News / Recycle

Junk Kouture is an awesome recycled fashion competition held in Ireland for secondary level students to create their own recycled and wearable fashion items. What a fantastic way to get teenagers thinking about what they can do to help recycle and preserve the environment around them for their own and furture generations. Below is some amazing work by the kids in CBS Westland Row - all made from recycled materials! The materials they used were all sourced from Recreate Ireland. Recreate Ireland is a fantastic initiative that partners with businesses to recycle their waste for use as art & craft materials. Well done to the talented kids in CBS Westland Row, incredible work and all made from 'junk', some serious talent and creativity- best of luck in the competition! 

Upcycles often present themselves in the strangest of places and ways when you least expect it! I bought this fab second hand farmhouse style table for my own dining room. I had big plans to paint the legs and stain the top to a classy dark  oak colour. I want to add different coloured painted chairs eventually (when I find the right ones!). 

I collected the table from a lovely guy who helped load it into the van too. When I got it home and lay the table top against the wall with the underneath facing up I couldn't believe it, the underneath of the table was even nicer than the actual table top!  The before pic below is the table top as it's meant to be - a varnished pine finish, and then assembled with the underneath now as the top.

I love the rustic look and this has it by the bucket load, and was completely unintentional! What a happy little accident. It took a LOT of sanding to get it to a level and useable finish but I have completely fallen in love with it.
After an intense sanding (that I'm still not the better for) and sealing with a matt varnish to protect it, it now has pride of place in my dining room. Now that is some looking at things differently!

I actually decided against painting the legs entirely - once the top was finished, the wood just looked so lovely all rustic and worn so I left it as is, for now at least! :)

Table top before (the lighting was terrible!!)

Table top after

I am completely obsessed with The Great Interior Design Challenge!! I love seeing how each designer interprets the clients ideas, but especially love the upcycle challenges set each week by the judges. The designers are given a random selection of items to create something unique for their room.Take a look at some of the amazing things people have come up with here.

I love Christmas, but really don't like all of the waste that comes a long with it. 
Why not put that leftover paper to some create good use by trying some of the ideas on Buzzfeed here. Some of theses are very adorable, and anything that saves waste from going to landfill is a win in my book!

It's been another amazing year for The Makery and wouldn't have been possible without all you wonderful Makery fans, and for that I am truly grateful. It is because of you that I get to do what I love and that means the world to me. 

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and all of the very best for the New Year ahead. Have a great day wherever you are, eat, drink and be merry. ✨🎄

Hats off to 7up for this clever marketing campaign. As I always say, anything can be made unique and fabulous if you just look at things differently. 

By simply using some glue, tape and glitter, empty bottles have been upcycled to make them sparkle for the festive season. So simple to do, the kids will love it.