bonanza in Shakopee, MN! Described as "the best junk roundup in the Midwest," there is nothing junky about it!  I would describe this even as being like a walk through a really cool, antique flea market where everything has already been "upcycled" into quirky, creative gifts.  These are the people who scour thrift stores, yard sales, flea markets and antique shops for cool treasures and old "junk," apply their creative juices, and give everything a new life.

As a display designer myself, I found it equally as exciting just looking at the beautifully designed booths.  You can tell that every booth and display was designed for people like me, by people like me, who are easily drawn in by neat old treasures and recycled art. Walking through the aisles of creativity was like a constant struggle between the cool stuff pulling me into the next booth, and the desire to run home to my studio and start making things!  Many of the vendors were not only catering to those who want to purchase their items, but also those of us who like making things ourselves, by offering up bins and bins of little found objects just screaming to be made into something.

I went with my very artistic and creative mom, who so graciously offered to come along and help me maneuver the crowds with my two little boys in strollers.  With two little ones, we were only able to stay for a couple hours.  So, I didn't get to see EVERYTHING, but got a bunch of photos.  So many, in fact, that I can barely digest all of them myself, let alone overwhelm you with one post that covers them all.  So, I am going to post some more photos over the next few days from a couple vendors who caught my eye during the event.  Stay tuned for more photos and links to come!

Until tomorrow, here are a few more photos from the morning...

Groupon Offers Half Price Admission to Junk Bonanza!

I apologize for all of my non-Minnesota readers, but for those of you who live in the Twin Cities and love to find cool vintage stuff and repurposed items, be sure to check out today's Groupon for half price admission to the Junk Bonanza!  The event is held this September 16, 17, and 18 at Canterbury Park in Shakopee.

If you are NOT in this area and unable to attend, you might enjoy checking out their online gallery for a little eye candy and inspiration!

I've never been to this but it looks very much up my alley...and perhaps yours as well!  Happy hunting!

Old Chair Turned Outdoor Swing!

I always find funky old chairs at garage sales and thrift stores that I'd love to make over, but just don't have the space to acquire them.  That's why I got excited about this great way to repurpose an old chair into an outdoor swing!  I just might be able to utilize an old chair after we move into our potential, hopeful, new house some time in the hopefully near future!  Read the full blog post from Peppertowne, here! (via ApartmentTherapy)

Recycled Craft: Jug Heads!

Tossing your empty jugs into the recycle bin rather than the trash is great and all, but why not give them one more life before recycling and repurpose them into wall decor?

I just had to share this great recycled craft idea from Family Fun magazine.  Click the link to get instructions to turn the jugs and other miscellaneous plastic packaging into cute, colorful "jug heads!" I just love how they used those little plastic sock hooks to make a smiley face on the guy in the lower right corner.  So clever!

I know it's meant to be a kids' craft, but I just might have to make some of these myself. They'd really brighten up the laundry room!

"Green" Your Kids' Lunches!

(I apologize if you have already seen this post in my other new Industrial Design Mommy blog, but I felt it fit well with Junk Mail Gems as well so I'm posting it again here!)

Today is St. Patty's day, and while I don't have anything to post related to shamrocks or green beer, I am going another route and posting something that is "green" in another sense of the word...



What do you think this contraption is? A scalp massager? A rocket launcher? Nope...it's a plastic bag dryer! Designed by Gary Poolman, this product concept is the winner of Axion Polymer's green product design competition. It is designed to help dry plastic sandwich bags after they've been washed, so they can be re-used. While Axion is optimistic about this product reaching a potential market of 6 million, I'm not quite so sure that many people would go through the trouble of washing bags that are designed to be used once and tossed away. I do sometimes re-use ziploc bags for dry snack foods when I'm re-filling them with the same thing, which works well when you're toting around dry cereal or goldfish crackers for your kids. I could see myself maybe using this to dry the bags that I use in my vacuum sealer...those at least are durable enough and designed to be washed and re-used.

Of course, you can always just not use the plastic bags and make or purchase your own re-useable food storage solutions.

