Recycling Old Bicycle Tires

Bicycling is an inexpensive way to travel around town and is environmentally friendly. Biking is the perfect way to go. There is one minor expense that seems to deflate the joy of serene cycling; the flat tire follies. Once a tire or an inner tube becomes too old, retire these treasures into the garden. An inner tube with a dozen patches is still excellent for use in aligning and training trees. Simply wrap a cut tube around the young tree trunk in a figure eight with the other end around a stake to guide the wayward tree. Apply pressure and tie off. For small jobs, cut the inner tube in lengthy strips and use as garden ties. The rubber inner tube strips are plant friendly, stretch with the wind, and won't carve into the plant. For tough jobs use cut bike tires. They're reinforced with metal and material and will last a long time. I even saw one gardener using strips of cut bicycle tires as a garden gate hinge. With this rubber material, the possibilities are endless, so go ahead and tire yourself thinking of ways to re-use and recycle.

Recycle a Soda Bottle into a Coinpurse

Plastic bottles are an enormous contributor to landfill waste taking nearly 700 years just to begin decomposition and as much as 80% of plastic bottles aren’t recycled. Well this little guy was upcycled from two typical 20oz soda bottles with some simple stitching of a zipper between two cut bottle bottoms. This could be a hip green change purse, make up kit, condom case, or a carrier for all your psychiatric medication! Some variations include cutting a bottle lengthwise to create a clutch purse. Along those lines you could find a two liter bottles and make a larger pocket book. A simple DIY and sure to spark some conversation.

Source: Green Upgrader

Make Pretty Vases from Recycled Lightbulbs

I just found this idea and I love it! I love flowers and I'm always looking for ways to display them. I found this idea on Dollar Store Crafts.

Veronica Peterson at Care2 designed these pretty vases that make use of old light bulbs. The bulb shape is pretty and modern, and makes use of something that would otherwise go into a landfill. These aren’t strictly a dollar store craft, because if you don’t already have a metal-cutting saw, you might have to spend some money to get a blade that will do the job. You will definitely be able to find the wire at the dollar store, though!

Project Estimate:

• Light bulbs, recycled
• Wire, $1
• Metal-cutting saw, from $6 for reciprocating saw blades, on up (or borrow from a family member, neighbor or friend!)

Source: Dollar Store Crafts

Egg-celent Ideas

Have you ever wondered what to do with those left over egg cartons? There are dozens of uses for them such as a toolshed organizer, loose change holder, travel container for jewelry, seed starters, desk organizer. The possibilities are endless.

Source: www.quickandsimple.com/diva