Pallet Jack Project

Image: Tres Chere

Why has the Union Jack become such a fashion icon?

Well, because it's iconic.

Fashion designers and now interior designers (across the pond, I might add) have embraced Cool Britannia and emblazoned everything from painted furniture, art prints, clothing, rugs, and pillows with a blast of bold red, white and blue.

Jar Lantern Project

For the first time this year we have been able enjoy sitting outside at night and not freeze our socks off.
And so, as we all recover from a weekend of late night BBQ's, we take with us a few lessons learnt.

A. Always have enough beer.
B. Burgers taste so much better from a BBQ.
C. Candles, candles, candles. Hanging candles everywhere.

To find out how to make the hanging jars in the photo below, check out TheBeatThatMyHeartSkipped
for a simple tutorial.

Image: TheBeatThatMyHeartSkipped

Textured Planter Project

If you are into your gardening and are tired of all the same old boring planters that are available commercially then this is a really simple way to transform the ones you have with a few bits and pieces of recycled materials.

Image: Design*Sponge

Wine Cork Noticeboard Project

Ryan Gosling might have revved the engines of most women, and admittedly some men too, in the feature film 'Drive' but I left the movie with only one thing on my mind.

Corks.

I've seen lots of ideas for projects using recycled corks and one idea in particular keeps cropping up and wouldn't you know, but there it is in the movie Drive.

In one scene, Goslings nameless character talks on the phone to a bad guy and offers him an ultimatum. In the background of the said bad guy's restaurant - 'Nino's Pizzeria', is a noticeboard made out of wine corks.

Image: Drive

To be honest, I've not thought much about making one, mainly because you need about 200+ corks to do it.
But why should that stop you?

Soda Can Box Project

Image: Atomic Shrimp

The aluminium can, invented in the late 1950's, launched a revolution in the beverage industry and planted a seed of environmentalism in the mindset of the World. 

Today, when we think of recycling, drink cans are usually at the top of our list which makes them the most recycled beverage container, at a rate of 69% worldwide.

Weathered Wood Project

My obsession with making things from pallets continued this week when I made these vintage style crates and display trays for the Honest2Goodness market, which takes place every Saturday and Wednesday in Glasnevin.

Vintage Crates

Image: Patent Pending Projects

 Display Trays

Image: Patent Pending Projects

The 'vintage style' element of the crates was pretty easy to achieve as the the wood used was fairly weathered already. However, what if you are using relatively new wood and need to create that old worn look?

Stencilled Table Project

So it's time to get a new dinner table. Or is it?

Unless your table is on it's last legs, literally and figuratively, then I urge you to consider all possibilities before posting it on Free Trade, abandon it in a skip, or in my case, reclaiming any wood worth saving.

There are lots of tutorials and how-to's when it comes to restoring furniture but this idea is one of the simplest and more effective ways to help revive an old piece of furniture, saving you the need to replace it.

Stencilled Table

Image: Design*Sponge

Here's what you'll need: