Make It Work! Mending and Fixing Clothes with Knowledge Commons DC

With the promise to "stop throwing away socks with holes, stapling loose hems, and turning to safety pins when buttons make a break for it",  the Scrap DC Mending class run done through Knowledge Commons DC had a wait-list within 20 minutes of opening registration.

From the mending class description: 

Ripped hems, popped buttons, ripped pockets that send loose change plummeting into the depths of your jacket lining — don’t accept these indignities, conquer them! Yes, you can fix your clothes with something other than duct tape.
We’ll teach basic stitches that can be used to repair tears, darn holes, attach buttons, and craft invisible hems. Come with your problematic garments and together we’ll figure out how to undo the damage.
Bring your own sewing kit and clothes in need of mending or pay a $5 materials fee for tools and practice fabric. No prior sewing experience necessary.

On Wednesday, January 8th, ten people came together to wield needle and thread and make repairs in the ScrapDC workroom.  You can read all about it on the KCDC Make it Work! Mending and Fixing Clothes class report:

If an alien visited Earth and could understand English, what would she/he/it assume about humanity from your class?
Jules: That humans — seemingly soft and spongy — have secret sharp edges that destroy clothing from the inside. 

Last Market Preview before Tomorrow

SCRAP DC's first Holiday Market is almost here! And we've got a few more sneaky peeks that we're sure you'll want to know more about. Come see these and our other artists tomorrow, for demos, great gifts, and holiday merriment.

Images from RedRibbonCrow, Nomads and Housewives, Regina Anderson, and Carry-on Bike Boxes.

Our consignment boutique will still be open, as will the retail store. So pick up finished presents AND more supplies for the ones you're making. Or just come to get ideas for, say, next Christmas?

Either way, hang out with other SCRAPpy enthusiasts, see our creative reuse examples throughout the place, and enjoy some warm beverages and our bake sale.

We hope to see you there!

Holiday Market Sneak Peeks (con't)

So we've told you about our Holiday Market (this Sunday, 12-5!) and shared some images from artists who will be there. As advertised, here are a few more:

These "slices" feature the work of: RECREATIONS: Recycling For Art, LGM Studios, and Foraging Fox Studio

Still more to come! We know, these teases don't reveal much. Will you join us and see the stuff in person? Let us know on Facebook and help spread the news.

Holiday Market This Coming Sunday!

In our prior post about our Holiday Market, we promised to share something about the artists we'll have on hand, so here are some photos showing the sneakiest of sneak peeks. For more info on these and other nifty gift items, come visit this Sunday and speak directly with those who created them. Some will have materials on hand to give demos and they'll all welcome your questions (and sales).

We'll have another of these previews later this week.

Work is by the following confirmed artists: Kamishia Lee, Melanie Zuckerman, Q, and Sharon Robinson. 

ScrapDC's first Holiday Market

Join us in supporting and celebrating independent re-use artists at our first SCRAP DC Holiday Market on Sunday, December 8th!

From 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 8th, a curated group of local artists will set up shop at our space in 3101 12th Street Northeast DC in Brookland. What makes these artists unique is that all use more than 50% of repurposed and upcycled materials in their work! While you browse and shop, enjoy warm beverages and baked goods available for purchase, visit our DIY gift wrap station, learn about our crowdfunding campaign and join as as we unveil the SCRAP DC Giving Tree, an interactive way in which friends and allies like you can support SCRAP DC's operations with a meaningful gift.

With the move into our new and larger Brookland space, we are happy to be able to bring to you, in addition to crafty materials and classes, community activities that showcase the skill and creativity of reuse artists. Come celebrate with us, and support our non-profit as well as the local community of artists, while taking home environmentally friendly, one-of-a-kind hand-made products.

In the coming weeks we will be sharing with you more information on the selected artists for the Holiday Market here on the blog and on our Facebook page. Stay tuned for more information!

