Domino's National Upcycling Collaboration

We are always pushing the team concept as part of our mission to spread upcycling through our strength in numbers~ but occasionally it is the outstanding singular effort of one member that demands our recognition and gratitude for the individual's achievements.

Liz Ohsiek deserves that and more~ And we are so incredibly proud to call her a member of Upcyclers! 

Domino's recently changed their marketing strategy including a newly designed logo~ and in an effort to reduce waste decided to UPCYCLE their stock bearing the previous logo. Liz told us all about it in a recent blog post:

"I don’t usually like to talk about myself. At least not important stuff. I’ll bore my friends with the minutia of life (what I had for breakfast, what craft my kids are working on, how many loads of laundry I folded, blah blah blah) but when it comes to my own shop and business, I don’t typically share. Maybe I just don’t think anyone really cares — and I don’t like to sound braggy (especially when I don’t have tons of faith in myself). I know, I have issues.

BUT – right now, I want to tell you about a really exciting project that I’m participating in. I’m going to toot my own horn for a minute. Ah-OOO-gah!!

Several months ago, Domino’s Pizza contacted lil’ ol’ me (ME!!) to tell me about their Second Hand Logos project. They recently changed their logo, and rather than throw away all of the old ones, they’ve asked independent craftsmen and artists like me to upcycle the old stock into new creations. I am one of 10 artists nationwide to participate in this amazing initiative.

The project was unveiled on June 17, and since then there has been a bit of online buzz including a Yahoo! Finance article that used my photograph and mentioned my name. (You can check that out here. My 15 minutes of fame! There are also articles that use my product photos here, here and here).

Domino’s sent me some employee t-shirts, pizza boxes, and food wrappers all displaying the old logo. I made them into scarves, notebooks, and bowls."

Making Domino’s Scarves from old stock t-shirts

Pizza Box Notebooks

Paper Bowls

These items are available for purchase in Liz's Etsy shop! And you can see all of the talented artists and their creations at www.SecondHandLogos.com

It is fantastic to see the upcycling movement recognized by a global corporation like Domino's. Collaborative efforts like this inspire our team to continue creating art, crafts and practical goods from what the world once considered "TRASH"! Perhaps one day we will look back and wonder why we abandoned the centuries' old tradition of 'using it up and wearing it out' for what has become a largely, throwaway society. Until then, we thank Liz Ohsiek for dedicating her talent to Upcycling and for being a member of Upcyclers!


*Editor's Note~ Read Liz's opinion about "What is Upcycling?"

 

Milestones...

Life sometimes throws us curve balls, a fast ball, walks us when we want to run, or strikes us down and out. But with persistence and fortitude, we hang in there and work hard to fulfill our dreams. They are so often cut short by tragedy, failure or despair, that when we do reach a milestone in our lives these days, it might be ever so much more important to stand up and take notice. Pat ourselves on the back, give each other a hug or just quietly say under our breath, “Thank you.”

So, although there has been such a tragedy this holiday, it must still be a time to count our blessings~ our joys are what keep us from drowning in sorrow.

This little post is a thank you to our devoted fans and members of Upcyclers. You’ve made us 2000 strong on Facebook, and over 2500 Etsy sellers have joined our team. Our blog has been viewed over 175,000 times and we have almost 800 followers as well. Each day we connect with hundreds, if not thousands, of people who care about promoting sustainability, handmade planet-friendly goods and a community of those who care about our Earth and its inhabitants.

For that we commit ourselves to doing our best in 2013 to further the upcycling movement by offering even more products, resources and consumer education to our fans and members. Even more importantly though, we will be looking towards promoting and participating in charitable and community projects, expanding our reach to include art education endeavors.

Thank you again for being there for us~ we have a wonderful and devoted group of people who have built a community. We look forward to welcoming many more in the coming year!

Sustainable Sundays: Industrial Finds

Upcycling provides a new mindset and an even greener alternative to trash disposal.  Each Sunday, we highlight upcycled shops on Etsy.  I found these active team shops  supporting the Upcycled Revolution this week with some Industrial style!

 

in·dus·tri·al

/ɪnˈdʌstriəl/ Show Spell[in-duhs-tree-uhl] adjective

of, pertaining to, of the nature of, or resulting from industry: industrial production; industrial waste.