Here's a tutorial for making your own super cute fabric, re-useable lunch bag by Purlbee:


Snack Taxi makes some really cute reuseable pouches for snacks and sandwiches:


Or, you can go all out with this cool waste-free lunch kit from Kids Konserve:


When I was little I remember feeling like an outcast using my insulated lunch bags and boxes, even though they had my favorite character Garfield on them...just because everyone else used those throw-away paper bags. I think this lunch kit is pretty sweet though...I'm curious how kids feel about using things like this today, being that "going green" is so "in" these days! I'll definitely be revisiting some of these products once my boys get old enough to go to school and bring lunches!

Spring has Sprung!

Okay, so it's not officially spring until this Sunday. But, when the temperatures reach a record-breaking mid-60's here in Minneapolis, spring has sprung in my mind!



Here's a spring-y idea for you that a friend of mine recently shared via Facebook by Bonsai Aphrodite: How to make little seed pots out of toilet paper rolls!

Craighton Berman's Coil Lamp

Check out this cool Coil Lamp designed by Craighton Berman of Chicago.


By winding a 100' extension cable around a carefully designed, laser-cut plexiglass structure, Berman manages to turn an object that typically lives in a snarled heap in the garage into an accessory worthy of display space inside the home.



This object of desire is available for purchase already hand assembled on Berman's website, or for half the price, you can purchase a kit and do-it-yourself (cable not included...recycle your own!).

Freecycle

Freecycle has been around for a little while, but I've just recently (finally) joined the group so I thought I'd post about it!

Freecycle is made up of 6,540,000 members (4,808 groups) around the world. As their website states, "It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer (them's good people)." Basically it's a place where people who are looking for stuff and people who are giving away stuff can connect, and everything must be offered up for free.

Membership is also free. To sign up, find your community by entering it into the search box on the site or browse through the groups. I'm not sure if each group operates differently, but the Minneapolis group that I'm a part of is run via Yahoo groups. You have to offer up some items before you're allowed to start asking for specific items, and the first couple items you list need to be approved by the administrator. But, I just posted a ceiling fan that we're giving away from our recent remodel and am in the process of giving it away!

At first it was a bit overwhelming as my email box got instantly flooded with offers from the group. However, once I was able to go into the settings and sign up for the "daily digest" instead of getting every offer individually, that helped a lot. I now get a couple emails a day with a big list of 25 of the latest messages so I'm not swimming in emails.

If you have some "stuff" you are looking to give away or are looking to help recycle by re-using other people's stuff, it's worth checking out!

Crochet + Beer Cans = Party Hat?!

Earlier this week my mom and I were out hitting a few thrift stores in the area, and I came across this hat made out of a combination of beer cans and crochet...a combination I must say I never thought I'd see! I could not bring myself to pay the $9.99 price tag on it, but my mom had her camera handy and got this shot!



So, I thought I'd Google it to see what other beer can related recycling projects I could find. And, what is the first thing I stumble across? A site that sells these exact hats!!! Check it out here.

When I saw this in the thrift store among the other old hats, I pictured a little old lady wearing it and it just made me laugh. But, after seeing the website, I can see they are targeting college kids. But, they can also make purses too! So, if you have a favorite beer and some school colors to go along with it, you can have your own custom drinking hat or bag made here!

Recycling Shotgun Shells

I picked up a couple handfuls of shotgun shells while exploring some wilderness on my recent trip to Arizona, and it got me thinking of ways to recycle them. Here are a few things I found out on the web...

Here's a cool chair made out of shells:


Our friends over at Great Green Goods posted these cool earrings:


You can even find instructions to make your own shotgun shell jewelry here.


You can find some instructions here to make these shotgun shell lights:

You can even get salt and pepper shakers made out of them!


And last but not least...nothin' says Christmas like a shotgun shell ornament!

Hmm...now I just have the tough task of deciding which of the many cool projects out there to try...

Turn Food Coloring Containers into Elves

'Tis the season for corny holiday crafts!!!

Normal people would see the below object as an empty food coloring container. Weird people like me, however, see a little elf. No, seriously...see the pointy hat?


