Felted Wool Dryer Balls

I love seeing Good Garbage (GG) through the eyes of others. Some folks visit the shop looking for something specific; others browse and wait for inspiration. Some are looking for things to make their work easier; for example teachers or parents, providing more/new materials for their students/children. Others are finding what they need to make their lives easier - inexpensive home improvement, a money saving life hack, or an idea for stretching their resources.

Last week, Amanda, a GG supporter, posted on our Facebook page about the felted wool dryer balls she made out of some of the fabulous wool yarn remnants donated to the shop. As devoted as I am to upcycling and recycling, this was a reminder there's always more to learn. How had I never heard of felted wool dryer balls?

These little gems are simple to make and replace the pricey, chemical-laced dryer sheets most of us rely on to keep our clothes static free. Even better, they reduce the amount of time it takes to dry a load of laundry, as the wool pulls the moisture out of your laundry and the movement of the balls helps separate your clothes, allowing more hot air to circulate.

If you Google "felted wool dryer balls" you'll find dozens of tutorials on how to make them, some more complicated than others. But here's the process, in a nutshell.

First, choose your yarn. Look for 100% wool (no "wool blends") and enough yarn to make a ball the size of a tennis ball. To avoid the risk of any color bleeding, go with white or cream or some incredibly pale color.

Next, create your yarn ball, leaving a rather long tail (1-2 feet), then use a blunt-tipped yarn needle to sew the tail through the ball of yarn several times. When you feel like the yarn is secure in all directions, cut the tail.

Then simply toss your wool balls into the washer the next time you wash a load on hot/cold, and dry it on the hottest dryer setting. Plan to repeat this step and send it through the laundry cycle several times to thoroughly felt it (you should see a difference after each load). The yarn ball is completely felted when the strands are no longer separate or at risk of unraveling.

That's it! To dry a regular-size load of laundry, you'll need 4-6 felted wool dryer balls; large loads need balls 6 or more.

If you miss the "fresh scent" your dryer sheets added to your laundry, you can add a few drops of an essential oil to each dryer ball, but be careful not to add too much so the oil doesn't spot your clothes.


It doesn't get much easier (or more earth-friendly) than this.



Good Garbage is Louisville's one and only creative reuse center, where you'll find all the components for this project and a gazillion others. Visit GoodGarbage.org for store hours, info on upcoming events, a link to our Etsy store and more!

I'm Bored... Tired of Hearing That?

The last couple of days here in Louisville have been a bit gloomy and some kids are on Fall break. They are always bored (even in the summer when it's beautiful out)! I have great idea on how to solve that!

TP Roll Vehicle

Catapult

Take a few minutes and look around the house. Check your recycle bin before it's picked up. Do you have lids? Rubber bands? Paper? Containers? Toilet paper or paper towel rolls? Glue? Masking tape? Then you have a great start on an "I'm Bored" kit!!! Find a good size box and now put all these things in it. Maybe have one for each child if you have more than one. Now every time they say they are bored, you bring out this box! Viola, hours of cheap (basically free) fun and imagination building for them. Keep all kinds of fun stuff in the box. Add buttons that fall off a shirt, plastic spoons & forks, popsicle sticks, strips or pieces of an old t-shirt, marbles, even those plastic produce bags that onions and citrus comes in. 

Fork, Yarn, Fabric

An additional twist that I have added to the various make and takes I do around the city is the stack of Imagination Cards. These allow for prompting creativity. There are simple general words on the cards to give a little push with the imagination when needed. Click here to download our Imagination Cards.

So go now and start your own "I'm Bored" box! It is a lot of fun, especially if you, the grown-up, use the box with your child! It's awesome for all ages! Try it! You'll like it!

You may also pick up I'm Bored starter kits at Good Garbage. These have even more cool stuff in them for added hours of fun. Visit our website www.GoodGarbage.org for our hours and happenings. Also be sure to sign up for this blog over on the right and for our emails HERE! . You may also find inspiration of creative reuse by following us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram!

September was busy! A picture recap . . .

September has been one very busy month of volunteering and preparing for events. ZeroLandfill, the Louisville Mini Maker Faire, coordinating some awesome young volunteers and hosting a MOPS Mom's Night Out to planning upcoming October and November events...there hasn't been much time for creating. Although that has actually become normal, unless I am forced because of an impending event. So to close out September I thought I would just show you in pictures, a recap of what has been happening at Good Garbage. Hopefully something will excite you, intrigue you or inspire you! 

Be sure to check out our website at www.GoodGarbage.org to keep up with what is happening this month at the shop! 

Upcycling Wood Flooring Samples

Are you the kind of person who can easily see shapes or objects in the clouds? I play a similar game when I see obtainium - stuff that has been cast aside and deemed useless, until it's obtained by someone who can see the potential in it.

Last week, I found myself staring at a few wood flooring samples, envisioning all kinds of uses for these things. The larger ones would be fun to use as luggage tags and there's no way anyone else would have a giant faux wood-grain luggage tag, so there would be zero chance of someone picking up my suitcase by mistake. Score!

The smaller ones would work as an unusual business card (glue or paint my info on the back) or I could Mod Podge a photo on it and hang it from my key ring.

You know what else I see? Door hangers! Granted the opening isn't big enough for this to slip over a door handle, but adding a piece of twine would fix that. And there are so many ways to personalize it.

I grabbed some Scrabble tiles and chalked a wooden embellishment, then affixed everything with glue dots (a glue gun would've worked, too) and, voila! 