 

Bicycle Bangle - Steel ... TheRecycledBic... $20.00	Steampunk Necklace Stea... pennyfarthingd... $22.00	eco fashion recycled in... GroovyGarbage $64.00	Grey geometric earrings... BlackRedDots $14.00
Steam Punk Ring Recycle... ourchildrensea... $24.75	SET Pop Tab Cuff Bracel... PopTopFashion $15.00	Guinness Stout Draught ... LizardSkins $12.00	Steampunk Jewelry - key... DaysLongGone $52.00
Fire Extinguisher Bench mattjohnsondes... $3400.00	Upcycled / Recycled Mix... PLJohnsonGlass... $40.00	Vintage Industrial Brew... newwineoldbott... $155.00	Recycled Metal Barbeque... TinkanDesigns $90.00
Vintage Spoon Wind Chim... LoveLettersUpc... $25.00	Metal and Glass Hanging... Rinnovato $20.00	Industrial Salvage Earr... repurposedKATE $9.00	Steampunk Gun, Dart Gun... smithfitsbazaa... $15.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

 

Have a sustainable week and I'll see you next Sunday with some upcycled, domestic finds.

Thanks, Bee
The Wooden Bee

Demystifying T Shirt Yarn: Tutorials to Get You Started

We have talked about what t shirt yarn is and what you should look for when purchasing it.  We have seen what other people are making with it.  Now, it is time to give you some ideas so you can start making things with it too!  Let the fun begin!!

I found many tutorials for t-shirt yarn.  It can be used in so many ways!  These are a few of my favorites, and while I hope you try them out and enjoy them, I also hope that you will explore more ideas on your own.  Google t-shirt yarn tutorials and you will have more projects than you know what to do with!

Weave Hula Hoop Rug

Read the full tutorial by Nicole Blasenak Shapiro from Family Fun Magazine.!

In this tutorial, they are using strips of t-shirts.  It isn't actual t-shirt yarn, but this could easily be done with t-shirt yarn.  Follow the instructions, just substitute t-shirt yarn.  It will take longer to weave, but you will be able to fit more rows on for a tighter rug.  Or, just use the t-shirt strips to recreate the bulky and fabulous look they have going on.  Either way, it is still an eco friendly project that will leave you with a beautiful new rug!

Knit a Market Bag

Find the pattern by Missy posted on So You Think You're Crafty.

This one is for the knitters.  It is a very simple pattern and great for beginners.  I just love the look of this bag.  The big advantage to using t-shirt yarn when making a bag is that it won't sag like traditional yarns do.  I love cotton bags, but cotton yarn will go from your waist to your knees if you put anything in it, if you don't line it with some kind of fabric.  Bags made with t-shirt yarn are bulkier and the yarn is already stretched so it shouldn't have a lot of give, and because of that it won't need a fabric liner.  This bag should be able to hold the weight of all the produce you can carry home from the market with no sagging and you will look fabulous!

No Sew Braided Rug

Find the tutorial by "Ivory Soap" on the Little House in the Suburbs blog.

I love the look of this rug and it is super easy to make.  I'm not sure how it would do in a washing machine.  In the comments, Ivory Soap suggests making a pot holder using this technique and washing it a few times to see how it holds up.  Although it is a no sew rug, if you wanted you could throw in a few stitches when you change strands to secure it for a spin in the washing machine.  Totally up to you.  Ivory Soap isn't exactly using t-shirt yarn, as she is using t shirt strips that have been kind of rolled and corded.  T-shirt yarn will work well for this project though.

Woven Placemat

Find the full tutorial on Creative Jewish Mom blog.

I love this because it is so versatile!  The loom is made from a piece of cardboard and some cotton string.  It couldn't get more basic than that, right?  You can make it as large or as small as you want.  You can use this technique to make potholders, placemats, trivets, rugs, table runners, and whatever else you can think of!  She has a couple of different ideas on how you can finish it.  She finished this one by tying knots at the ends to secure it.  You could also run it through a sewing machine to secure the ends and have a flat fringe to it.  Or, if you are already at the sewing machine and really want to go all out, you could even sew on a border made from some t-shirt fabric scraps and really give it a clean looking finish.  It's all up to your style.  

Crochet a Bowl

Find the pattern by My 9 Lives on the Instructables website.