Okay, maybe this will help:


I made this one in like 5 minutes so he's not the best looking elf, but you get the idea. I know, I know, this is a TOTALLY cheesy Christmas craft. But, hey, I think it would be a fun one to do with the kids. Just make sure you wash out the containers yourself first! This stuff can get messy, as you know if you've made any spritz cookies this season.

I decorated my elf with ribbon, a green paint pen, and a sharpie (with paper ears). But, I'm thinking paint and a brush would yield cuter results...next time...



I took a pliers and pulled the little red spout off of this one...then it's easy to run water inside, shake it around, and get it rinsed well. Let them dry well too. You can see I was not so patient with my elf above and he's full of moisture.

Naturally, the red one has to be Santa:


I happened to have the google eyes, yarn, pom pom and curly hair in my stash of old project left-overs. The nose it made using the tip of the bottle. I think next time I'd paint on some smaller eyes so Santa doesn't have that reindeer-in-headlights look. But, the whole point is to have fun and be creative! Recycle some scraps of ribbon, felt, or whatever else you have around!

I stuck a magnet on the back of each of mine, but you can just as easily leave them to sit on a shelf. You can get magnets at craft stores...I tend to have tons of them on hand for making my junk mail magnets.

Recycle Your Left-over Turkey!

Hello everyone! I know I've recently done a food related post, but 'tis the season to talk about food so I'm posting another. It's been a week since Thanksgiving, and if you're like me, you made an extra big turkey so you could enjoy the left-overs, and are now wishing you had made one just a bit smaller. How do you use (Recycle!) your Thanksgiving turkey?

Last night I found a good recipe on AllRecipes (my all time favorite recipe site!) for turkey pot pie. It turned out great, so I thought I'd share the recipe with you!

This recipe didn't have a crust recipe, so I used my Mom's pumpkin pie crust (shared on my last foodie post):

Crust for TWO 8" or 9" pies (or in this case, one pie with top crust):
2 C flour, 1 tsp salt
2/3 C + 2 Tbsp shortening
4-6 Tbsp cold water

Measure flour and salt. Cut in shortening. Add water. Shape into ball, divide in half, roll out, place in pan. Save other half of dough for the top. Do not bake or prick the bottom.

Turkey Pot Pie!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms (I left this out since my hubby doesn't eat them)
  
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage (I was out of this but will use sage next time!)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 1/2 cups prepared turkey gravy
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 (14 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed and drained (I used left-over already cooked frozen veggies from Thanksgiving and another meal this week)
• 3 cups cooked turkey, cubed
• salt and ground black pepper to taste (optional)
• 1 pastry for a 10-inch double crust pie (see my recipe above)
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onions, mushrooms, and garlic; cook until tender, but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, sage, and thyme until blended. Pour in the gravy, water, and milk, stirring to blend. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the turkey and vegetables, and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Line a 10 inch pie plate with the bottom crust. Pour in the turkey mixture. Roll out the other half of the dough from the crust and cover with the top crust. Seal and crimp the edges. Trim excess off edges with a knife. Pierce top crust in a few places with a fork. (I made some slits in the center with a knife) Cover the edges of the pie with strips of aluminum foil.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil strips, and bake until crust is golden, about 20 minutes more. Remove from oven, and rest 10 minutes before serving.

Yummmm! Mom's flaky pie crust was fantastic with it. This cleaned out 3 cups of my turkey, all of our gravy and veggies left over. If you still have left-over turkey, you can always freeze it and get it out later to make pasta salad, chili, sandwiches, soup, or whatever you are in the mood for! I also have a friend who boils the remains and then freezes the turkey broth to use later. My hubby also likes to simmer some chopped up turkey in a pan with gravy, and spoon it over toast for an open faced sandwich. The possibilities are endless, so don't waste your left-overs!

How to "Recycle" your Pumpkin!

Happy Halloween everyone!

I hope you are enjoying the day, hopefully preparing for a fun time tonight! After all the fun is done and November starts tomorrow, what will you do with your jack-o-lantern?

a) Let it sit out on the front step until it shrivels into "old man pumpkin"
b) Toss it in the garbage can
c) Turn it into a fall feast

Since this blog is all about turning "trash into treasure," I am going to share how you can do the same with your pumpkin! While it does sound like hard work, option "c" really is not as hard as it sounds and can be a great family activity, and a way to celebrate the coming of Thanksgiving!

