Recycled Paper Mache Vase

Materials needed:
• empty plastic container (I used my old Mod Podge bottle)
• newspaper
• white glue
• water
• paint
• hot glue (optional
• googly eyes (optional)



This idea came from my Ready Made Magazine this month. They made paper mache vases out of old plastic containers. I of course wanted to make my own so I decided to make a monstar case.

To start this project I cleaned out my Mod Podge container getting all the gunk out and taking the label off and using some Goo Gone to get rid of the sticky parts. Once it was washed and dried I made a bowl of 50/50 white glue and water mixture and tore my news paper into strips. Then I dipped the newspaper stripes into the glue/water mixture and placed the strips around covering the whole area. Once completely covered I let it dry.

Once it was dry I got my stripes of newspaper and bunched it up to make a nose. Then I used small stripes of the glue/water covered news paper and placed it over the nose until it was well connected to the bottle. I did this for the mouth and the nose and mouth on the other side (it's a 2 headed monstar). Then I let it dry for a long time (the bunched up part takes longer to dry but you want it completely dry before painting to avoid mildew).

Once it was dry I painted a white base coat of acrylic all over and then once that was dry I painted the vase how I wanted it and then when that was dry painted a layer of Mod Podge. When all of that was dry I hot glued googly eyes on it.

You really can have as much fun as you want with this. Paint it one color or paint a picture, add embellishments like ribbon, glitter, jewels, wire, shells, whatever really.

Decoupage Box

Materials needed:
• box
• scrap paper
• Mod Podge
• paint brush/sponge brush



This project came about yesterday morning when I picked up a box of my stamps and it fell apart. I decided to decoupage it using some old scraps of paper left over from a scrap book I made my little sis and news paper.

First, I cut the box top off (I used a shoe box that had a flip top-some have a removable top and then of course you don't have to cut it off) and then I proceeded to paint the Mod Podge on a small area and then placed scraps of paper down and brushed the Mod Podge on top. (I really love Mod Podge- it's a glue and a sealant!) I continued doing this until the whole bottom and top of the box were covered (I included a piece with stamps stamped out on it to let me know what was in the box). When it was all dry I took some book binding tape (I had some but if you don't you can use duct tape) and taped the top back on. I did it this way because when I try to leave the top on it inevitably seems to get so thick on the hinge I can't shut it. Then it was finished and I could place my stamps inside their new sturdy box. What is great about this box is that if I decided to change the contents I can just make a new piece with the content title and use my Mod Podge on it and voila- a new box.

Recycled Journal

Materials needed:
• thin cardboard
• thick rubber band
• stick from the yard
• brown paper bag (or whatever paper you want to cover it with)
• news paper (again your choice of paper)
• blank paper for the pages on the inside
• glue (I used glue stick and Mod Podge since that was what I had lying around)
• craft knife
• hole punch

I also added these materials for mine:
• thick cardboard from a box I got in the mail
• some scrap brown paper
• scoring tool
• hot glue and hot glue gun



My mom got this magazine in the mail the other day and it had a cute craft inside that I just had to do. It's a homemade recycled journal for father's day (I think it would even make a cute scrap book or really any sort of book- like one with your recipes in it - yum!). What I love so much about this project is that it cost me nothing- just supplies I had lying around my house and yard!

I took my own liberties with it and made it mine.

To start this journal, I got my thin cardboard out. The board I was using was already cut to size but if you have a big sheet of it cut into the dimensions you want your book to be. Mine is 8.5 x 5.5 inches. Make sure you have 2 pieces the same size for your book. What I did next was punch 2 holes on one side of each of my thin cardboard pieces. I used a grommet punch (I got it from a fabric store a while back). Then after doing that to both pieces I got my craft knife and cut thin strips about an inch from the edge with the holes punched. I did that for both pieces as well.

Next I got a brown paper bag and laid the thin cardboard pieces on it. I lined them up holes in the center with about 1/4 of inch in between hole punched sides and I even left on the thin strips I just cut out for measurement sake. Once both sides were lined up I picked up once piece and started gluing it with my Mod Podge (you can use any type of glue- white craft glue, glue stick, whatever). I didn't glue the little sliver we cut off before it is only there to keep the distance from your hole punched piece and your solid piece. Once all 4 pieces were glued (2 hole punched ones and 2 solid pieces) I turned it over and I should have smoothed it out but I didn't- I recommend that you do smooth out any bumps or bubbles.

Once it is dry I turned it onto the side with the cardboard showing and trimmed off the excess brown paper bag. Then I cut holes out of the bag where the holes from the cardboard were. Then I grabbed some news paper and tore it into strips and glue it to the side with the exposed cardboard (this is optional but I find it reinforces the hinge of the book). While I let that dry I got my plain paper and cut it to size (8.5 x 5.5 inches) and then I measured 1 and 1/8 inch from the side and scored it (this is optional- it just helps the book open easier). In that area (the 1 and 1/8 inch area) is where you will punch your holes. To do this I took my book which was mostly dried now and places the paper flush with 3 sides and hole punched them (you can mark them first and then punch but I found this method more accurate for me). Once I had about 20 sheets I stopped. This will be your book guts.

Now that the book was dried I went on to decorating. For my book I got newspaper and ripped it into thin strips and made a tree branch design gluing it down with a glue stick. Next I took my scrap brown paper and crumbled it up as much as I could and then using my craft knife cut out leaf shapes and placed them where they looked best to me. Then I sketched some bird sillouettes and cut them out with my craft knife then glued them onto thick cardboard I got from the flaps of a box. Cut them out again (this was just to give it some dimension) and hot glued them in place.

Once all the decorating was done I lined up my pages and book cover and got a thick rubber band and worked each end into the holes of all the pages and both covers (to do this I used the end of my small scissors to push it through and then a fabric pin to get it out- you can use whatever is available to you- like chopsticks or pliers). Once it was out I placed my pencil in there to hold it while I got a stick from the yard (which I had cut and sanded- this is optional you can leave it natural if you want but my stick was far too big so I had to cut it down). Then I switched my pencil and stick and voila a beautiful handmade recycled journal.