Upcycled Design Lab Blog

Easy Upcycled Gardening Seed Journal

It's time here in Colorado to get some plants and seeds in the ground. As with most things I could use some help in keeping everything organized. Maybe you can keep all that information in your head but me not so much. :-) So this year I decided to make some notes on seed starting dates, planting times and locations and general observations as to how all the flowers and vegetables turned out. To date I have killed one round of seedlings due to not remembering to bring them in during a frost and the second set has not sprouted... Read more →

Upcycled Plastic Bag Holder for the Puppy Patio

Ay, caramba! I will spare you most of the long and whiny details but lets just say that technologically speaking I have had a difficult couple of months. I think that I have gotten everything mostly squared away and I am back not at full speed due to several learning curves but I am back. Yeah!!!! I am computing!!! All it took was a new computer, with a new operating system (I really have not figured out Windows 10 yet.) A new Intous tablet and pen (quite different than what I was using with my old computer.) And by the... Read more →

Upcycled Stackable Mini Greenhouse Cubes

A few weeks ago I posted a couple of projects made from old CD's, (some napkin rings and placemats,) this left me with quite a few empty CD cases. And when ever I have a whole lot of something I try to think how I can put it to use. After a big winter storm last week, spring is in the air here and I am doing a little planning for my garden. So I decided to make these simple little greenhouse cubes. Each cubes takes 3 empty cd cases, some clear packing tape, scissors and a label. Tape two... Read more →

Upcycled Ceremonial Burning Tin

Hello All, I hope you had a lovely Christmas. It always seems to fly by so quickly doesn't it? In just a few more days we will be celebrating the new year. I have always loved Christmas and all the crafty preparations that go with it. The gathering of family and the safety and love that these gatherings provide. But, still of all the Holidays I think New Years is my favorite. Not because of the parties and festivities that go with it although those are fun. I like this holiday because it marks an end of something and causes... Read more →

Simple Pedestal Paint Bucket Planters

Hello all, I do hope that you are having a lovely June where ever you are. As I have mentioned in a few previous posts we have had an unusual amount of rain this spring and summer. I guess that officially summer begins on June 21st this year but in my mind it begins on June 1st. Be that as it may, we have still had a lot of rain in May and June. If you follow this blog you may know that I had cleared a small area to plant my first vegetable garden but due to all the... Read more →

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 →

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 →

Super Fast Semi - Acceptable Upcycled Luminaries

It's official. I am in "impending party panic mode". Yes, I am going to yammer on about my party again. But you are in luck since I am currently alternating between freaking out about getting everything done and worrying about no one showing up. I really don't have much time for blathering on and on about being 50. Other than to tell you that I am currently having some difficulty remembering everything that I have to do. A condition that I presume will only get worse as I progress on through my 5th decade. Oh the joy of aging. :-)... Read more →

For the birds? - Upcycled bird feeder tutorial

My Grandmother loved watching the birds in her yard. I can remember sitting at her kitchen table and being a little bored with the whole bird thing. I was a teen aged high school know it all, but I sat with her and listened to her talk about the birds because I loved her and sometimes there was a giant banana split involved. None of the bird information ever sank in, I was probably too busy debating which was the better topping Chocolate or Caramel? So I still don't know a thing about birds. Last summer I made this upcycled... Read more →

Easy-Peasy Planter Pot Upcycled from Creamer Bottles

I have several pots of flowers in my yard and one of them had gotten particularly over crowded. And you know what happens whenever there is overcrowding, tempers flare, personalities clash and there can even be some pushing and shoving. This is how I found myself in need of a smallish pot to transplant the poor little celosia that was being smothered by some big bully type yellow mums. So I went about searching through my fine collection of un-discardable trash and found these. I wasn't entirely certain what I was going to do. But I find that is often... Read more →