My mom has always made pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving out of, you guessed it, our Halloween jack-o-lanterns. So, I have developed a taste for this REAL pumpkin pie and have never had another pie that was nearly as good. Then again, I've never met anyone else who makes pumpkin out of real, fresh pumpkin, not the canned stuff. I have concluded that it's because of the real pumpkin. That, and maybe every mom's secret ingredient of "love."



Don't waste your pumpkins this year!! Here's how you can turn it into delicious pumpkin pie, bread, and roasted seeds!

How to cook the pumpkin:
This takes a little time but you can freeze it, and bake yummy pumpkin treats whenever you're ready!
1) Cut your clean, hollowed out pumpkin into chunks, 6"-8" or so. (Best to do right after Halloween so you don't have a dried out pumpkin!) Leave the skin on.


2) Lay pieces, skin side up, in 2-3 layers in a large turkey roaster pan with 1" water in the bottom.

Cover tightly with foil. Bake approx. 1/2 hour at 350 degrees, until tender. (test, if knife slides into pumpkin easily. My Mom has some magical powers, because I find mine takes a LOT longer than a half hour this way. so I prefer to steam in a pot on the stove:


...or cook it in the microwave (also covered with water added):

Choose whatever method best suits the amount of pumpkin you have, and amount of time you have.)

However you choose to cook it, when you can easily slide a knife, fork, or spoon into the flesh, it is done. Here's what it looks like done...the skins get darker and the flesh gets a little more translucent:


3) With a large spoon, scoop soft pumpkin out of skins. Discard the skins.


4) Place pumpkin chunks in blender about 1/2 full (or 1/2 empty if you're pessimist!). Add water to fill blender. Puree.


5) Pour into colander and drain the water.


6) Move on to recipes below! Or, if you aren't going to bake your goodies right away, freeze in 1 or 2 cup portions. (1 cup = 1 pie or 1 loaf of bread) I like to freeze it labeled, in a baggie:

If you want to be more "green," you can even freeze it in empty food containers.

Gretchen's Mom's Pumpkin Pie (makes one 10", or two 8"-9" pies)

Crust for TWO 8" or 9" pies:
2 C flour, 1 tsp salt
2/3 C + 2 Tbsp shortening
4-6 Tbsp cold water

Crust for ONE 10" pie:
1-1/3 C Flour, 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C shortening
3-4 Tbsp cold water

Measure flour and salt. Cut in shortening. Add water. Shape into ball, roll out, place in pan(s). Do not bake or prick the bottom.

Pie Filling:
2 C cooked & pureed pumpkin
1 C sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
3/4 C milk

MIX pumpkin, sugar, eggs, salt and spices. Add milk gradually to keep smooth.
POUR into unbaked shell. Mixture will be sloppy at this point. To keep edges of crust from burning, cover the edges with foil.
BAKE 10 minutes at 450 degrees. Reduce heat to 350. Bake 50 minutes at 350 degrees.
Cool, cut, top with cool whip, and enjoy the fruits of your labor! You can also do what my mom does, and freeze the pies to enjoy on Thanksgiving.

Gretchen's Mom's Pumpkin Bread: (makes 2 loaves)
Sift together dry ingredients:
3-1/3 C flour
2-2/3 C sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger

Add 1 C oil and 2 C pumpkin.
Beat 2 minutes.
Add 2 eggs and 2/3 C water. Fold in 1/2 C chopped nuts if desired.
Pour into 2 greased, floured loaf pans.
Bake 1 hour at 375 degrees. Cool 10 minutes, remove from pans and cool on rack.
Enjoy warm, sliced with butter, or freeze the whole loaf to enjoy later!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:
Wash seeds and drain in colander. Melt 4 Tbsp butter and mix with 1/2 tsp garlic salt, and 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce. Toss with seeds, coating well. Spread seeds on a foil lined pan. Bake at 275 degrees, stirring about every 5 minutes, until toasted and lightly browned. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn. Do not refrigerate...store in a sealed bowl on the counter...if they last that long!