bags Archives - Page 7 of 7

Jewelry on Display

November 25, 2017 by Jesika Wolff 1 Comment

Please help me welcome Jesika Wolff to Try Handmade! She’s a writer, artist and web developer and here on the blog she’s going to be detailing tips for Small Space Living. I live in a small space so I’m looking forward to her tips, and if you have any special requests, please leave them in the comments.

This mosaic inlaid candy dish by Smith Mosaics would be perfect for holding those little hard candies our grandmas loved so much, but maybe you’re not a candy person. Let’s say you’re more carrots and celery sticks. Those won’t keep too well in an open dish on the counter. There have been plenty of little bowls and silver dishes I’ve found enticing, but couldn’t fathom a use for. There are only so many “change bowls” a person needs before you end up losing the bowls with the change. Still, I can’t help but be drawn to beautiful craftsmanship; particularly if I can conceive a purpose for it.

I like looking at things. I can’t help it. When I’m driving down the highway I read all of the signs. When I’m shopping every window display has my undivided attention for at least one minute. I’m an observer by nature. One weekend, while observing a vase full of bracelets at my favorite boutique I had an epiphany: I was looking at bracelets in a vase. A grand realization, I know, but stick with me. I promise you it’ll all make sense in the end.

Why did I grow up thinking Jewelry had to be kept in a box? Stores keep necklaces on hooks and rods. They put earrings on trays and bracelets in bowls. I’d been hunting for the perfect Jewelry box for over a month, to no avail, when the solution was sitting in my kitchen cupboard! Boutiques keep it cute and classy by putting jewelry in random containers. Why couldn’t I do the same? Now, for those that want a little more flair than the standard glass vase, I highly recommend Bottlehood in San Diego, California. Take a look at this gorgeous upcycled Absolut bottle:

Wouldn’t your bracelets look spectacular in there? You could even put a few tumbled rocks in the bottom for filler, if you don’t need the bottle to be that deep.

But the earrings! What shall we do with those? We can’t possibly put them in a jar or bowl, even a little one, without making quite a mess of things. There’s a cheap and easy solution to this dilemma. Remember when you bought a shirt with buttons? Did it come with an extra button in a little plastic bag? I’ve already lost track of the shirts those buttons belonged to, but I still had those button bags. I took all of the buttons and condensed them in a jar, then used the bags to hold my earrings. This way I could put them in a container without making a mess. I’m also a big fan of organza pouches:

Home2 makes these lovely jewelry pouches. You can usually get them in any size and color, and they look much nicer than little plastic bags.

Here’s what I ended up doing:

I don’t have much jewelry, so I put the bracelets in a vase, stacked the really thick bracelets, and put my earrings in pouches. That weird looking metal contraption in the middle is actually a candle holder. I found it in our new house’s basement and couldn’t bear to part with it. Took me a month, but I finally figured out where to put it! I put my earrings in the glass “candle holder” and dangle my necklaces from the hook at the top.

Now I know there are two necklace boxes that managed to sneak in there, but for good reason. Some jewelry is a bit too important to put in bags and hang on hooks. One box has my wedding necklace. A beautiful piece I purchased from Etsy seller Leela Bijou. The other box has an anniversary present from my hubby. It’s another wonderful handmade piece from Etsy, by seller Kivaford.

What I love the most about this arrangement is that everyday I wake up and feel like I’m shopping for a new piece of jewelry. It makes the ho-hum of morning ritual a bit more interesting. Go ahead, give it a try! I’m sure there a few wine bottles left over from last weekend, maybe a nice vase from that last flower arrangement you received, or my absolute favorite way to spend a weekend: garage sale discoveries!

So next time you’re thinking of buying a new jewelry box for all of those earrings, necklaces, and bracelets you’ve accumulated, why not take a stroll around your abode first? You might be surprised by the random containers you find.

A Sweet Surprise

July 5, 2017 by Rebecca Hadfield 6 Comments

There’s no denying it – America has a sweet tooth. According to the National Confectioners Association, retail sales of chocolate, candy and gum amount to approximately $28 billion dollars annually. All of that sweetness, however, comes wrapped up in a problem. Because candy-wrappers are usually made up of mixed materials, they are generally not recyclable.

The hybrid of paper, plastic and metal that is responsible for keeping your treats fresh and tasty also prevents them from being conventionally recycled. As a result, millions of candy-wrappers end up in our landfills and eco-systems each and every year. Without avenues to recycle the wrappers, we can either choose to reduce waste by buying bulk candy (or candy with more recycling-friendly packaging such as paper or foil) or we can upcycle the empty wrappers into new, usable goods. Here are some Etsy sellers who are doing just that!

Tracy’s passion for upcycling candy and snack packaging came after a recent vacation to the Croatian Islands. She was so taken by the beautiful and colourful designs on some chip bags, that she packed the empty bags in her luggage and brought them back to her Seattle home. It didn’t take long before Tracy found a creative way to use her “souvenirs”. Clever quilt blocks made from the hoarded chip bags were followed by a mini-wallet, which ultimately became the inspiration for her line of accessories. “After making the Croatian chip wallet, I thought about all the chip bags, soda wrappers, candy bar wrappers & coffee bags that get tossed into the garbage,” says Tracy. And so, Squiggle Chick Designs was born.

