Beautiful and useful handcrafted items for home or gifts

[SuzanneMedrano]

Just in time for holiday decorating, unique and colorful, unbreakable Christmas ornaments made from plastic canvas and yarn. Pack these away with the holiday decorations year after year with no worries of breakage. Perfect as a thoughtful gift to get someone's first Christmas decorating off to a great start.

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[SuzanneMedrano]

The bluebird of happiness, the white dove of peace, and the red cardinal of joy await your Christmas tree this holiday season. Each measures about 3.75 inches wide, 5 inches long, and 2.75 inches tall with a nearly invisible nylon loop hanger of about 5 inches. These little guys will stand guard on the candy dish if you like. Their penny bird brain allows them to be freestanding. Definitely a unique decoration that can be left out and enjoyed year round.

These are not toys and should not be given to children or cats to play with.

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[SuzanneMedrano]

Measuring 8 inches wide and 69 inches long, including 4 inch fringe, look no further as you have found a unique gift for someone who likes pink! I never worked with so many strands before; 15 in different weights and colors, but they come together to make a warm and beautiful scarf. It took several starts before I decided on the design for this special scarf, which I call bark because it reminds me of pine tree bark. I wrote it down so I can make it again. I like to crochet while watching TV, or should I say, while I listen to the TV.

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[SuzanneMedrano]

Uniquely tag your special gifts with a conversation piece that can be saved and used as a bookmark. The all-occasion map design tag can be used year round for holiday gifts as well as birthday or retirement gifts. Your package is sure to stand out from the crowd.

The tag measures about 4 x 2.25 inches and is backed with white card stock for your message of good cheer. About 3 inches of ribbon will allow the tag to be secured to your gift. The tag then becomes another small gift that can be removed intact and used as a bookmark.

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[SuzanneMedrano]

If your washing machine empties into a washtub, this lint trap can help save buildup in your pipes and non-digestible solids from entering your septic system. For years, I had been paying a little over $3 for two smaller aluminum filters. The idea to make my own hit like a epiphany.

I started sewing up plastic mesh produce bags, then looked at leftover tulle and netting scraps - all items that would usually be thrown away. You can use old nylons, but keep an eye on it because they fill up fast and you don't want to obstruct the washer's discharge. You can also use the mesh from collapsible laundry baskets after they break.

I haven't bought another filter from the hardware store! My filters are larger and I don't have to change them as often.

You can make filters yourself, or I'm happy to do it for you. I have filters made with tulle or netting available for you. Get the size that best fits the space between your discharge pipe and the tub drain. You don't want the tub to backup and spill over.

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[SuzanneMedrano]

Having scratch paper handy at your desk or by the phone is a great way to add to your recycling efforts, and peace of mind. Never search for paper to write a note again, or try to find that envelope you wrote on because it was there when you took the message. Useful and decorative, all of my scratch paper holders accommodate a 4.25 by 5.5 inch sheet of paper. Stop throwing away usable paper; use it one more time before sending it to recycling. Simply cut any 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper in quarters and you will never be short of note paper again.

Filled with blank paper to get you started, a scratch paper holder makes a thoughtful gift. There are several colors to choose from, but if you have a special color or combination in mind, please contact me. I do take specials orders and would be happy to make something just for you if possible.

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[SuzanneMedrano]

An elegant and decorative spinning octagon quilt block at about 16 inches round is the perfect placemat for your cat or dog. I use octagonal mats for my cats as placemats at feeding time, and they certainly help keep the floor clean. Why can't cats keep their food in the bowl or on the dish before they eat it?

They are just as beautiful and useful under the chip or veggie dip at your next party to catch the spills. Set the salad bowl or breadbasket on this interesting conversation piece to brighten up the table, or use it for a decorative centerpiece. Simply throw it in the washer and dryer and it is ready for another party. I use a thin acrylic blanket inside so it is not too thick, and anything set on the mat will sit securely.

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[SuzanneMedrano]

In these days of economic downturn, we want to get the most out of what we have. This is what I do to squeeze a little more life out of bath towels. As soon as a towel starts to fray on the sides, I get some strips of cotton material, whatever I have on hand that goes with the color of the towel, and re-edge the towel.

Some towels have a decorative band at either end that shrinks so much it bunches the ends up and will not fold nicely. Nobody seems to like to use these towels. I cut off the ends of the towel at the decorative band then cut that in smaller pieces for garage shop rags. The center of the towel is usually cut in half and edged with cotton strips to become hand towels. Larger towels can be cut in thirds or even quarters, whichever size hand towel you find most useful for the kitchen or bathroom.

When one of your hand towels has seen better days, clean up that last mess and toss it in the trash, unless you have a place to recycle rags. I remember rag drives when I was little. We would collect rags from our neighborhood and turn them in at school, but most things were probably cotton back then. I guess the rag drives must have died when synthetics became so widely used.

[SuzanneMedrano]

There are so many very nice looking tissue boxes, and although they can be put in paper recycling when their tissue dispensing job is done, it is possible to put them to use yet again before that final trip to the recycling bin. With a little value added time and materials they arise as beautiful gift tags, product hangtags, bookmarks, thinking of you or thank you notes. Imagine a plate of cookies with a thoughtful tag attached thanking a friend for their help during a time of need, craft fair or bazaar items with eye-catching price tags, or a bookmark sent in a birthday card with a special message.

After carefully disassembling the box at the glue points, cutting it into sections along the creases, and removing any plastic that may be around the opening, I glue white tag board to the sections giving it a bit more stability as well as a clear area for writing your message. Set the sections aside with enough weight on top to make sure they dry flat. The next day, cut out your tags freestyle and add a punch if needed for the ribbon, string or yarn. What a delightful use for something that would have been thrown away.

