Friday, August 24, 2012

Upcyclers Creativity Challenge: August!

Here I am with my submission for the August Upcyclers Creativity Challenge!  You can read more about the challenge in my previous posts:  here, here, and here.  I also have a previous challenge item listed in my shop here.  Here's the description of this month's challenge:  "Whether you're male or female, you probably use a handful/a ton of grooming products every day. They all come in colorful bottles, glossy boxes, plastic cases and other enticing outer shells that beckon from the shelves. And they all end up in the trash because most are not compostable.  So: Let's make something beautiful from what helps make us beautiful! A vanity reciprocity!"

My creation is pretty basic, but it's going to be super functional for me!  I forgot to take many process pictures, but here's what I have:

A hairspray bottle, a conditioner bottle, and a pill bottle.
I removed the writing from them using this pin as a guide.  (The hairspray one also needed to be sanded to remove all of the writing.)  Then I cut off the tops and sanded them smooth.

Major mishap with the pretty blue one.
 The blue one got recycled instead of upcycled.  :(  And if you look closely at the picture, you'll see that I own a pretty blue car that matched the bottle.  One of my favorite colors.  Anyway, I don't have any more in-progress pictures, so the next ones are the finished products!  I also found a light blue cover from a hairspray bottle that didn't need to be cut and didn't have any writing on it.  And the biggest surprise find was a tiny travel shampoo bottle that I discovered in the garbage after a friend had been visiting from out of town.  You better believe that I dug that baby out of the garbage (and cleaned it), peeled off the stickers, and cut a slit in the side.  Ready for the finished product?  Here it is:

All the items screwed down to a heart-shaped piece of wood that I painted.

From the side...

...and from the front.
 Still not sure what it is??

It's a packing/shipping station!!

It holds business cards, note cards, tape, scissors, pens, markers, and pencils.

Simple, sweet, and oh so handy!!
 I anticipate using my shipping station all. the. time.  I normally have these items strewn about my workspace or am digging in the closet to find them.  I'm so pleased to have them all in one place.  Pretty please check out Team Upcyclers and check out everyone's entries (to be posted within a few days) on the Upcyclers Creative Challenge Board.

10 comments:

  1. This is so cool....what an awesome idea, Sarah! So cute and multi-functional....what more could one ask for?? I want one!!!

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  2. I LOVE this! Great way to stay organized and reuse things that might have been discarded by someone with a shorter view then yours! Wonderful and creative way to step up to the challenge.

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  3. Thank you, Marcy and Drew! It was really fun to make and I'm definitely looking forward to using it all the time!

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  4. Blue's one of my favorite colors too. So what a shame the blue bottle didn't want to cooperate. But your shipping station rocks! I love the soft pastel tones—look, they match your blog!

    Nice, suspenseful tale with a happy ending. Success!

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  5. Thanks Irene and Marie! You're so right, it does match my blog!! I love the pastels too. :)

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  6. Thanks, Salvaged Edge, Stacy, and Bee!! I highly recommend making your own! Easy and handy! :)

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