RECYCLED CRAFTS AND COMMENTS

Good morning everybody! I hope this blog finds you well. I’m feeling about the same again, but now underneath my right eye is swollen as well… my eye is almost closed. Guess I need to get back to the doctor, huh? LOL… I figured since yesterday was such a rough day for me, I owed it to my readers to have a great blog today! I did manage to get my taxes filed yesterday… YAY! Hopefully by the end of the month I will have a little breathing room. So, guess what today is?? Yep, it’s COMMENT DAY!! If you aren’t sure of what’s going on, look at the post from January 4th called SILENCE IS GOLDEN and read about the giveaway! Its fun and has a great prize!

Ok, I figured I have bombarded you with tons of recipes lately, so we need to turn the tables back to another huge hobby of mine. CRAFTS! And not just any crafts either… all these today are recycling crafts! You’ve heard me “preaching” my heritage and beliefs before about not wasting a single thing, right? Well its not just foods I believe that with, but anything in general! When I make canned veggies, I wash and save the cans… I reuse all kinds of things whenever possible. I freecycle things I don’t want, so that others can use it as well. I subscribe to a bunch of various newsletters online and one from BHG (Better Homes and Gardens) had crafts to make from “scraps, etc”. Then I thought “recycled crafts… what a GREAT blog topic!” So I sat here for at least a couple of hours reading every idea they gave with a ton of different topics and I picked out the ones I thought were really cute/cool/awesome LOL and that I would do and share with you! And I found a bunch of crafts on a few other sites too! I actually plan on doing some of these because I know I have the stuff around here… so I hope you enjoy!



Bottle Cap Magnets
Bring the recycled-chic look to your kitchen with bottle-cap magnets. Find vintage caps at flea markets or thrift shops and hot-glue a small magnet, available at crafts stores, inside.



Globe Centerpiece
This globe, once a neglected attic dweller, now is a unique centerpiece that can be filled with potpourri. Using a handsaw, carefully cut a globe in half, then set each half on a footed cup and fill as desired. The two globe halves can be displayed in different rooms or together.



Business Card Holder
Here's a fresh idea for a leftover mint container. Cover the outside and inside of the lid with decorative paper and fill it with your business cards. Embellish a second container to store the cards you receive.



Recycled-Paper Coaster
Turn old magazines into colorful and funky coasters. Tear out several pages of a magazine (the more colorful the better), and cut into strips about 1-1/2 inches wide. Fold a strip in half lengthwise; unfold. Fold long edges in to meet at the center, then fold in half lengthwise again, resulting in a slender strip that is ready to roll up. Repeat with the remaining strips.

Use a small paintbrush to cover the length of the strip with a decoupage medium or a mixture of glue and water. Roll coated strip into a tight spiral. Coat the next strip and wrap it around the first spiral. Continue gluing and wrapping the strips in a spiral until you have a coaster that is about 3-1/2 inches in diameter. This process takes a while so be patient. When your coaster is at its desired size, coat the entire thing with decoupage medium and let dry.



Yardstick Frames and Vintage-Tin Crafts Supplies Organizer
Use a miter box to cut old yardsticks to length, creating colorful and graphic photo mats that turn basic frames into works of art. Corral craft supplies in a three-tier stand made from vintage tins.



Map Buckets
Perk up a pair of small, plain-Jane metal buckets by gluing on out-of-date maps. The small pails are the ideal size for holding flatware and napkins on a buffet table.



Feed Sack Pillow
Vintage feed sacks often feature great graphic designs. Cut a sack into two pieces. Layer the two pieces with right sides together and stitch around the edges leaving an opening for turning. Turn right side out and insert a pillow form. Hand-stitch the opening closed.



Kitchen Tool Recipe Holder
Keep recipes handy with a holder made from a potato masher or meat tenderizer. Simply attach a clothespin or metal clip to the handle with epoxy



Magazine-Page Frame and Storage Box
Make this fun picture frame and coordinating box by repurposing old magazines. Decorate a plain wood frame and cardboard box with colorful tubes crafted from magazine pages.



Ribbon-Embellished Notebooks
Beginning at one end of the wire spiral binding, insert a ribbon under the first spiral and tie in a square knot to secure. Continue adding assorted ribbons until each wire spiral is covered with two or more ribbons. (How full you'd like the fringe-filled spiral binding is up to you.) Leave some wire uncovered so the notebook will lay flat when open. Trim ribbon ends at an angle. If desired, apply seam sealant to prevent fraying.



Personalized Letters
Embellish wood letters with your scraps. Cut photos to fit the shape of the letter, then embellish using paper and ribbon and whatever else you please.

If you want more detailed instructions for any of these let me know and I will send them your way. OK, now I am still gonna give you a recipe for today as well… just not 80 billion on one day LOL! I have to learn to practice restraint LMAO! This is a yummy chicken meal that will please everyone!



Creamy Chicken Piccata

Ingredients
4 (5 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded thin
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 cup chopped shallots or onion
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 (15 ounce) jar Bertolli® Creamy Alfredo Sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel (optional)
Directions
Season chicken, if desired, with salt and ground black pepper. Dip chicken in flour, then eggs, coating well.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook chicken, turning once, 5 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Remove chicken and set aside.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in same skillet and cook shallots and thyme, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes or until shallots are tender. Stir in lemon juice and cook 1 minute. Stir in Sauce, parsley and lemon peel; heat through. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve, if desired, with hot cooked rice or pasta.

Okie dokie my friends… I need to get off here and see about getting to the doctor. I hope you enjoy todays writings and I will see you tomorrow with lots more great information! HUGS!