Pack Rat Magazine knows the last digit of pi.

Well, well, well. You’re back again are you? Looking for a brand new way to stretch your dollar, to turn your trash to treasure? I knew you’d come back, they always come back when they see what kind of clever websites I feature here at the Pack Rat blog stop.  And you’re in luck, today is no different. So please, direct your attention to RePlayGround.  Their motto is “embrace your waste,” which I love, and the site is full of groovy ideas and tutorials.  Take a gander at their ceral box wallet, pictured below.  I also dug their paper tube fruit stand.  And, because they clearly are wearing some smarty pants, they’ve come up with the wise notion of selling kits and tip books full of even more bright ideas on how to put your garbage to work.  A great stop for some quick ideas.

Pack Rat Magazine wants to know; where my girls at?

Well, ask for recycled craft blogs and you shall receive them. I came across two different blogs that occupy opposite corners of the recycle movement spectrum. One called The Visible Trash Society, the other is Haute Nature. Visible Trash Society takes a look at what artists in this country are doing with refuse and waste. They scout out a lot of street art and side of the road finds, like the picture of street artist’s Joshua Allen Harris’s Air Bear below. Most of what they hone in on is perhaps more “folk art” where as Haute Nature, as the name implies is the more high end, sheeshy poo poo version of recycled crafts. Both are fantastic sites for inspiration, and Haute Nature actually has some d.i.y. tutorials, like the one for this dollar bill koi fish pictured below. I don’t know about you, but I’m endlessly facinated by how people can reinvent waste into something people want to see. I also love thinking that the art materials people are using have a history, a past, some kind of story. So, check them out. Compare, contrast and over all, enjoy!

It’s Pack Rat Magazine, b*tches!

Okay, so I know I’ve been awol recently and I’m sure you’ve all be struggling to find the will to live without my sage words of advice (JK) but I’m back and the reason for my prolonged absence and subsequent return is that I’ve been working diligently on producing for you all (or y’all where appropriate) issue numero quatro of Pack Rat. This issue we help the Earth in the spirit of Earth Day by doing what we do best: recycled crafts and lots of them. We also talk with jewelry designer Becky Houle, a.k.a. The Vicious Kitty, look into what this whole letterbox craze is all about and, with the help of Cat Morley from Cut Out + Keep make our own letterbox stampers, hit the thrifts for some inexpensive crafting supplies, and just about a zillion things more. Head over to www.packratmag.com/zine to get in on the action. I missed you all and I’m glad to be back. Happy crafting!

Pack Rat Magazine: 1984 Winter Olympics Gold Medalist in crafts

Good afternoon friends. So glad you could join me here at the Pack Rat Corral, where we rope up the best darn D.I.Y. finds this side of the Mississippi (and across it, too). Today’s great find is about Geekware, a line of recycled tech crafts made by Acorn Studios and more specifically artist Nicola. Fun treasures range from circuit board earrings, keyboard key rings, and (my favorite) the CD clocks. She also has a fantastic blog about recycled craft and techy-nerdy craft which I found to be completely addictive. And, a fun projects page with recycle d.i.y. ideas like a tie coin purse, or an empty CD tower bagel carrier (just take a look below). This is a terrific stop to get inspired.

Pack Rat Magazine: the queen bean.

So I came across this site for a store (?) called Jill Killjoy. They make all sorts of colorful, playful stuff, upcycled out of thrift store finds and other detritus. Most of their stuff has a David the Gnome type feel to it…in a good way. The only thing I can’t wrap my head around is whether or not their products are actually for sale. The site tells you what each project is made of, and it lists the sizes available, but none of the projects have a price and no where on the site are the instructions if you are wishing to purchase any of their fine goods. The Jill Killjoy team does, however, seem to attend craft shows. It’s a mystery. If you’d like to get to the bottom of it, or you’re just looking for some good upcycle inspiration, check out some of my favorite projects below, including the Pi Pouch.

“Rhett, Rhett, Where shall I go? What shall I do?”

“Frankly my dear, I think you should read Pack Rat Magazine.”

Today is a day for craft tutorials.  It’s raining/snowing where I am and what better way to enjoy the gray weather then to say indoors with a project?  An extra way to cheer up a gray day would be to paint an old pair of night stands or chests a bright lime green?  If you agree, check out this fun tutorial from J. Caroline Creative.  I completely adore the graphic fabric decoupage.  It’s so…va-va-voom.

Hi kids!  the Feb/March Issue is finally out and rarin’ to go.  Click on the pdf link below!  And remember, if you think you could do better, you’re welcome to show us what you’ve got. Submission deadlines for next issue will be March 20th.  Happy reading.

issue3.pdf

For more recycled crafts and other such goodness, check out Pack Rat Magazine

If you like to thrift shop, then you love the Goodwill. This nation wide chain of thrift stores is high profile and low cost. The Goodwill was born of the charitable intention to provide“… education, training, and career services for people with disadvantages, such as welfare dependency, homelessness, and lack of education or work experience, as well as those with physical, mental and emotional disabilities.” It is to this end that all the profit from their many stores is directed. I am sure, as any of us who have been thrifting for a few years can attest, the Goodwill has grown in profile as thrift shopping as a past time has gained popularity. What that means is that they have had more funds at their disposal to break new ground, and break it they have.

Look out and be prepared for a new label of recycled fashions called Willam Good (a play on the name Goodwill). This brand, helmed by artistic director Nick Graham, takes the best offerings from the San Francisco Fillmore St. location and embellishes, emblazons and otherwise improves upon them. It not only recycles clothing, it also provides employment opportunities and job training to those in need as many people within the Goodwill program are working on collecting, sewing, merchandising, etc. And the clothes are fuuuuunky. Check out a pair of their super stylish offerings below. While the pricing structure is much more boutique than thrift, the line is eco-friendly, socially-conscious, and fashionable all at once. What more could you ask for?  Shop online or visit the San Francisco store.

Looking for more bright ideas? Check out Pack Rat Magazine

Escama Studios is well known in crafty circles for their stylish, sophisticated purses, handbags and clutches (their Masha bag is pictured below) all made out of tabs off soda cans. While the bags they sell are a little out of my price range, they are incredibly creative and just looking at them gets my brain working harder. Fortunately, the artisans at Escama Studio aren’t stingy with their know-how. The provide a handy tutorial on how to crochet soda tabs into flowers. Check out the end result below.

Looking for more recycled craft mayhem? Check out Pack Rat Magazine

I have such good friends. They know to send me all the the weird chain emails that cross their paths. I received this one a few weeks ago about a condom fashion show held at the 4th annual China Reproductive Health New Technologies & Product Expo in Beijing on July 11, 2007. Condoms of all shapes and sizes were used to make dresses, hats, clocks, lollipops and more. Don’t they look good enough to actually wear? Yowza. For more, check out this news article from China Daily.