We covered knitting so I thought I would give a crochet pattern too.  I love bowls made from t shirt yarn.  Now this one is just a bit saggy looking, but I can tell you how to avoid that.  First of all, she is working with just t shirt strips at the top that haven't been stretched on the sides.  You can also see that she used a t-shirt with a side seam on it, which is a no no for making perfect t-shirt yarn.  It won't be even with the seam in there.  Only use actual t-shirt yarn that has been stretched into a cord.  This will be more firm and will hold its shape much better than t shirt strips. The pattern should work up just fine.  The instructions are super easy and excellent for a beginner.

On several tutorials, I see people working with strips of t-shirts.  On some projects this works well, and on others it doesn't.  Remember that t-shirt yarn is corded by stretching a t-shirt strip.  If you are just using t-shirt strips, you will run a strong risk of it being pulled and stretched later, creating a disaster to your project, as you will have a loop you won't be able to easily hide.  I recommend just using t-shirt yarn or craft cords and not t shirt strips, but I also encourage creativity.  If you like the look of the strips, and on the hula hoop rug they look great, I encourage throwing caution to the wind.  You could also substitute strips of a bedsheet or flannel pants or other similar fabrics that are soft and won't stretch.  This would be the best way to get a similar texture, without running the risk of a snag in your project later.

Happy crafting everyone!  And if you need some t-shirt yarn, I know a couple of fabulous places where you can get some.  ;)

Love and Peace,

Luci

July's Upcyclers Creativity Contest

This month's creativity challenge centered around a seemingly innocuous house construction element. I issued the following challenge to teamupcyclers:


"The challenge for this month is a drain spout. I bought one to redo my gutters and then (after spray painting it) discovered where I could get affordable rain chains. Now I have a 12' drain spout and nothing to do with it. To make this easier I will take entries consisting of any metal construction waste that is generally pipe shaped. Cans will not be accepted, although a stovepipe would."

Well, I had exactly one idea with what to do with it. But I was impressed by the ingenuity and talent of my fellow teammates. 

It was a tough choice. I was torn my favorite two. Sarah Kristen of SweetSomeday had the distinct advantage of creating wind chimes (which I love!) and so prevailed with her entry of her pipe wind chimes pictured here:

You can see her whole project from design to construction on her blog and here are a few items you can find at her shop:

The runner up was the intrepid M. Basile, Who created this beautiful pencil/ flower holder from an elbow piece of a drain pipe:

You can see her other work at her facebook page

Other honorable mentions include our own Wooden Bee who created aluminum candle holders. 

Marie took a different tact and used metal construction debris to create these personalized copper pendants.

All items entries can be found on our Upcyclers Creative Challenge Pinterest Board!

Congratulations to everyone and their creativity! Join us next month by following the next creativity challenge here.

Nikki

This 'N That Creations

Team Upcyclers: How to Use our Team

Hello Upcyclers! I thought I would write a series of posts on how to utilize the benefits of being on Team Upcyclers. Our Etsy team is an easy going group of shops that love to upcycle.  With a fast growing team of over 2,100 shops I thought a series detailing how to use the team for networking, creating, and promoting would be helpful to our new members and a great reminder for our seasoned members as well.

So let’s get started this week with…

Team Tags, Team Treasuries, and Team Threads

The Team Tag: teamupcyclers

Etsy allows you 13 tags on your listings. If you decide to make one of your tags “teamupcyclers” your listing will be promoted in the following ways:

• listings will show up in the Shop Now! section of our blog
• listings show up in searches on Etsy when making team treasuries
• listings show up in searches on Etsy when our blog writers are writing articles and looking to feature listings. 

It also gives your listings the opportunity to be found with other team opportunities, like team leaders searching for team challenge entries, and by fellow shops wanting to shop their own team.

Some Etsy shops use a team's logo for a visual team tag. Brizel Supplies uses the team logo in one of our her five listing photos. Not only does it show she's part of our upcycled team, but it furthers the message the her buttons are vintage and her shop is eco-friendly.

The Team Treasury Tag: teamupcyclers

Etsy allows you 18 tags when you create a treasury. It is important to use all of your tags in a treasury, just like a listing.  Tags are ways people will search and find your treasuries.  Team leaders use treasury tag searches to feature team treasuries on our facebook and twitter accounts. Treasuries are also used to pin your creations to Pinterest. All of which will be discussed in the next post on team social networking.  The important thing is if you’re going to take the time to create a team treasury, please include the tag: teamupcyclers  

Team Treasuries are a great way to get to know the people you work with on Etsy. They are also a great way to promote your own shop by promoting others, and a great way for the team to share upcycling!

