Using the scraps

It's another bamboo project! Are you ready? So far we have used bamboo place mats to create a wall hanging and a utensil holder. I still have 2 more place mats to go but I wanted to first use the scraps from the last project. Remember how I cut off part of the mat to make it fit the tin?

I knew that this scrap could be put to use so insert Idea #2 1/2: a headband.

Materials are simple: Scrap from the bamboo mat, scissors, ribbon, hot glue gun, buttons.

First I trimmed down the scrap to make a narrower strip of bamboo:

Then I cut two equal sized pieces of ribbon and thread them through each end of the bamboo strip:

I used hot glue to secure the ribbon to the bamboo (do this on each side of the ribbon):

Finally I created a flower out of buttons and secured them to the bamboo using hot glue:

And there you have it, a headband! Cute, huh? Only one problem, it was too wide and stiff to sit comfortably. But no fear, I found another use. I tied it around a plain glass canister to jazz it up a bit:

Wouldn't that make for a cute candy jar? Or something to hold a little girl's hair bows in. You could also put a candle in it and make it a centerpiece. The possibilities are endless!

Now that I have fully used the green mat I can start brainstorming ideas for the last two place mats. In the meantime, my wall hanging is being featured on another blog today so come check it out:

Re-Purposing a Bamboo Place Mat (Part 2)

If you missed my first post on re-purposing the bamboo place mats that I found at Target for only $2.50, you can catch up here. Isn't this wall hanging cute?

It took me a few nights to come up with my next project but once it came to me I was able to whip it out in no time. Idea #2: Utensil Holder.

I recently did some rearranging in my kitchen so I think my mind was naturally drawn to that room. I spent some time just looking around and trying to picture what I could do with the next place mat when my eyes settled on our utensil holder. I thought about a post I recently saw over at Homework that included wrapping a bamboo place mat around a vase and thought I could do something similar in creating a utensil holder. After trying a few different containers, I remembered an old rectangular shaped tin that used to hold tea. I had been hanging onto it convinced that I could use it for something and what do you know...this was that something!

Let me break it down for you:
- Materials were simple. A bamboo place mat, scissors, ribbon, tin (you could use almost any shaped container but the rectangle worked great), and hot glue gun.

- I first tested this out using the place mat in it's entirety but it was way too tall to be functional so I cut it down a bit so that it extended about an inch over the top of the tin.

- I then began attaching the place mat to the tin by hot gluing one side of the tin and then placing it on the mat and rolling it. I continued gluing and rolling until the entire tin was covered. This process was quick and seemed to hold well.

- You could easily end right here and have a perfectly functional and fun utensil holder. But I decided to add a little more color by tying on some red ribbon. First I glued a strip on the back, then I wrapped it around to the front and tied a knot. From here I wrapped the pieces around each side and glued them in place on the back.

 I am thinking about making a piece to hang off the ribbon...maybe a circle that says STIR on it. I don't know, I'll have to play around with that a little. Anyway, here's the finished project as it sits in my kitchen. This morning my three year old son walked into the kitchen and said, "Mommy, what is that present doing on the counter?" I guess it does kind of look like a present!

I hope you all are finding this series interesting. I still have two place mats left as well as the scraps from this trimmed place mat and I am really enjoying coming up with new uses for them. You never know what you'll see next!

Re-Purposing a Bamboo Place Mat (Part 1)

As those of you have been reading for awhile know, I love to browse the dollar section at Target. You just never know what you will find there. Case in point, my most recent purchase:

Those are 4 brightly colored bamboo place mats that I got for $2.50. Now I knew upon purchasing them that I wouldn't use them for their intended purpose. They may be cute on the table at Easter, but I saw a deeper potential. What exactly, I didn't know at the time, but I was sure it would come to me.

Enter idea number 1: A wall hanging. I saw that bright pink place mat, thought of my newly born niece and her upcoming baby shower, and knew I could come up with something.

Using stuff I had amongst my craft stash (minus the buttons which I purchased at the same time as the place mats for $1.00), I got to work:

First I took my string and slid it between the slats and then tied a knot on each side to create a way to hang my project when it was finished:

Then I played around with the layout. At first I was just going to use my niece's first name but when I realized how much open space it would leave I took the opportunity to include her beautiful middle name as well:

After getting it just the way I wanted I warmed up the hot glue gun and got to work. First adding buttons to the flowers to give them a special touch and then gluing on each letter:

And in know time at all I had whipped up a wall hanging that I am sure will brighten up her nursery even more then it brightened up my wall:

Now I still have 3 more place mats left over so keep checking back because you never know what I will do with them!

Excited to be featured on Homework! Check it out:

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