Repurposed Bracelets: Belts to Cuffs

I've had this project in mind for awhile.

I've been collecting leather belts to turn them into bracelet cuffs.

It's actually been on my to-do list for about three months.

Do you ever have something that you want to do, 

but you're just afraid to start it because you don't know if you can do it? 

That was this project for me.

Then I finally told myself, "Just cut the belt. What's the worst that can happen?"

 I'd just mess up a yard sale belt.

 Crazily enough, that first cut was super easy.:)

Once I got started, I couldn't stop.

I cut off between 6 1/2" and 7" for each cuff.

Then I punched two small holes on each end.

I used my Crop-A-Dile to make the holes, but there are special leather tools made for doing this too.

 Finally I threaded narrow leather string through the holes.

I added wooden beads at the end of each strap just above the knots.

On this cuff, I added a metal quote band.

For these, I used some fabric as ties.

 

I got all these belts at yard sales and/or thrift stores.

I still have quite a bit of the belts left. I think I'm going to have to make some more. 

One belt even has the words rodeo queen engraved on it. Won't that make a cute bracelet?

If you are dealing with something in your life right now that you're not sure how to handle,

just take that first step. Stop dreading it. "Just cut the belt." 

You'll find that it wasn't worth the worry that you put into it.

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

Rejoice always,

 pray without ceasing, 

in everything give thanks; 

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thes. 5: 16-18

This post is linked to The Dedicated House, Tuesdays With a Twist,
Simple Nature Decor, Funky Junk, and  Between Naps on the Porch.

Not Your Usual Cork Boards

I've mentioned before that I have a big bin of corks that I bought at an estate sale.
I used up quite a few for today's project: shaped cork boards.

This is a Texas shaped one.
 

I started with a thin piece of wood cut into the shape of Texas.

Then I glued corks to it.



I'm a big fan of ampersands, so when I found a wooden one,

I thought it would work great for this project.

 





Here's a side view. I glued the corks end up.
I like the different looks of the corks- especially the ones with the dates printed on them.

I went through almost my whole cork supply.
Hopefully I'll come across some more soon in my secondhand shopping.

I think these would look cute hanging over a desk with notes pinned to them.
What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

Blessed are You, O Lord!

Teach me Your statutes.

Psalm 119:12

 This post is linked to The Cottage Market, Tatertots and Jello, Craft-O-Maniac,
and Life With Lorelai.

Mini Album Monday #78- Large Envelope Album

Oftentimes I come across different office supplies in my second hand shopping

and I always pick them up.

I especially love to find envelopes in different sizes.

I recently went to an estate sale and bought some large 10"x 13" white envelopes.

I couldn't wait to turn them into a mini album.

Here's the cover.

I got the Hello Life card out of a package of Tim Holtz journaling cards.

I used three envelopes and cut them in half which gave me six pages.

The outside two are my covers. I cut a piece of chipboard to fit inside them
to give the covers some stability.

I placed the open sides of those envelopes to the left so that the open side would be in the binding.

The rest of the envelopes have the open sides to the right, so they can act as pocket pages.

I added a strip of decorative pattern paper to the outside edge of each white page.

In between the pages I added smaller pages.
 

Each smaller page flips over to reveal the opposite side envelope.

Each envelope has a piece of cardstock in it which gives more room to add memories.

I bound it with my Bind-It-All machine.

I had such a good time making this album. It was easy and went together very quickly.

Have you ever created an album out of office supplies?

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.
 

 But the Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome One.

Jeremiah 20:11

This post is linked to That DIY Party, Sugar Bee Crafts,
I Gotta Create, and The Crafty Blog Stalker.

Revamped Secondhand Frames

I had two large empty frames that I got at a thrift store a few months ago.

They've been leaning up against my desk just waiting for me to do something with them.

 

The other day, my hubby happened to bring home some chicken wire for a project he's doing, 

so I used a little bit of it to make this project.

The frames are 20"x 15".

 I trimmed chicken wire to fit the back of each frame and attached it using a staple gun.

I was thinking I'd just whip through this project, but it took me longer than I thought.

Chicken wire isn't that easy to work with. I have little cuts on my hands and forearms.:)

These kinds of frames are such a fun way to display photos, vintage postcards, or anything you want!

Have you ever made one?

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

Blessed be the name of the Lord

from this time forth and forever more!

Psalm 113:2

This post is linked to USS Crafty, Crafty Blog Stalker, Simple Nature Décor,
Lil' Luna, and Plucky's Second Thought.

Mini Album Monday #74- Vintage School Album

With the school year rushing to an end,

I thought it would be fun to take a look at a vintage school themed mini album.

I used a new, but retro looking Crayola crayon box for the cover.

To give it extra stability, I added a wooden ruler to the binding.

The title block consits of a piece of notebook paper,

topped with a library card,

 topped with a piece of cork paper, 

topped with a mini file folder. 

Once I fill this album with photos and memories, I'll add the name to the front of the mini file folder.

This is what it looks like when you open it up.

I used two office rings to bind this album.

That gives me the opportunity to switch around pages or add more pages if needed.

Here's the backside of the crayon box.  