Robots in all Shapes and Sizes

What a fun group we had yesterday at Whole Foods Market, Bethesda! We assembled together to make robots (or just robot parts. Or whatever else might have emerged from these creative minds upon seeing all of our super cool "scrap"). We may have actually had too many different materials and tools to choose from:

Yup, those are floppy disks -- in TWO sizes! We also used empty containers, plastic thingies of somewhat-unknown-origin, remote control and keyboard guts, bottle lids and caps in every size and color, and plenty more. Surprisingly, the shiny papers and foils weren't even touched!

This guy is based on an existing video game character. Do you recognize him?

A few of our happy customers show off their creatures:

And here are some of the other items our participants thought up. The first shown here has the wheels rigged so that they can spin!:

So cute!

These works in progress have me hoping we'll receive photos of the finished versions:

SCRAP fans never need a reason to craft other than, "I'm feeling crafty," but this was a practice run for the Mini Maker Faire, coming to Silver Spring, MD this September. There, you can talk to Makers of all ages. And be sure to see what the interactive, hands-on booths have going on. You may be able to wire up a SCRAPpy robot so that it moves or does other stuff on its own. Hope to see ya there!

See -- and Make -- Puppets this Sunday

Looking for an activity to do with the whole family this Mother's Day? Join us at Wit's End Puppets' production of The Amazing and Marvelous Cabinets of Kismet. The show itself is getting rave reviews; following the afternoon performance on Sunday 5/12, SCRAP will help run a workshop so that attendees can make their own puppets. Tickets ($15 for the show; $20 for show + workshop) still remain for this collaborative event, 2-4pm at Flashpoint Gallery, 916 G Street NW.

 Photo by C. Stanley Photography

Last September, we held this same SCRAPpy workshop over at Watkins Nature Center. The results were varied and fun, and participants had an opportunity at the end to have their designs' photos taken from behind the puppet stage. Time permitting, we'll do the same on the Kismet set.

Photos by SCRAP DC

Things to do with Samples!

At SCRAP DC we get loads of various samples from interior design and architecture firms such as floor, wood, carpet, and fabric. There's so much potential in these squares of material that people sometimes overlook! Here are some clever examples created by volunteers of SCRAP:

Heather made awesome wall art by hanging wood finish samples and scattering photos between the pieces of wood: 

I made a little table for my router out of three pieces of wood floor samples (with scrap fabric glued to the front hide the wires):

Jessica's cat tree combines both the carpet and wood samples with pvc pipe. Kitty approves!:

       

I put many carpet samples together to make one big rug:

Last month we gave out free fabric samples with purchase. What did you create with them? We've heard ideas like wedding invitations or doll clothes. SCRAP also has a plethora of other material samples like plastic signage, marble floor tiles, and wallpaper trims that are really cool. If you make something with them, send us pictures of your results!

Re:Boutique -- Done for Now!

As we focus on the fun and exciting experiment that has been our Re:Boutique, here now is a look at the artists and goods -- including our fab pegboard -- not yet discussed. This lovely white board came to us, as much of our "scrap" does, thru freecycle. Then, one of our sweet volunteers offered to take it to Jed Dinger Design (14650 Southlawn Lane in Rockville, MD), where the guys in the shop cut down the huge piece and attached it to this frame (another donation to us). Thanks, all!
—•—•—

Christa McDermott [FreedFromTheTrash (at) gmail (dot) com] is one of SCRAP's devoted Advisory Board members and makes these beautiful coat racks. An environmental psychologist by day, she's also a trash refurbisher by night, using as much salvaged material as possible -- including paint and hardware. When a factory in Brentwood closed, all of the plaster was headed for the dump. Of all that Christa rescued, she still has many different trim styles available. Custom orders welcome!

—•—•—

KLK Studios [klkstudios (at) mac (dot) com] has made jewelry for over two decades, originally using beads, metals, and -- eventually -- kiln-formed glass. But after owner Karen L. Klein started incorporating recycled materials into her projects, she stumbled upon the existence of SCRAP in Portland, OR, and felt that DC would support its own creative reuse resource, too. More than 2 years later, SCRAP DC is going strong, so you can also reach her at karen (at) scrapdc (dot) org. [For the rest of our "creation" story, including how we came to be TWO co-directors, go on over to this link.]

