Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Description
This project was made in order to reuse some common household items and give them a new life. The problem I was intending to solve was overall waste of items that only get used once. A book, fake flower, and a soda can were the main materials that were being reused for this project. The only parts that were not reused were the metal wire and some clothes pins. I transformed the book into a hiding place for my keys, and the soda can as a pen holder. I really struggled making this project because I had no idea the metal wire was going to be so difficult to bend. In the end, I really like how it turned out and will use it in my apartment!
Materials
- old book
- mod podge
- paintbrush
- Xacto knife
- metal wire (amount depends on height you want)
- old soda can
- fake flower
- clothes pins
- pliers (2)
- ruler
- hammer
- chisel
- felt
- Scissors
- hot glue
Steps
1. Open the book to the front cover and use mod podge to glue down the first few pages. Hold with clothes pins to dry. Mod podge the sides of the rest of the book closed. Using a ruler, trace the lines of the ruler horizontally and vertically on the pages on the right. This will form a rectangle. Start cutting with an Xacto knife in the middle of the rectangle.
2. Use the Xacto knife to keep chipping away at the middle of the book. I found it helpful to mod podge the outer edges of the first page so they don't rip.
Step 3. Use a chisel and a hammer to get those pesky corners.
Step 4. Cut felt to line the inside of the book. The width and height of each felt piece will depend on how thick your book is.
Step 5. Use the two pliers to bend the metal around the book. Also bend the metal at the top to fit around the soda can.
Step 6. Use the Xacto knife to cut out the top of the soda can and round the edges to be as smooth as possible. Use the extra felt and hot glue it to the inside of the top of the can so it is not a safety hazard. I also used the extra pages from the book and covered the outside for aesthetic reasons.
Step 7. Wrap the flower around the metal base and add the previously used clothes pins for extra support in holding it in place. These can serve to hold cards or notes! You now have a finished project!