I added a strip of pattern paper along with 

this awesome book "sign out box" (not sure what it's really called).

When my boys were learning to read in elementary school, they came home with small paper books that had these on the first page. After they were done with them, I cut them out to use for projects.

I also turned vintage Dick and Jane images into buttons and added one here.

To do that, I just adhered the image to a piece of chipboard, then used a circle punch to make the button.  I finished them off by adding two small "buttonholes."

In keeping with the school theme, I used a lot of office/school items throughout this album.

This page is a file folder that I trimmed down to size.

On the background, I added a piece of handwriting paper that I had crumpled and inked.

The "My Name Is" sticker is only adhered in the bottom outer corner 

so that a photo can be added behind it.

On the back of the file folder, I just added a strip of paper from an old dictionary.

Notice the clip at the top: it was a plain black office clip 

that I covered with a small piece of vintage book text.

I love how this page turned out.

It's actually an old flashcard attached to a page out of a children's picture dictionary.

I taped the two together, then covered up the tape with a strip of old map.

Here's the backside.

I used a bit of pattern paper to cover where the pages joined.

This next page is actually extra long with a flap folded at the right edge.

I added two stacked floweres that I punched from an old map. 

A brass brad holds the two together.

The page opens to allow room for more photos

and shows a strip from another children's dictionary.

I left the backside of it blank.

This page is actually two office envelopes fastened together to make a page.

I placed a bit of adhesive on the back of the smaller envelope and overlapped it on the large.

Then I added the strip of pattern paper to reinforce the page itself.

This flower is punched from a piece of old ledger paper and attached with a brass brad.

I remember using those old brads when I was in elementary school.

Here's the back of that page. 

I added an image from an old reading textbook which is cute, 

but it also adds stability to the page itself.

The next page is very simple.

It's just part of an old handwriting page with numbers stamped along the outer edge.

I used part of a page from a children's encyclopedia here.

I added a bit of ribbon to the bottom.

Here's the back.

I think these old images add a lot to the vintage feel of the album.

Here I used yet another file folder.

I covered it with a strip of paper from a Dick and Jane book.

In the lower left corner is a pair of star stickers.

I remember getting those in elementary school, too.

For this file folder, I left it the full length, then folded a bit of it to make it two pages.

I left the second page shorter that the first for a little variety.

I used a tiny paper sack for this page.

I got this sack from a gas station. You know how they keep the small ones that hold just one can?

Whenever I go into a gas station, I always ask if I can take one with me:)

This page incorporates some of the pattern papers that I've used on the previous pages.

Notice the silk flower: I used Staz On ink and stamped letters onto it.

The backside is pretty simple with just a strip of pattern paper across the top.

The last page/back cover is part of a manilla envelope cut to size.

I used a random letter stamp along the edge to try to keep it in the school theme.

I happened across this awesome vintage stamp in my collection.

I thought it was the perfect end to this album!

It's been awhile since I put this book together, 

but it was so much fun going through it again looking at all the details.

I think I'll use it to document some of my mom's memories- either from her school years 

or from when she was a teacher.

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, 

be steadfast, immovable, 

always abounding in the work of the Lord, 

knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Cor. 15:58

This post is linked to USS Crafty, Artsy Fartsy Mama, I Heart Naptime, and Tuesdays With a Twist.  

Easy Coaster Christmas Wreath DIY

Do you ever go to a restaurant and sit down and see a pile of coasters on the table and think,
"Man, I could make something with these?"

That's what goes through my mind. :)

Grab a few of those coasters and give this wreath a try.

All you need to do is cover the fronts of the coasters with Christmas pattern papers.

You can do as many layers of circles as you like.

I have two different sizes on my wreath.

You can use a circle punch on a cereal box to get the smaller circles.

Once you get all the coasters covered, you need a large circle to adhere them to.

On a sturdy piece of cardboard, I traced around a large plate, then cut it out.

I then placed a smaller plate in the center, traced it and cut out the center.

To finish it off, I added a loop of ribbon to the top
and a big bow with some candy canes on the lower left edge.

Not too shabby for a bunch of coasters, huh?
I may try this for Valentine's Day and Easter. . .

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, 

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10

This post is linked to It's Overflowing, Tip Junkie, Too Much Time, and Skip to My Lou.

Check Out This Little Red Wagon

A few months ago, a good friend and I took a trip to the awesome flea market in Canton, Texas.

I brought home many treasures including two wooden sides to an old red wagon.

I couldn't leave them behind even if they were in an extremely used loved state.

With a little help from my hubby, I turned them into coat racks.

I sanded them down to make sure there weren't any rough edges.

Then my hubby attached the drawer pulls and added a piece of wood along the back of the
top plank so they'll be sturdy enough to hold coats or towels.

I think the worn edges add to the charm.

I chose worn looking spigots for the first rack,

and distressed stars for the second one.

I don't know which one I like better!

What do you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by and God bless.

And let us not grow weary while doing good, 

for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Gal. 6:9

This post is linked to Too Much Time, My Salvaged Treasures, Embracing Change,
Tatertots and Jello, and Funky Junk.