As seen above, Karen's earrings come on interior design laminate samples, with some made from the same material. It's one of SCRAP's most affordable items, at just 25¢ per inch! [This photo shows how we measure that inch.]

Getting back to the jewelry display cards: when customers return them to SCRAP for another use, they'll get 10% off that visit's purchase. Or they can try making their own project, since the labels are easily removed. Either way, it's less junk going into local waste streams.
—•—•—
The remaining categories of stuff on the board are by artists we've already presented; the bottle cap earrings and key rings are provided by Judith Capen, while Bahari Deco Crafts folds the small gift bags from pieces of newspaper. There are still more Re:Boutique items to see aside from those photographed for this blog series, so come by this and every Thursday and check them out!

Re:Boutique Re:Visited

Happy 2013, folks! The Re:Boutique will be open again tomorrow -- and every Thursday -- noon to 8. Here's a further look at our artists and some of their excellent work. Whether you come to buy or just marvel at the ingenuity on display, let us know what you think!

 

Like so many of the people we meet, artist Judith Capen [judith (dot) capen (at) architravepc (dot) com] doesn't restrict herself to a single medium. For our September art show, we displayed her quilt and 3-D sculptures. Now she's crocheting these fun clutches out of a mix of VHS tape and yarn. The tape gives them strength, the yarn makes them soft (especially when it's of the eyelash variety, as above), and the aesthetic is somehow chic and elegant.

 

Judith has also done some beautiful paintings of the flowers she grows. These were turned into lovely cards that she puts together with those flowers' seeds -- so you can buy her art and do some planting of your own.

—•—•— 

Rebecca Kallem [rebeccamarion (at) gmail (dot) com] makes jewelry from scrap fabric and leather, paper, and abandoned game remnants like stray dominoes and puzzle pieces. Every now and then, she'll take apart old bracelets and necklaces that are missing some hardware or are just plain outdated. They, too, get incorporated into something new and unique.

—•—•—

The artists at Bahari Deco Crafts use the scraps generated from the totes and other products they make to create eye-catching note and gift cards. We love the bold graphics and think you will, too. In fact, once you narrow down which one/s to buy, will you really send them along to others or just keep them for yourself?

—•—•—

One more in this series is on the way!

Re:Boutique, Part 2

Now, a peek at some of the stuff our Re:Boutique has for sale, and the artists who make them. And remember, the boutique is open whenever SCRAP is: every Thursday, noon-8; First Fridays, 5-9; Third Saturdays, 10-1. With additional hours as we pick up more volunteers! (Want to help make that happen AND get 20% off your SCRAP purchases? Start by signing up to attend one of our intro sessions.)

Ann Marie Koshuta [amkstudio (at) aol (dot) com] takes mismatched jewelry pieces, old clothing, and fashion design samples of all sorts, and incorporates them into wearable art accessories that get noticed. She makes her own felted fabric and even uses previously-steeped linen teabags, among other things, truly seeing extra potential in items that are usually tossed in the trash.

—•—•—

Think Outside the Store's artist Sarah Gingold [skgingold (at) gmail (dot) com] runs and hosts workshops in her Silver Spring, MD, studio. We're carrying tote bags and scarves she's made from goodies she saved OR bought from the SCRAPpy side of our store.

 

In addition, she and a friend have created Monkey Shorts birthday cards, featuring little characters they made, clothed, then posed, photographed and captioned with some hilarious comments. Come in and enjoy the whole set.

—•—•—

Redemption Glassworks takes used wine and water bottles and turns them into functional glassware. Then their proceeds from our sales go straight to GSI Haiti, a nonprofit that develops academic initiatives in rural Haiti. A bottle that's been cut in half is just plain cool, but don't take our word for it; see their designs -- etched and unetched -- for yourself.

—•—•—

Still more to come!

