Reuse, Recycle, Reimagine

One of the most alluring aspects of Martha Stewart's "Good Things" is the fundamental aim to reimagine the ordinary, to turn the usual into the unexpected and to repurpose and reuse the beautiful and ordinary things we live with day to day to create something special. Below are some eco-friendly crafts from Martha Stewart Living that fulfil that inspiring mandate.

Reinvent a collection of old glass bottles by painting their interiors with pretty hues of enamel paint. Simply pour the paint into the bottles and rotate them until the paint runs across the entire interior surface of the bottle or jar. Do this over paint trays, or the paint cans themselves, to catch and reuse the excess.

Leftover wallpaper scraps? Try fashioning them into interesting, handmade greeting cards. If I had these lovely tea tins I would definitely want them on display. Oftentimes the containers we buy things in are just as lovely as the items they hold. Here, beautiful tea tins are used as flower vases.

Old cereal boxes need not all be thrown into the cardboard recycle bin. Save a few and transform them into magazine and book holders. Decorate them by gluing strips of wrapping paper onto their surfaces to cover up the branding. Each of the boxes shown in the photograph above, once once a box you could find in a pantry. Reused and reimagined, they become useful and attractive desk accessories.

Ever since I saw this craft in Martha Stewart Living (six or seven years ago now) I have wanted one for myself. Two or three tweed and wool blazers are refashioned into a masculine and durable patchwork quilt. I'd love this at the foot of my bed.

Turn a beach towel into a terry-cloth beach tote with a few simple stitches.
Create fun and interesting dioramas in a kid's bedroom using old sardine and ham tins. Here, a nautical vignette is created by lining the backs of the tins with old maps and then gluing on pieces of rope, sea shells, plastic fish and boats. This is an excellent craft to do with kids.

To view more eco-friendly craft ideas, click here.