Tips for Making Team Treasuries:

• Not all team shops use their precious listing tags for a team tags, so be sure to check and use our member directory and our New Member Introductions thread to curate fresh team collections.
• Shops don't have to share their team memberships on their Etsy profile either, so that's another reason to visit the member directory. We are a larger Etsy team, so our directory has over 2100+ shops that can be viewed alphbetically or by last updated. Therefore it is much easier for our shops to show their team membership on their profiles.  (I would love for Etsy to create an easier way to sort our members list).
• Create themed collections but don't get carried away. For example, you could curate a treasury by color, season, or occasion, but don't create a collection with all the same type of item. Etsy picks a treasury to be featured every hour on it's front page. They usually don't pick a treasury with 16 dresses, but they will pick be a wedding themed collection with a dress or two in it.
• Check trending Etsy treasury tags and include some of them in your treasury.
• Select clear photos with similar background colors.
• Convo the 16 shops that you featured in your team treasury.  Etsy's activity feed will let shops know when items are featured, if they are online. A quick copy and pasted email to all featured parties will help ensure your treasury is seen and promoted!

Here's a recent Team Upcyclers treasury, found by searching our team tag: teamupcyclers!

'Summer Squeeze' by artagain

Get your summer on, with TeamUpcyclers

Upcycled Recycled /... GroovyGarbage $24.00	Summer Squeeze Sket... EcoImbiber $18.00	Funky upcycled butt... CUTandTEAR $5.00	Eco Chic Duo Mandal... cukipokshop $25.00
Half Dozen Cedar wo... ReclaimedTrend... $60.71	License Plate Star ... SweetSomeday $36.00	Recycled T Shirt Ta... ohzie $15.00	Set of 4 wine bottl... GroovyGreenGla... $35.00
Little Dear - Upcyc... twitchandwhisk... $45.00	Recycled Metal Barb... TinkanDesigns $90.00	Beer Bottle Earring... BoozyBaublesGl... $18.00	Magnet Wood Set of ... Art2Carry $9.95
Woman on Beach Vint... EphemeraAesthe... $18.00	recycled jewelry - ... twicecreations $24.00	Recycled / Upcycled... wheresmybag $12.00	Hippie Bracelets, H... TrailerParkGyp... $12.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

There are many resources online for help with treasuries, including our tool box. And of course a great place to get advice is our Team Discussion Threads.

Team Discussion Threads

What is a thread? A message posted to a webpage where other team members can read it. You can select whether your message is public or private before you hit submit.  Private means only Team Upcyclers shops can view your message, public means Etsy and the entire online community can view it. Here's a simple article on creating a thread on any Etsy forum. Upcyclers Discussion Board,  Upcyclers Discussion Threads, Team Upcyclers Forum, all mean the same thing. They are just a place for us to communicate.

How does our forum benefit your shop? Our Disucssion threads are a place to share, promote, and ask questions. We try to inspire creativity, encourage shops, and discuss Etsy's marketplace on our forum.

With an active team sometimes the discussion board can look a little overwhelming. Just take a deep breath and look at it for a minute.  Our active threads are listed by month to help keep things concise and to the point.

New Listings

Blog Posts

Sales & Giveaways

Creativity Challenge

Team Treasuries

are all threads that can be found label with the current month in their title.

The Creativity Challenge is a fun monthly challenge to inspire upcycled creativity. One Upcyclers shop picks an upcycled medium, and then shops have the opportunity to submit upcycled creations using each months medium. We also like to have fun with thread games like our ABC game thread and your favorite item from shop above thread.

Other Important Threads to Look for:

New Member Introductions

Main Thread Chat

Just ReListed

and an array of other threads, from current happenings like the Christmas in July sale thread, to the popular Supplies for Upcycling thread.

Feel free to start your own thread, but it's best to check the forum for your topic first. There is a search box right above the first thread, and maybe your topic is already there.

 Friendly Faces on our Team Upcyclers Threads

On any day of the week you can always find the following Upcyclers shops on our discussion threads:

• M. Basile from Rinnovato is always greeting new members and chatting on many of our discussion threads!
• Luci from Idle Hands Yarn Supply is a great thread resource. She's always responding to questions, sharing her experiences, and greeting others.
• Mandy from Auburn Artisan is always welcoming new members and getting to know members on the chat thread.
• Sarah from Sweet Someday, Sue from Stitchuation, and Ann from Instinctively Indie are some more active friendly faces on our team threads!