SCRAP DC's Re:Boutique Opens!

After months of preparation, submissions from local artisans, the help of our dedicated volunteers, and -- in the end -- some SCRAPpy luck, we present DC's version of the Re:Boutique.

Modeled after the original, in Portland, OR, our collection gathers the work of 9 reuse artists who call Greater DC home. They repurpose everything from fabric, paper and glass to plaster remnants, computer components, even the magnetic tape inside a VHS cassette.

First up: creating our boutique. We've held two volunteer get-togethers to get this show on the road. At the first (with free pizza!), our team made quick work of carving out an empty space that was awfully hard to leave that way. Next, interior designer Victoria Popp donated her time (and outdated tile samples), and left us with some tremendous ideas -- some easily attainable, some that will definitely have to wait. We loved her suggestion to distinguish the boutique area from the rest by changing the wall color, accomplished at volunteer shin-dig #2, a painting party. What a nice and peppy red, from our very own stash of acrylic paints ($2 for a full pint).

Then came some furniture... miscues, we might call them. As with the exciting design ideas we don't currently have room for, we're tucking them away to be used at a later date, too. In the meantime, here we were, with extra furniture that didn't work, but where were items that would?

Well, here's where being scrappy = "da best"! A rack that was just sitting around AmericanEye, the Washington Design Center, was offered and now perfectly hugs our room's pillar (previously seen as being in our way). The base unit (not pictured) was less than $5 at Community Forklift, and with the cabinet door removed, it stores empty shopping bags and boutique surplus. The real coup is right above that at the center of our display: a 9-cubby piece someone left at our building's loading dock. It's perfect! After being bolted to the wall, it was outfitted with those tiles to make platforms of different heights. For the top, we put down a cork flooring sample from Amicus Green Building Center. Painted clementine boxes got some armchair "sleeves" that fit as just-right covers.

Time to fill it all in with our nice merchandise! We'll zoom in for a closer look at our artists' stuff as this Re:Boutique series of posts continues.

Our New Fan, A SCRAPpy Dressmaker

Recently we received these photos from Dressmaker/Fashion Designer Lena Savvoy (aleniafowlkes at yahoo dot com). They're such great examples of how to "renew" clothing that may have seen better days but still has some life in it. I thought we'd share them here and asked Lena to write up some text to accompany her work. She sent a sweet story detailing her career origins:

When I was 8-years old I asked my father for a needle and thread, and some fabric scraps to make my dolls some clothes. He was a little taken aback by my request, and he asked if I had ever made clothes for my dolls before. Of course! I had, and I showed him some of the more rudimentary items I had fashioned from headscarves, handkerchiefs and socks. Well my father was a naturally talented artist and painter, and he decided to challenge me to a contest. He got out Great Granny Katy’s big sewing tin that was full of ribbons, buttons, zippers and trim, and all the various remnants handed down through the generations. We each chose our materials and went into our separate rooms to see who could make the BEST skirt and jacket for my doll baby. Well, I knew there was absolutely no way he would win. First of all, it was my doll baby and he didn‘t play with doll babies - he was a ‘boy’. Anyway I was extra careful with my stitches, and I even put a little ribbon trim around my suit. It had buttons and button-holes, and there was no-way he was going beat me. Well when we were finally finished I was shocked! His suit was beautiful. He had chosen a beautiful fabric and a metallic-gold trim, but the best part was the elastic waist! How did he make an elastic waist from a box of scraps? He used a rubber band. My young mind exploded - and from that moment on, I knew that beautiful dresses could be made from almost anything!

These certainly are elegantly-rendered designs that show what "scraps" can become if you just use proper construction techniques and some imagination. At SCRAP DC, we think that's a winning formula whether you make clothes, home accents, or greeting cards (all of which, by the way, we now sell at our little Re:Boutique!).

Thanks for sharing these with us, Lena! And hey, blog readers! -- what do ya think? E-mail Lena if you've got a worn-out favorite that might be resuscitated, or let US know about other artists whose work you'd like featured here.

