Green crafting is a trend that has taken the artsy world by storm, and rightfully so. Not only do recycled and upcycled crafts save you green, but they also ensure that our lovely planet will stay green for decades to come. As they say, “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure”, or “one person’s recycling bin is another’s supply store.” To honor the Earth and all that it encompasses, FaveCrafts.com and its sister sites are challenging you to craft green. This small challenge comes with big reward. Return daily to enter to win one of two exciting Earth Week prizes. Find the contest rules and enter below.
*This giveaway is now over. Please enjoy the free tutorial below.
Today is day one of Earth Week, and we’re starting out strong with a lovely and useful recycled craft from Crafting a Green World. With this tutorial from Julie Finn, you’ll learn how to turn recycled cardboard into Embroidery Floss Spools. This wonderful idea keeps money in your wallet and grass on the ground.
Upcycled Embroidery Floss Spools
Materials:
- Centimeter-gridded graph paper or old embroidery spools
- Recycled cardboard (cereal box, record case etc)
- Scissors
Instructions:
1. Create a template. If you already own some embroidery floss spools that you like, just trace them. Graphing your own pattern on centimeter-gridded graph paper is really easy, however. A template drawn on graph paper is easy to make symmetrical, and you can fancy it up however you wish.
2. Fussy cut from cardboard. To fussy cut something means to cut it specifically to include a certain exact detail, often from a novelty print. You can fussy cut your embroidery floss spools by placing your template over something awesome, like Art Garfunkel’s face or Toucan Sam’s beak.
Note: If you cut your spools out of plain cardboard, you can still embellish them with ink pens–just make VERY sure that nothing you use will rub off on the floss.
3. Wrap and store! Finally wrap all of your floss nicely and neatly and organize it (in rainbow order, obviously!).
Thanks again to Julie Finn for Crafting a Green World for allowing us to share this tutorial!
Love embroidery floss projects? Check out these great embroidery and friendship bracelet tutorials!
Hand Embroidered Baby Bib
Vintage Embroidered Table Runner
Delicate Flowers Embroidery Pattern
Sequins Embellished Felt Flowers
Embroidery Hoop Art
Mason Jar Dish Towel Pattern
How to Make Friendship Bracelets: 12 Fun Friendship Bracelet Patterns! free eBook
Earth Week Giveaway
Return daily to comment on the blog for your chance to win one of the two Earth Week prizes. One lucky winner will win a Wool Felt Bug Kit and an Art Journal Kit from Arterro, and another lucky winner will win two hanks of At the Bahamas: Multi Colored Recycled Sari Silk Ribbon Yarn from Darn Good Yarn.
Bonus! As a gift to all Earth Week participants, when shopping with Arterro enter the coupon code FAVE20 for 20% off any order through May 1st.
OFFICIAL RULES
- There is a maximum of one entry per person per day. The entry will be based upon a comment left on this blog post. Duplicate comments will be deleted and are not tallied. You can comment once a day on each blog post.
- Winners will be selected at random from the comments on the Earth Week blog posts.
- Winners will be announced here on the blog on April 29th as well as contacted by the email address provided.
- You have until April 28th, 2013 at 11:59p EST to leave your comment on any of the Earth Week posts. Comments posted after that will not be counted.
- Contest open to anyone 18+ in US and/or Canada.
I use up my yarn by tying them together to make different things
As I looked at your embroidery yarn holders it brought back memories of my Grandmother. She taught me how to embroider, and she also used her old cardboard cereal boxes. Thank you for bringing this memory back to me.
Love the patterns!!!
Upcycling cardboard for embroidery floss is an idea I’d never thought of. I taught myself to cross-stitch in high school, so I have lots of skeins that need to be wound. This is such a great idea!
Covers for books, magazine holders, cat play houses
I’ve reused cardboard for backings on pictures.
I love this idea. I actually glue all my doll pattern pieces to cardboard and then cut them out. It sure makes it easier for me to trace the pattern on to material and then cut it out. I have been stuck by too many pins and they are a hassle. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve reused cardboard tubes to make storage containers for skewers and tent stakes.
I love this idea! I never have enough and they can get tangled easy.
I have used them to make picture frames with our son. We have glued small rocks from our driveway and made one that way. We have also taking a bunch of old nuts , screws and washers and glued them on. Another one we made was using fabric scraps all cut up timy and glued them on . We first would glue fabric or colored paper covering the recycled cardboard, then completely covering that with the rocks ect… We always his photo in the frames and they were great gifts for grandparents . I’ve used cardboard for making quilt templates. I’ve also used cardboard for wrapping yard around to make pom poms for knitted slippers Have used emptied paper rolls covered with scrapbook paper and use them for electrical cord holders. I love your idea making the floss holders !!
I use it to put under puzzles when I do them.
smjohns63 at yahoo dot com
Recycled boxes with glue and patterned cardstockfor storage. Cereal boxes to files/ magazine storage boxes.
I’ve found that paper towel roll tubes are perfect for wrapping Sashay yarn on, as well as many other types of yarns. I use toilet paper roll tubes for embroidery floss.
We made Dr. Suess hats from recycled card board for a party.
me encantan Las manualdades, y mas aun cuando aprovechas El resiclaje!!!! gracias 🙂
I make paper speakers using paper plates cone and card board to make the box that holds the speaker
I’m going to do this!
Pom poms, and lady bugs with the kids
excellent idea. . . we could even use plastic scraps from leftover containers for a sturdier version
I made new boxes from recycled cardboard to fit specific items.
This seems like a cool idea to recycle cardboard boxes
My newest is rags rugs like my grandma used to make…
Cool ideas! I look forward to creating the afghan and upcycling a chair or two.
Art projects…this week my pre-K students created Earth Day Gardens with strips and circles cut from old cereal, granola bar, etc. boxes. Added old buttons for the centers and straw pieces for the petals. So cute and whimsicle!
RECYCLED CARDBOARD MAKE GREAT NEW BOXES.
I’ve made masks from recycled cardboard.
I use cardboard for so many craft and upcycle things. Most recently I used newspaper, tp tubes and soup cans to make mason bee houses for my garden!
I love this craft idea. I have gotten lots of ideas from your blog.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Love recycled silk sari yarn…
Recycled cardboard is priceless for crafting with kids…
Using old ties to weave…
What a great idea-a template can also be made by tracing a floss spool that was bought for that . I have some that are not filled yet.