A door hanger for Sara.

Wouldn't these be cute hanging in each child's cubby at school? The project is simple enough a child could make her/his own hanger. If you don't have Scrabble tiles or other pre-made letters, give the kids things they can cut out and glue onto the wood.

Speaking of Scrabble tiles, old game pieces are fun embellishments for all kinds of crafts, so be sure to raid your game boxes before getting rid of them or watch yard sales for deals. You'll find lots of games being sold for $1 or less because they're missing a few pieces - but you won't mind, because crafting with Monopoly property cards is so much more fun than playing!

Now it's your turn: what would you make of these floor samples?

Good Garbage is Louisville's one and only creative reuse center, where you'll find all the components for this project and a gazillion others. Visit GoodGarbage.org for store hours, info on upcoming events, a link to our Etsy store and more!

Turning Carpet Samples into Locker Rugs, Yes, Locker Rugs!

When I was old enough to have a school locker, they were used to hold books. Maybe a photo or two, held on with magnets or Scotch tape. And we had to walk uphill, in the snow, everyday, just to reach our locker, so no one spent much time decorating it.

Fast forward to today and there are lockers at my son's middle school that are better decorated than my bedroom! I say, "Good for you." I'm all for expressing yourself and making your locker something other than a pit of old papers and squished sandwiches.

So far, the only "extras" our son wants in his locker are a shelf (his locker has none) and a mirror (and he's not even sure why he wants that, but he saw it in an ad and figured he needed it). While shopping for these luxuries, I saw this:

(photo credit: containerstore.com)

Oh my stars! Is that a chandelier in the locker on the right? And wallpaper (removable). And adorable organizers, that are also practical - those I would buy. Then there are the locker rugs. I see pink on the left and a zebra pattern on the right, but should tell you there are soooooo many more choices (who knew lockers got chilly?).

I did discover patterns and project ideas for making your own locker rug - weaving, knitting, macrame, even hook rug kits - those are something I could get behind. Again, I'm all for self-expression. But $10 or more for a locker rug?

Well, it just so happens that Good Garbage is cleaning out its remaining carpet remnants to make room for new remnants that will be donated his fall. So, I've been busily brainstorming what could be made from these plush little squares. Coasters? Barbie area rugs? Cushions for the inside of a gift box? Or how about a one-of-a-kind locker rug?

I used some good, strong cardboard as my base - left over from a book of fabric remnants. I cut it to 10.5"(w) x 10.5"(d) for our 11" x 11" middle school lockers.

Then I wrapped the edges with Washi tape, to cover the raw edge left after cutting and to make all the edges look the same.

After that, it was just a matter of gluing the carpet samples to my base. I used a glue gun, but a strong craft glue or double-sided tape would work, too. And I mixed in some larger carpet samples I got at Home Depot years ago, because who wants uniform?

If you prefer a more finished look, you could add piping or ribbon to fill the gaps between the pieces and cover any flaws.

If you don't have a locker, you could make one of these for the cabinet under your sink or a drawer liner or the place where your pet's food and water bowls sit or any number of spaces in your home.


Now it's your turn to brainstorm: what would you make with carpet samples?

Good Garbage is Louisville's one and only creative reuse center, where you'll find all the components for this project and a gazillion others. Visit GoodGarbage.org for store hours, info on upcoming events, a link to our Etsy store and more!

Let's Talk Trash

Garbage. Junk. Scrap. Trash.

Most of the time we misuse those words, associating "garbage" with things that are distasteful or beyond use. In reality, garbage is just something we deem no longer useful or wanted and, as a result, we throw it out. But, not all garbage belongs in a garbage can.

So, how do you tell the difference between just garbage and good garbage? Learn to look for the potential, to see the possibilities in items you'd typically toss.

Some things are obvious. Leftover supplies, incomplete sets, prints or patterns that aren't your style - all of these still have life in them. While extras or odds and ends might look like clutter in your home, in a classroom or artist's studio they are welcome additions and sources of endless creativity.

Other things pose more of a challenge. Broken appliances, stained or worn out clothing, junk mail - you can't imagine anyone finding a use for these things, and yet, once you train your eye to see the possibilities in what's around you, even those can find a good home.

At the very least, you can recycle or properly dispose of almost anything these days (search online for your city's .gov site and you'll learn what's allowed and where to take it). Repairing or repurposing is becoming more common. If your sewing machine is already broken, how much more can you hurt it by tinkering around with it? Or, if your headboard is beyond repair, put it in your backyard and let your Morning Glory grow all over it.

A word of warning: once you start seeing potential in the things around you, you may start seeing it in people, too - a lovely side-effect in a world where people are often treated as disposable.

So, there's the premise behind Redux Lou - a blog inspired by and in support of Good Garbage, Louisville's first (and only) creative reuse center.

Lynn Quire (a creative reuser and owner of Good Garbage) and Leah Bradley (a maker who blogs at makingsomethingofit.com) will share their ideas for diverting usable materials from landfills.

Likewise, it's hoped that you will share your questions, projects ideas and brick walls when it comes to working with what you have. It's all fodder for good conversation around what's garbage and what's not.

So, welcome to a new way of looking at things. It's all good here!

Good Garbage is Louisville's one and only creative reuse center, where you'll find all the components for this project and a gazillion others. Visit GoodGarbage.org for store hours, info on upcoming events, a link to our Etsy store and more!