The Big Green Book of Recycled Crafts ( Leisure Arts #4802) is a collection of fun and fabulous crafts made from all kinds of trashy, upcycled products.

I see quite a few old favorites in this Leisure Arts publication from other Leisure Arts books including the Trash to Treasurebooks.

I also see a few new crafts and one that I am thrilled to have found the instructions for.
The Big Green Book of Recycled Crafts is full of gifts, home decor and crafty garden projects all made from discarded items you probably have lying around the house right now.

How about the bird bungalows made from plastic laundry soap bottles? Or photo frames made from old clear CD and DVD cases. And then there’s the Gardener’s Carryall made with a plastic bucket, twist ties, a vinyl tablecloth and some pretty buttons.

The recycled bag keeper made from the sleeve of an old shirt is a classic, as are the bottle lamps, the two liter bottle gift baskets, and the wine cork message board.

An ingenious project is the dryer vent hose turned into adorable pumpkins for Halloween/Autumn decor. This project is just so damn cute I can’t help loving it. Now I am looking for excess dryer vent hose to make them. I know we had some after we installed the dryer but I think hubby may have thrown it out. (How dare he throw something away).
I love the old window crafts. An old window frame becomes faux stained glass, a 6 paned window becomes a work of art, and a three paned window becomes a fun message station with a chalk board and cork board added into the paned sections.

The global lamp would be a super charming addition to an office, den or library and the drawer ottoman is so stylish. I’ve seen this done before with an old suitcase but not with a drawer. I think the drawer idea is superb. So much easier to find an old drawer than a suitcase that fits your style. Plus you can paint, stain, or finish the drawer in so many ways while the suitcase leaves you kinda stuck as to how it will look. I think the drawer would be much sturdier which is a major plus in my rough on furniture family.

There are even two fun projects for my gear-head, car loving son, a License Plate Headboard and a Wheely Neat Nightstand.

But the one project that thrilled me the most is the one they call the Nursery Rhyme Tuffet. To me this project has been the juice can footstool. My grandma used to make these little footstools back in the 60′s and 70′s, maybe earlier for all I know. She would sell them and also give them as gifts. After she passed away I found one in the house and really wanted to know how to make it. But never found any directions and my mom wasn’t sure.

Now that little footstool has been misplaced. I think it is in my mother’s attic, we’ve done so much remodeling over the years things have been moved from one place to another and buried in boxes.

Anyway, I have always wanted to learn how to make these little footstools…and now on page 113 of The Big Green Book of Recycled Crafts I found the basic directions. Now I would use different material because the old bedspread fabrics pictured have never been my thing but my grandma’s crafty projects are and I am going to make at least one of footstool. My kids better start drinking some juice though because I need 7 46 ounce juice cans.

For that project alone this book is a must have for me, but I love so many of the other cool projects I can’t wait to get crafting. Christmas will be here before you know it (it’s already August for Craft’s sake) and I can use the ideas to make gifts for friends and family.