Reuse is Sexy

I started on the creative reuse road a few years ago because I thought it was an amazing collision of things I love. It encourages stewardship of the earth, nurtures creativity, creates community, and on a more tangible level, gives me the high of finding a good deal. That list generally motivates me in the process of operating a creative reuse center, but sometimes I have my doubts. At the conference one of the speakers threw out the following stat in the first session: Garbage is only 1-2% of our environmental impact. I have yet to fact check that, however, it made me question how much of an environmental impact creative reuse really makes. I shared my doubts with a fellow conference goer while eating trail mix out in the hallway (yes, trail mix...we fully embraced our crunchy identity) and she reminded me that maybe our purpose in this whole movement of reuse is to be a catalyst, a culture changer, a voice in the desert crying “Reuse is Sexy!”.  

And there it was, the mantra for the rest of the conference. We dropped the word “sexy” like fifteen year old girls Googling Ryan Gosling pictures.  Even this very morning I received an email from a conference attendee who said she requested a t-shirt for Christmas saying “Reuse is Sexy”. And I can’t help but recognize the truth in the sentiment.  My interest level in a guy increases significantly if he tells me his entire outfit is thrifted and, of course, I want my house to look like your “Upcycled Home Decor” Pinterest board.  Even big retail stores use the sexiness of reuse to get people through their doors.  Urban Outfitters window displays--so cool. Anthropologie shabby chic dresses that look like something I could have made from pieces of fabric laying around the house, but didn’t have the time or the skills so I bought theirs for $200--sexy!  (Confession: I haven’t actually purchased a single thing from Anthropologie...I’m trying to channel people who do)

Maybe it’s the uniqueness we like about it or the cleverness, the ingenuity.  Perhaps it’s accomplishing the challenge of re-assembling the chaos of leftover materials back into some sort of stylish order. Or maybe it’s the greater characteristics behind reuse that are attractive: responsible, conscientious, resourceful, creative.  Whatever the reason, let us be silent no more.  We need to share widely that reuse is “in”. Our mission at SCRAP is to “inspire creative reuse and environmentally sustainable behavior”. That word “inspire” cuts right to the core. Let’s inspire people to rethink consumption, let’s tell them it’s not dorky to reuse, let’s close the cultural divide between what’s “green” and what’s “normal”.  Creative reuse centers do make an environmental impact. We divert literally TONS of materials from the waste stream every year.  But I think more than that we make an environmental impact through making a cultural impact.  We validate people in their choice to reuse and create a culture that celebrates reuse as a preferred way of consuming. We tell the world that reuse is sexy because it really is.

So who else wants a “Reuse is Sexy” t-shirt for Christmas? It just made my list.

ReuseConex

At the end of October I attended the ReuseConex conference in Portland, Oregon.  It was organized by the Reuse Alliance and gathered together reusers across all the fields: creative reuse, thrift, deconstruction, multi-million reuse businesses, start-up reuse businesses, architectural salvage, etc. As I was the only one in the SCRAP DC circle able to attend I told them all I’d write about my experience and synthesize what I got out of the conference. It’s been 3 weeks and I have yet to do this. It’s not the usual excuse of being busy or being lazy. No, I haven’t done it because the significance of the 2 day conference left me with an inability to begin. How do I communicate the enormity of reuse and its implications in our society and in our lives? Because if I can sum up the conference in a nutshell, the nutshell is this: Reuse is huge and I know almost nothing about it.

So as all 20-somethings do when they have something to figure out and something to say I’m going to do a little blog series. The purpose is to explore the role of reuse in my life and in the world, to join in the greater conversation around reuse, and learn some things along the way. I don’t really do blogs so this might be a challenge, but someone recently reminded me that sharing is the way to make an impact. So I will share my explorations and hope that you share yours with me too. I'll try to keep this spicy and interesting because, seriously, the word reuse sounds kinda boring and I've already used it eleven times.

Next Up: Reuse is Sexy

A Busy November for DC!

