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12 Days of Reuse

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12 Days of Reuse Promo - Scissors and Bottle Cap Pin​​12 Days of ReUse

The holidays don't need to be wasteful. Give a gift of experience, time, or craft up a reuse gift. Look around your home to see what you have on hand that can be upcycled to a whole new creation. 

We are counting down for the holidays and have created 12 Days of ReUse videos to get you inspired to reduce waste and give a gift that is meaningful to people and the planet. 

 

​Day 1 of ReUse — Bottle Cap Pin​

By using materials you have around your home, you can create this easy, affordable, and adorable pin. 

For this project you'll need:​

  • white cloth

  • scissors

  • cotton ball/batting

  • cardboard

  • bottle cap

  • embroidery thread

  • embroidery hoop

  • embroidery needle

  • strong glue

  • pin back

 

 

 

Day 2 of ReUse  — Cord Wrapping

This cord wrapping project keeps your cords safe from wear and tangle-free. This is a stylish project for charging cords and earbuds and helps keep your cords easily recognizable.

For this project you'll need:

  • scissors

  • cord

  • clipboard

  • embroidery thread​

 

 

 

Day 3 of ReUse — ​​Wood Burned Cutting Board

Bamboo cutting boards are a renewable, earth-friendly product that can be recycled and are naturally antibacterial.  Make your gift even more special by wood burning a custom design.​

For this project you'll need:

  • Bamboo cutting board (a sustainable and naturally antibacterial )
  • Wood burner
  • Pencil (to layout your design)​
 

 

 

Day 4 of ReUse  —  Bees Wax Wrap (a plastic wrap alternative) ​​

If you are interested in cutting down the use of plastic in your kitchen, this Bees Wax Wrap project is a great plastic wrap alternative. While plastic wrap (plastic film) can be recycled, it's better to simply reduce its use and choose something reusable instead. These bees wraps are pretty, easy to clean and make a great gift either on its own or with a zero-lunch kit.

For this project you'll need:

  • Scrap Fabric (anything 100% cotton will do)
  • Food grade bees wax
  • Crock pot, double boiler, or oven for melting wax
  • Iron
  • Parchment paper to protect the iron
  • Cookie sheet
  • Needle and thread  with button (optional)
 

 

 

Day 5 of ReUse  — Fabric Napkins

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Fabric napkins are a great way to reduce waste, save money, and beautify your home. 

 

For this project you'll need:

  • Fabric (old clothes, sheets, or cotton fabric works well)
  • Serger on the rolled edges setting or sewing machine
  • Iron (if you are using a sewing machine to iron folded seams)
 

 

 

Day 6 of ReUse  — Dryer Balls​

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Dryer sheets can contain hidden toxins that are bad for air quality. They are also wasteful. Instead, try making these simple, wool dryer balls that can be reused. ​

For this project you'll need:

  • Wool yarn
  • Scissors​
  • Washing machine & dryer
  • Old tights
  • Crochet hook​
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Day 7 of ReUse  — Feed Sack Grocery Bag

The average American goes through six shopping bags per week. With a population of roughly 300 million, that means 1.8 billion bags are used and discarded in America every week, and all of that trash adds up. ​Make these reusable grocery bags from materials that are otherwise discarded.

For this project you'll need:

  • Feed sack
  • Thread
  • Scissors

  • Sewing machine​​

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Day 8 of ReUse  — Cereal Box Ornament

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Making paper stars is super easy and free when you pull from the recycle bin. These stars can be used as ornaments, wall decorations, or to top gifts. 

For this project you'll need:

  • Cereal Box
  • Scissors
  • Glitter​
  • Glue
  • Ribbon
  • Ruler
  • Star Stencil
  • Hot Glue Gun/Glue
 


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Day 9 of ReUse  — Worm Composter​

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Worms are pretty magical little creatures. They eat food waste and make safe fertilizers that we can use in our garden. This worm composter would make a great gift for a gardener and worms make great pets too. This video shows you how to make the composter but you'll also want to check out this tutorial​ with worm habitat information as well as feeding instructions to keep your worms happy. ​

For this project you'll need:​

  • 2 plastic storage boxes with 1 lid
  • Wood or PVC pieces
  • Drill and drill bit
  • Shredded paper
  • Red Wiggler Worms
  • Dirt
  • Water
  • Towel or cloth
  • Egg shells or sand
  • Food for your worms​
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Day 10 of ReUse  — Keyboard Enter ​Keychain

Get a little geeky with this reuse keyboard key keychain (because three keys are better than one). For this project you'll need:

  • Keyboard key
  • Jump Ring
  • Key Chain 
  • 2 pair of pliers
  • Drill with small drill bit
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Day 11 of ReUse  — Dino Magnets

Turn old toys into magnets for the fridge, photo holders for the desk, or place card holders for your table. For this project you'll need:
 

  • Plastic animals

  • Saw or sharp knife

  • Spray paint

  • Strong glue

  • Magnets

 
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Day 12 of ReUse  — Reuse Wrapping

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Using reused materials makes gift giving fun and waste-free For this project you'll need:

  • Papers (newspaper, sewing pattern, comics, dictionary pages, paper bag)
  • Containers (toilet paper tube, 2 litter bottle)
  • Trim (yarn, washi tape)
  • Tags (flash cards, game cards, library cards, coffee sleeve) 
  • Tape
 
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