Upcycled Design Lab Blog

Back to the Drawing Board - Upcycled Bird Feeder # 4

It took exactly 1 month 2 days 32 hours and 10 seconds (Ok I totally made that up it was really approximately 4 weeks) for my neighborhood squirrel population (or maybe it was just one squirrel) to make this........ into this........... and while I am feeling a little hostility toward the afore mentioned squirrels for the total demolition of yet another bird feeder (see first bird feeder Here and second attempt Here) I am also suffering a few pangs of guilt for the probable plastic bottle squirrel poisoning. I do hope they have strong stomachs and suffered only minor side... Read more →

Upcycled This and That - Soap Saver and Jewelry (Earrings Necklaces)

Happy Memorial Day. l do hope you had a lovely weekend. The sun has finally come out after an extremely long stretch of clouds and rain and l am hopeful that the worst of the weather is past and we can get onto sunnier days. Today's project is super simple but I have already found it quite useful. Those are the. best kind of projects aren't they? l am sorry if you are tired of the tie dye projects but I just couldn't help myself. l kept finding things to throw in the dye. Rest assured that l have finally... Read more →

Upcycled Work Shirts To Refashioned Summer Dress

Hello.... Before I get to this weeks project I want to say a big THANKS to plushbeds for including Upcycled Design Lab in their list of the top 25 upcycling blogs. You can read the article here. In one of my other lives when I am not crafting or working on my Ebay Store, I am a waitress. It is not glamorous but it helps pay the bills and allows me the time to pursue my other interests. Most days it is a perfectly pleasant way to earn a living but inevitably there are those times when folks are rude... Read more →

Denim Redo - Upcycled Tie Dye Denim Shorts

Greetings from wet and soggy Colorado! Really, it has been crazy wet here for the last several days and is going to continue on this way for several more, with possible snow tomorrow for Mother's Day! I shouldn't complain since any kind of precipitation is appreciated in our arid state but really I would like not to have it all at once. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that I decided, albeit, a little too late that I wanted to plant a small vegetable garden this year. The spot I selected was full of gravel... Read more →

Quick and Easy Upcycled Plastic Bottle Bird Feeder

For the last few years I have been going through this little ritual of making a bird feeder. Although last summer I surrendered to the squirrel population and just didn't feed the birds. My first two projects looked like this B.S. (before squirrels) and this. I spent a lot of time on these first two feeders and the squirrels didn't waste any time chewing them and smashing them. So after my last two heartbreaking experiences, this year I have made a much simpler more plan vanilla version. I am pretty sure the birds don't care what it looks like even... Read more →