recycle your credit cards into free name rings - courtesy of amex
if you’ve decided to take american express up on their offer to buy you out for $300, recycle your old credit card by turning it into a priceless piece of name jewelry.
here’s how.
this is a card i received in the mail from macy’s after i specifically told them never to send me one again. ahhh, macy’s. my first instinct was to cut it into a million pieces and tell it to begone. but when i thought about all the design work, glittery gold and red pigments (actually quite pretty), energy and plastic it took to make this card, i couldn’t bear to just throw it in the trash.
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so here’s what i did:
1. first, cut the part of the card with your name on it off in a long strip.
2. then, cut it to a size that will fit your finger.
3. next, bend the strip around a marker or something that has a similar circumference to your finger to form a loop.
3. last, poke a hole into each side of the strip, and use strong thread to link them.
voila!
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you can also use the part of the card that has your account number (after you’ve canceled your account, please) to make a bracelet symbolizing man’s plight (addiction to shopping).
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i added an extra lil suttin’ suttin’ to mine with a dior ribbon that i found in a garbage pile right outside of the flagship store on 57th street. all it needed was a good wash.
other ways to deal with unwanted credit cards: when a paper shredder just won’t do
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turn your plastic bag into a sewing machine cover
despite the utter yuckiness i feel for apple, i can’t help but be drawn to the disgustingly pretty things they churn out, and this here sky blue bag is no exception.
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does anyone remember this one? i got it when i purchased my ibook way back when, and still remember feeling more in awe about the bag than i did about the computer! it’s been in my closet for years now and instead of trashing it, i wanted to honor it by making it into a cover for my sewing machine!
the steps are fairly simple:
1. cut off the bottom and top inch or so of the bag and turn it inside out.
2. trace the outline of the item you want to make a cover for, leaving about an inch and a half for the hem.
3. sew along the outline you traced and try it on for size. if it fits correctly, trim the edges off so that it looks like this:
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4. turn your completed cover right side out and voila!
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you can also cut a little side slit out for any plugs or wires that need to poke out.
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now your sewing machine, toaster oven, or mao zedong bust can stay dust-free and you have saved another bag from the dump! pat yourself on the back, mister!
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need a new laptop bag? make one out of a recycled t shirt!
those crafty folks at make magazine (they’re just so much cooler than me and there’s really nothing i can do) have done it again - this time with their recycled ishirt:
check out the useful pockets.
the before pic:
i truly wonder if this pic would have gotten the same reception had it been a pc instead of a mac. it just makes me miss my macdaddy all the more…but you didn’t hear that heppie. heppie? oh, who am i kidding, you really can’t even come up with an acceptable, non-veneral diseaseish name for an hp. hprince? okay, it’s over. i do have altec lansing speakers though so take that macs.
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make your old tank tops into reusable totebags/scarves
this camo tank used to be my favorite, but it’s been a little too tight lately (darn you late night bacon cravings).
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rather than end our 11 month relationship, i decided to transform it into something new and useful.
1. first, i turned my tank top inside-out and laid it flat so that the armholes aligned.
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2. the next step is to sew the bottom of your tank top (preferably with a sewing machine) closed. i sewed mine twice for good measure.
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3. and you’re done! just turn it inside out and you’re ready to carry home bread, eggs, newspapers or other light items.
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for a fancier look, just use a glitzier tank.
this:
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became this:
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they double as scarves too! what a thoughtful way to avoid having to actually carry your extra totebags.
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never buy another envelope again
staples sells the most common size of envelopes, #10, by boxes of 500. yes, the envelopes are made of recycled paper, but what about the energy and gas it takes to assemble those envelopes and then deliver the heavy boxes to the store?
with the exception of those of us that own our own businesses, or just really like to send letters all the time, most of us will buy a box of 100 or 500 envelopes for $10-$30 because we need 1 envelope, use the 1 envelope, and leave the remaining 499 envelopes in a drawer in our desk until we need another envelope…someday.
if you’d prefer not to go through all that trouble, there’s an easier way. just make your own envelopes! here’s how:
take an envelope that you like (it can be one that you received in the mail so you don’t have to buy one), and after taking note of where the envelope is folded and glued, deconstruct it. then lay it on top of a piece of paper or magazine page that you want to recycle.
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trace the outline of the envelope onto the paper
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cut along the line you traced and fold the piece of paper in the same way that the original envelope was folded. then glue where the original envelope was glued. you can decorate the envelope any way you like.
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voila! free and you won’t have that box of envelopes wasting any of your space. plus it looks pretty neat.
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why is this a site?
swyyne has always been an experiment for me. with all of the other super eco sites out there, i've been feeling like i want to contribute something just a bit different. so for now, here are my random musings.
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