SCRAP DC and so many of our friends are busy, busy, busy this month, with events going on all over town. If you can't make it to our programs, maybe you'll check out one of theirs! Here's a list:

The "Disposable Culture" Exhibit is up through 11/30 at the American Association for the Advancement of Science — see photos and sculptures that, even if they didn't address environmental issues, would still be gorgeous in and of themselves.

11/3 -- That's tomorrow!

• We at SCRAP present a Candy Wrapper Crafts workshop at Montgomery County's ReStore in Gaithersburg, MD. Bring your saved-up wrappers from Halloween and we'll show you how to make some fun items for you to take home. If you haven't held onto those wrappers, are you sure you've been reading our blog? :^) Don't worry -- we'll have plenty on hand, too. $5, limit 20 people. Register here.

• Our buddies in reuse at Community Forklift offer a FREE craft workshop; a bunch of deals on stuff with great creative potential; and they get their Green Gift Fair under way this weekend. Check them out!

11/10

• We return to The Watkins Nature Center in PG County for their Trash to Treasure event. The whole day is free, mostly indoors, and full of cool vendors and other nonprofits. Shop "green" for the holidays, bring unwanted books to their Book Exchange, and try our SCRAPpy Make-it Take-it or make-your-own indigo dye cloth.

• The "Trash to Treasure" movement keeps growing! In Arlington, head to Think Outside the Bin: Reuse and Repurpose Craft Fair. They've got a great assortment of ideas up on their Pinterest page, for you to check out any ol' time.

11/17

• SCRAP DC will be at the Canal Park Grand Opening in SE (as well as in our store, 10-1).

• Both days of this weekend, the DIY unFaire is ON! It's inspired by the ever-more-popular Maker Faires, and our friends at Hac DC will be a part of the fun. Thanks to our neighbors on North Capitol Street, Fab Lab DC, for sharing that one!

Want to get more involved in the ways your community looks at "scrap"? Or: make sure your views on public art are heard. These groups have meetings coming up, and you're welcome to attend:

• The Sustainable DC Working Group meets Wed., 11/7, from 6:30 to 8:30 in Columbia Heights. RSVP here.
• Gateway Arts District will hold the Art Lives Here Community Forum. Meet at Joe's Movement Emporium, 11/12, from 7 to 9.
• Montgomery County, MD's Solid Waste Advisory Committee will meet 11/13 in Rockville, starting at 7:30.
• America Recycles Day is 11/15.

For Your Halloween Party!

If you guys are looking to make some last second Halloween decorations from recycled materials, there's a plethora of ideas posted on our Pinterest account. 

I tried making this bat mobile. All you need is a stick from outside, black paper, and thread..

Mine didn't come out as awesome as the one on the Martha Stewart website but at least my cat hasn't knocked it down yet. 

Wallpaper Samples!

Here are a few things I made with some cool wallpaper samples from SCRAP DC:

I decorated our door (patchwork style because samples are smallish and I can't decide anyways). I used wall putty to hang em up because we live in an apartment, so this is a good solution to personalizing a place that's temporary.

         

           

Here's a coupon/menu holder thing. I thought the rooster pattern was awesome for cheesy cliche kitchen decor but then I had an urge to make it functional in some way.

And a card holder! Those pesky rewards cards shall hog my wallet no more. There are tons of tutorials for this online (you can just google 'origami card holder', I saw one on youtube as well).

Easiest Do It Yourself Halloween Costumes

Here is a list of great DIY Halloween costume ideas that can hopefully be achieved with basic scrappy supplies like duck tape, bottles, cardboard, or whatever you have lying around. I've linked to photos of examples on our Pinterest (and you can click the photos for further tutorials on particular costumes). Disregard who is wearing them, these costumes could work for any age!

Keep in mind the easiest costumes to make are ones that allow you to use your own regular clothing for the majority of it. A black shirt and black pants go a long way for many DIY costumes! (This is especially the case when it comes to animal costumes.) Or if you're willing to make something slightly more complicated, cardboard boxes are often a good starting point for more ambitious costumes. 