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How to: Shop a Farmer's Market

October 12, 2014 by Diana Prichard 2 Comments

I would be remiss not to mention that this week, August second through the eighth, is National Farmer’s Market week. Declared by Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, National Farmer’s Market week has been giving growers and local food junkies something — or some time, rather — to celebrate since it was originally recognized by the USDA in 2000.

I personally celebrated by plunking down just over twenty dollars at our local market on ten pounds of blueberries and five more of green beans. The green beans — aside from those that barely made it home before being eaten straight from the bag by my daughters — now reside in my freezer, a reminder that a long and cold winter is quickly approaching us here. And the blueberries, you ask. As I type this the blueberries are gracing every part of my kitchen. Three nine by thirteen trays are covered with them in the freezer, two trays of my food dehydrator are graced with their pureed goodness hoping to become tasty fruit leather by tomorrow morning, two more trays are dehydrating whole berries for trail mixes and the refrigerator shelves are covered in five more pints awaiting distribution to family, friends, and yes, my morning yogurt.

These days our market is like our second home. But I also realize not everyone has such an intimate relationship with their local growers and remember the feeling of intimidation and sheer confusion the first time I stepped foot in a city market. So, in honor of National Farmer’s Market week, I’d like to offer a few tips for successfully shopping a farmer’s market. If you’re a newbie on the handmade and homegrown scenes I hope they’re of help. If you’re an old pro, consider sharing your tips in the comments.

1. Bring a bag. Or if you’re a heavy shopper like me a few bags, a wagon, and a helper for when your arms get tired. In fact, consider bringing containers and small bags in addition to your bigger bags. These will help you corral the five peaches, three carrots, loaf of french bread, block of goat cheese, and pint of blueberries you go home with, rather than just tossing them all together and having to sort them out later.

2. Spend Time If it’s your first visit, or even if it’s not, don’t rush. Go early and plan to spend a few hours browsing the offerings. You may be surprised to uncover more than just tomatoes and cucumbers await. Plus, there’s nothing better than being surrounded by fresh, local produce and soaked in morning sun.

3. Be Friendly Make friends with the vendors. Ask them about their products. Most are happy to answer your questions and excited to get to know the people whose homes their produce will be consumed in.

4. Seek Out Deals If you’re a repeat customer and not looking for the morning experience, consider going at the end of the day. Near closing time many vendors will mark their goods down for quicker sale. It’s better they go home with someone who will eat them than have to be carted back to the farm and potentially go to waste, after all.

5. Above all have fun! Shopping for groceries at the Farmer’s Market isn’t the grocery shopping we’re used to; the grocery shopping we dread. There are no flourescent lights poorly lighting the aisle, no wilting over-priced lettuce, and for the most part no surly cart-wielding consumers. Enjoy the moment, your fellows shoppers will be doing the same.

Renegades In Austin

June 3, 2010 by Emily Anderson 1 Comment

I’ve been busy getting ready for my very first craft fair–The Renegade Craft Fair–which is next weekend in Brooklyn. Renegade travels to multiple cities each year–it kicked off in Austin in May. Here are two of the lovely crafters who were at the fair in Austin.

Lora of b.bags began her business in 2008 with some experimenting, which I am very familiar with. I’ve been thinking lately about how sewing (and crafting in general) is 90 percent trial and error. Just finding the right design that works for you can take a long time. But if you stick with it, like Lora, you can find your groove. Every b.bag is handmade using upcycled materials, which is the practice of taking useless items and creating something new. This purse is extra eco-friendly because it serves two puposes at once—you can wear the bangle around your wrist, and the purse is both a place to put your trinkets and a stylish way to hit the town. I like the way the linear stitching on the applique. I also appreciate that Lora takes care to ensure each item she designs is durable and will last for a long time. For more information about b.bags please check out Lora’s Facebook page and her blog.

Jenny Rinzler,owner of Ciuccio Baby, realized early in life that it’s actually easier to learn how to make things that you want. Jenny started making clothes for her dolls (so did I!) and it evolved from there. After years of experimenting–a hippie dress made out of butterfly pattern sheets that didn’t quite make the runway–Jenny decided to try her hand at making a full size quilt as a wedding gift for her best friend. Well that project was so labor intensive Jenny thought perhaps the first quilt would also be the last. But then inspiration struck—she’d just make smaller quilts. She calls her mini-quilts “loveys” and they are just that–a perfect perch for a baby, a comfy blanket for a toddler, and a sweet soft memory of a loving childhood. Exactly what you want in a first-rate security blanket.

P.S. If you’re in Brooklyn June 5th and 6th, stop by to see me! I’ll be at a booth I’m sharing with my childhood friend (next door neighbor! Jennifer Cooke of Raeburn Ink… Jen also has a new book coming out soon about customizing t-shirts.