Then there is... Mike's T Shirt Yarn, This 'n That Creations, Our Childrens Earth, Its Your Country, Brizel Supplies, Super Sock, artagain, and K5art. Of course, our captain Cat and myself are always around the threads.

Join in the discussion, tag your listings and share your team treasuries! Together we can learn, share, and promote a large community of UPCYCLING.  Look for the next post in the series to discuss our social networks and their reach, and how you can use them. Until then, keep upcycling!

Thanks, Bee
The Wooden Bee

Demystifying T Shirt Yarn Series: What the Heck do People Make with T Shirt Yarn?

Last month we discussed what t shirt yarn is, how to properly use it, and what to look for in quality.  So what do people make from it?  Well, this month let's look at some of the team Upcyclers shops and see what they are doing with it.


Rose from Sew Ecological likes to knit with it.  Rose also makes many things from upcycled sweaters, as well as working with handspun yarn.  I really enjoyed browsing her shop and admiring her work.  She has a cowl up in her shop that is a wonderful example of how you can knit and crochet with t shirt yarn to create one of a kind items.

This pretty cowl is available for purchase here.

Mike from Mike's T Shirt Yarn has many lovely items made from t shirt yarn in his shop.  Of course, Mike also makes fabulous t shirt yarn so he has a wonderful inventory to work with.  You can find knotted bracelets and some fun crochet pieces in his shop, as well as t shirt yarn.  I personally know that Mike has a strong commitment to eco friendly products and supplies and am grateful for the support and encouragement he has always given me.  I would recommend his shop to anyone.  Here are just a few examples from his shop.  

This stylish and earthy bracelet is available for purchase here.

This bright and cheerful pencil (or crochet hook) holder is available for purchase here.

Katie Jo from Pink Poppy Seed has a variety of jewelry made from t shirt yarn.  Stylish necklaces and fun bracelets abound in her shop, as well as crocheted fingerless gloves and a wonderful selection of scarves for all seasons.  You won't be disappointed in a visit to this shop.  Here are just a few of her jewelry pieces:

This soft statement necklace is available for purchase here.

This beautifully braided necklace is available for purchase here.

This fashionable bracelet is available for purchase here.

Kristy from Scratch Made has a delightful shop full of bright and pretty jewelry made from t shirt yarn. She displays a variety of styles and colors that are sure to please the eye.  She only submitted one listing to me so that is all I will use, but you won't be disappointed by visiting her shop.  Personally, I think this bracelet is all you will need to want to see what else her shop has to offer.

This fabulous bracelet is available for purchase here.

Susana From Recosas tells us on her shop greeting that "'Recosas" are things which have been given a second chance".  Beautiful, isn't it?  She also told us that the spanish word for t shirt yarn is trapiño and it is used to make a kind of carpet called jarapa.  I really must learn to speak spanish because it uses the most lovely words.  Susana makes a lovely array of upcycled items and I encourage you to browse her shop.  What you see below is just a sample of what Susana has to offer.

This lovely necklace is available for purchase here.

This stunning necklace is available for purchase here.

These pretty hairpins are available for purchase here.

Last, but certainly not least, is Rain from Remaine Wicked.  Rain has a large selection of items for children and some adult items, like fabric cuff bracelets, cell phone cases, and beautiful bags.  There are also many soft baby blocks, upcycled clothes, and educational quiet/busy books.  I would encourage anyone to look through her shop, especially if you have small children.  She uses t shirt yarn in her quiet books for the braiding and God's Eye pages.  Below are a couple of examples of her quiet books.

You can see the t shirt yarn on the braiding on this book, which is available for purchase here.

You can see the t shirt yarn in the God's Eye in this book, which is available for purchase here.

As you can see, there are many uses for t shirt yarn.  Other popular uses are pot holders, rugs, coasters, and trivets.  I also know of people who use it in their gardens to tie plants.  Weaving with it is also popular.  I have seen many people use it in making baskets with great success.  The possibilites only end with your imagination.  What would you do with a ball of t shirt yarn?  Where would your imagination carry you?  I hope you will get a ball and find out because next month I will give you some tutorials on things to make with t shirt yarn.  I'll have some knitting and crochet projects, as well as braiding and weaving.  There will be something for everyone, from beginners to more advanced projects.  The perfect way to end the series.  So be sure to catch the next and last article in this series on August 20.

Love and Peace, 


Luci