Upcycled Design Lab Blog

Upcycled Tin Can Gift Baskets - Gifts for under $2.00

As Christmas approaches I find myself pondering the word Joy and what it means to me. I hope this doesn't sound depressing but I would not describe my life as joyful. I would say that I have lived a mostly happy life but there is something that keeps me from defining my happy feelings as joy. Maybe some folks think that the two words are so close in meaning and therefore they are interchangeable. But I think most people would agree that joy is more like happiness super sized. So why don't I use the word joy to describe things... Read more →

Upcycled Plastic Bag Christmas Decorations

It's not something I am proud of, I was actually caviler enough to joke about it. Before it happened of course. Now it is no laughing matter. But one of the cold hard facts of being pretty immobile for several months, "Oh dear god is she going to mention that stupid broken foot thing again?" "Yes. I am afraid she is." I am sorry. Where was I? Ah yes, I was saying that one of the cold hard facts about being immobile for several months is........... Weight Gain. If you read my Chip Bag Christmas Decorations Post, (the irony of... Read more →

Upcycled Fused Plastic Coin Purses

When you think about the differences between adulthood and childhood the most common things that come to mind might be, maturity vs. immaturity, wisdom vs. naïveté, responsible vs. carefree. But it occurs to me now that one of the biggest differences between children and adults might be their ability to move out of their comfort zones. For children, so many experiences are new and different. The start of every new school year brings adjustments. Often they don't get to choose many of their new experiences. Swimming lessons come to mind from my childhood. Even their clothing and I dare say... Read more →

DIY Upcycled Chip Bag Christmas Decorations Tutorial

Hi There, Welcome to the Lab! Don't miss the latest upcycling projects posted over on my new site Upcycle Design Lab and subscribe to receive an email when I upload new posts. Warning, I do a little yammering in this post please feel free to skip to the bottom for the video tutorial. It is one of my earliest videos so I apologize for any quality issues. Thanks for checking out my project. If you have been reading this blog for the last few months you may be painfully aware of my broken foot saga. For those of you who... Read more →