Examples:

Bee- black tape on a yellow shirt for stripes or vice versa, with black pants, headband with pipe cleaners or wire

Ladybug- black shirt and pants for the body, cutout red posterboard with black spots for wings, pipe cleaner antannaes.

Butterfly-same black shirt/pant body but with fabric or paper wings

Shark-grey or blue hoodie and white felt

Bat-black pants/shirt with black fabric pinned under the arms for wings, and paper or fabric pointy ears glued to a headband

Poodle- white sweatpants and hoodie with lots of cottonballs!

Corpse Bride -a headband with shredded strips of white fabric, a white sheet for the dress. Or if you can get a cheap wedding dress from a thrift store tear it up!

Zombie- tear up any old clothes and mix up some fake blood with any recipe online

Owl- a paper mask and fabric wings

Super Mario- red shirt, overalls, hat

Rapunzel- yarn for braid, any girly dress 

Fairy- tulle and elastic for skirt, hanger wire and fabric/nylon for wings

Classic Skeleton- black pants and shirt with white duck tape or white paint

Raccoon- brown or black pants and shirt with a black mask, black felt on headband for ears, with a sock and ducktape for the tail

Dragon-combining a dino hoodie with some featherless wings (make the wings pointy like back wings)

Pirate-a little vest from fabric with a fabric eye patch, a paper hat or classic bandana, a striped shirt underneath, and a paper tube roll for a cool telescope!

Medusa- fake snakes or maybe green pipe cleaners, a white sheet for a toga type dress/robe

Cat Lady-pin stuffed animal cats to an old dress!

Pilot- a cardboard box made into a plane and some goggles with a beanie and scarf

Train Conductor- another box around you type costume!

Robot- this is one that you could use basically anything glued to the cardboard box! bottlecaps and lids would make great beep boop buttons.

Spaceman- jetpack from bottles and some white snowpants with a rain jacket or white sweatshirt, a paper mache helmet or even a cut up bucket 

Knight- gray hoodie and sweatpants with a fabric tunic over it, a cardboard shield and sword

Little Red Riding Hood- a red fabric cape/hood over any little dress, a woven basket 

Adding personal touches to generic costumes is also a fun way to keep them unique. For example instead of being Spiderman or Captain America why not be your own superhero? Add designs to some brightly covered sweatpants and a cape and think of what your name and super powers would be. 

Or instead of being Harry Potter what kind of Hogwarts student would you be? Make a scarf of your house colors and customize your own cool wand.

These are just a few ideas, there are many many more out there! I've seen a lot of ones as obscure as a gumball machine to "spagetti and meatballs". The ones I've listed above are just my favorites because when given the opportunity to dress up, the feeling of actually being something is way more fun than being an inanimate object. (This is especially the case with kids, who like to play pretend year round anyways).

Enjoy making scrappy costumes and send us any pics of your handmade results!

Reupholster an old chair

I found this awesome chair by the dumpster and needed to rescue it! Here's how I did a bit of a fix up on it:

(supplies needed: old chair, fabric, staple gun, scissors, batting/stuffing optional)

1. Figure out how the seat bottom is attached (these kinds of chairs are usually screwed down), and remove it. 

2. Cut some fabric slightly bigger than the seat, enough to be able to fold it over the top surface. Put some stuffing in between the fabric and seat if you would like some padding.

3. For this part just fold the fabric over the edges and staple it down, making sure the fabric is tight. I didn't have a staple gun so I hammered pins around the edge and glued it a little bit at a time. I wouldn't recommend this but if you're like me and don't feel like investing in a staple gun for one project, this will do it, but take longer.

Also- remember to leave marks or cuts so you can find the screw holes again.

Here's what it will look like when the fabric is attached:

 6. Re-screw the seat back in and you're done! I touched up the wood with a bit of acrylic craft paint, and of course I got the awesome fabric from Scrap DC (they have a lot to choose from).