[SuzanneMedrano]

I enjoy making quilts and pillowcases. The scraps are cut down into several square and rectangle sizes I like to work with. I keep a large shoebox of each size and the array of colors is wonderful. The smallest size I cut to is 2 x 2 inches. Not wanting to be wasteful, I save all the smaller scraps in a big shoebox.

Every now and then I sit down to the box and sew together the scraps; sew and press, sew and press and square off for hours. I will use anything one inch or larger. I don't throw much away. The result is what I call a chaos block, a long panel in a colorful combination of random leftovers.

These panels are then cut and used in projects where a little chaos is needed. A unique potholder that can be used as an eye-catching dip mat at that next get together, or a spinning octagon that makes a stunning table decoration.




This is a wonderful way to surprise yourself and make beautiful things from what would have been discarded. So start your movie marathon and create chaos!

[SuzanneMedrano]

Have you ever wondered what to do with all those little ends of yarn you trim from your projects? I have found delightful and colorful items to make, and now only throw away ends less than 2 inches. The next time you go to a yard sale and a box of yarn is so mixed up no one gives it a second look, and they just want to be rid of it, you may take it away by merely expressing interest. Think of all the wonderful projects it will make!

I save all my trimmings in a gallon freezer bag. I am always surprised and amazed at the beautiful creations that come out of that scrap bag. Here are just a few:


All those little bits diverted from the trash come together to make unique items that will be useful and enjoyed for years. This is my yarn version of the chaos block I make in quilting.

[SuzanneMedrano]

Since it is the New Year, I spent a little time straightening up my piles today. I ran across a piece of blue tulle and decided to cut it up for another batch of washing machine lint screen filters, since I sold some last week.

For all you crafters who sew with tulle netting, I can truly appreciate the effort it takes. I find Tulle a difficult material to work with. It catches on everything and slides at the same time. Luckily my pieces were small enough I could use a wide quilting ruler for cutting, but the ruler kept sliding about. Several years ago, I cut small squares of non-slip drawer liner to stabilize my ruler on slippery materials. They worked perfectly holding the ruler steady on the tulle for rotary cutting.

The next challenge was pinning. I found the best way to pin it was with quilting pins because they are longer, and this allows for the pin to be woven several times securely holding the seam.

I think I have another piece of tulle around here somewhere. . . . .

[SuzanneMedrano]

Most communities now strongly suggest, if not require, you to sort your trash. Paper, plastic, and metal are all destined for recycling to reduce waste and extend the life of local landfills. We all want to do our part to live planet friendly with greener living, and when there is a cost savings attached, most of us are willing to consider it. Whether you save a Mason jar from peaches to make iced tea in the fridge, or a plastic ice cream tub to store cookies in, we have all thought to save items from our recycling and give them extended usefulness. But let us talk garbage.

Do you save the plastic bag from your newspaper, and you do not have a dog? Have a container of rubber bands, twist ties, or screws and assorted hardware? Stockpile produce bags that might come in handy? Have the largest collection of Styrofoam, bubble wrap, and peanuts on the block? Take the laces out of worn shoes, remove buttons, zippers, and Velcro from worn clothing before cutting them up to make rags? Did I get a smile? You may be packing.

Looking at everything we now throw away with a critical eye not only saves the planet, it can save pack rats money too. Have you ever thrown something away then in a day or two found the perfect use it for? Did you actually retrieve it? Good for you. That takes courage and determination! I have to admit that yesterday, I did not, but the thought for this blog was born. I prefer to work with rescued materials and delight in giving a new, beautiful, and useful life to materials otherwise heading to landfill. Upcycling, recycling, or whatever you want to call it, is packing with a purpose, and I am a proud member of that community.

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[SuzanneMedrano]

You have seen them before. Sometimes parked down an aisle, in a quiet part of the store, or even next to a checkout stand. It is the abandoned cart. Brick and mortar stores have known about these for years. What happened to their owner remains a mystery; an important phone call, someone became ill, or they forgot their wallet at home. We will never know. They are filled with go-backs, items that must be returned to the shelves ready for another customer.

Surprisingly, the online shop owner has the same problem. These abandoned shopping carts are parked within reach of the virtual checkout stand. Items have been selected and placed in a cart, the customer may have already committed to purchasing them, but the final checkout has not been made. For some shop owners, this means the items have already been removed from their available stock, now unavailable for anyone else to purchase.

In the online world, the shop owner has the job of restocking the go-backs. Unfortunately, this begins with canceling a customer's order. The items can then be returned to the shelves awaiting another customer. This is a very disappointing but necessary task, especially for one-of-a-kind items.

I had my first experience recently with an abandoned cart, and had to cancel a quilt order. Again, the question begs to be answered, "What happened to the cart owner?" I can only hope they return and start working on another cart.

[SuzanneMedrano]

I have always enjoyed the hunting fun of Easter, especially when it involves finding black licorice or chocolate, and have children past their teens that also look forward to the annual event. How close will the seekers come in finding all that has been hidden? Will those sequestering find new locations or use past hiding spots? And will they remember where they hid everything!?

As the children grew out of finding their Easter baskets, finding their special hidden egg became the new game. Thanks to grandma and grandpa this evolution of the game involved a financial incentive. Some Easters there was a second hiding because seeking was just so much fun.

I would like to share my latest reusable creation: delightful fabric treasure pouches perfect for Hide-n-Seek fun. They are about 4.5 x 2.5 inches and have a ribbon that secures the end. May you enjoy the love and laughter of family, and if you do not have one already, start a Hide-n-Seek tradition. Please visit my growing pouch selection.

Helpful hint: Cautiously handle any chocolate that has been sitting in the sun.