How To: Turn a Jumper Into a Cat Bed

We have 3 cats, 2 of which are outdoor cats who sleep in the shed. We've had one of those climbing towers since the 2 younger cats were kittens and it's in a precarious state of disrepair these days. It's still their bed in the shed, although they've grown so much that only one can fit on at a time now. Through the summer this wasn't a problem but as the days are getting colder it means one cat is sleeping on the cold shed floor.

Rather than buy a new cat bed that'd cost anywhere from £15-30 for something cosy, I thought I'd turn my hand to upcycling and see what I could create. I'd seen a post on Facebook months ago showing how someone else had turned an old jumper into a bed and since Tom had a pile of jumpers waiting to go to charity I nabbed one!

Here is how I did it in picture form...

Sew up the neck hole

Sew from armpit to armpit then stuff the arms & neck to create the sides of the bed

Tuck the end of one arm into the other then stitch them together

Pad the body of the jumper and trim the excess from the bottom, turn it over and stitch the body to the arms

And you're done! Donate to a furry friend 

Happy Easter!

Just a quick post to say Happy Easter to everyone. :)

Remember to keep the plastic inserts from your easter eggs - they'll make great moulds for making your own eggs next year! Plus the coloured foil will be perfect for crafts so don't waste those either. The box can be recycled, so really you have no excuses for anything going in the bin! ;)

Broken tea cup into a tea light holder!

Just a quick post today as inspiration is yet to strike! This morning I broke one of our mini cups at the coffee shop. Although I'd much rather have the tea cup back, I noticed that it had broken perfectly to create a tea light holder. A quick check with one of our candles proves I'm right, so this weekend I will be painting it and bringing it back to the shop as a Sorry Present! Watch this space for the new and improved version, but so far this is how it looks:

There were a few other pieces that broke off and I'm going to see what I can do about re-purposing those too.

Any ideas what I could make? They're two triangular(ish) pieces of china.

Post Twenty-One: Icing Flowers and Egg Shells

Good Afternoon lovely readers!

I apologise for my absence over the weekend, but as my wonderful partner Tom pointed out I have to have some down time, and I spent that time pretty well! The strawberry & vanilla muffins turned out brilliantly - getting compliments from everyone who has tried one (or two, or three..) so I'm pretty pleased with that result. Plus I learned a new skill, courtesy of my friend Rachel who is pretty amazing at cake making! I give you...

...an icing flower! The method is pretty simple and one day I'll get around to doing a How-To Guide but for now you'll just have to admire our efforts and be jealous. ;)

As for the egg shells, I've found a lovely picture of an old egg carton and egg shells turned into a mini garden, with an article on how to make your own. The article can be found here.

I'm loving the idea of a mini garden right now and I'm wishing I hadn't thrown the eggs in the bin after making muffins at the weekend! Luckily I still have the carton left, so I'm sure I'll find another use for that somewhere along the line.

How was your weekend? Did you get out in the garden with the lovely weather, or cook up some delicious treats?

Post Twenty: Green Gardening

I know what you're thinking, gardening is about as green as it gets already! And you're right for the most part, but there are still a few ways to get extra green when you're growing things - whether it's just some pretty flowers or some veg. Recycled household items are brilliant to use as pots - some can even be broken down into compost once the plant outgrows them! You can use your imagination for things to recycle, anything from the plastic trays you get meat in to egg shells! For some obvious ideas and even a couple of weird ones check out this article.

Now I warn you, I'm not a keen gardener. Even my best efforts end up dead eventually (sorry Aji!) and that's when I try really hard. But I'm told that growing herbs is ridiculously easy and that even I could do it... so in the spirit of being green in every aspect I'm trying to grow Basil. I use it a lot when making bolognese and I'm told it's the easiest of the lot. Here's my simple guide on how I've done it:

Take two meat trays (clean of course!) and make small holes in the bottom of one.

Pop the one with holes in into the one without and press them together so there's only a small gap at the bottom. Then fill the top one with compost - leaving about 1cm at the top. Next get a coke bottle (or fanta, tango sprite..) and chop the end off to create your own mini greenhouse. You might need more than one depending on the size of your pot, I used two for mine. Use the end to indent the soil so you can see how much space you have for the seeds.

Put the seeds in the little circles making sure you don't overcrowd them. I probably put too many in mine, but whatever! Add a thin layer of compost over the top of the seeds, approximately 0.5cm, then sprinkle them with water. Finally you just need to put the greenhouses in place and wait for them to grow! Don't forget to water them now and then though or nothing will happen. ;)

Have you ever tried growing something edible? How did it turn out? Or are you now going to try basil seeds with me? Let me know in the comments below. :)

Post Sixteen: The Importance of a Green Business

The modern customer is looking for more than just great service these days, they're looking to see if your company has a conscience and isn't just profiteering. Fairtrade has taken huge steps in recent years to ensure better conditions for third world farmers and without consumer motivation it wouldn't have been possible. This is proof that today you need to think of more than just how your shop looks and whether your front of house is smiling.

One of the ways to show you care is to make sure you are up to date on your Green policies. Recycle, Reduce, Re-use is one of the best philosophies you can stick to when trying to improve your business. It can be practiced in any type of industry but I'll be focusing on the Hospitality Industry since that's the one I currently work in.

The Hospitality Industry sends a huge amount of food to landfill each year by overestimating their needs, using inefficient equipment and not doing all they can to minimise waste. I work in a coffee shop so I know we're limited by health & safety standards left right and centre, but that doesn't mean we can't take some big steps towards making the industry more environmentally friendly.

Our industry relies on the planet more so than others; our products come directly from the earth and without it we're out of business. If we don't keep the rainforests alive, we lose packaging. If plants soak up chemicals we are endangering our customers. The animals in turn eat these toxic plants and then our meat because contaminated. It's a vicious cycle that ultimately ends with us being closed.

Looking at it from a reverse view there's a much more positive image we can create. Support the Rainforest Association and there will always be trees for your packaging. Use organic products and organically raised animals and no one will be exposed to chemicals. Reducing your carbon footprint actually cuts your costs and raises your profile to customers. That's why more companies are turning to these policies to give their businesses a makeover.

From recycleable packaging to vegetable based inks, reusable containers, energy saving appliances, the resources are all there to make things as easy as possible for you. In this day and age there is no excuse to sit back ignoring the issues that people are crying out to be acknowledged. If your company can take even the smallest step you'll be changing the planet for the better. To give you an idea of what you can do here are some small examples I've already implemented here at The Witches Brew.

Fairtrade products and locally produced foods wherever possible.
Cut down your carbon footprint by reducing the distance your products have to travel. All of our coffee and hot chocolate is Fairtrade and our cakes and crisps are from local suppliers.

Only order what you need.
Buying in bulk only saves you money if you're going to use all of it, so companies who buy in by the hundreds and end up with a lot of wastage are actually just throwing money into landfills. We have fresh cakes ordered each week and usually stick to minimum orders of everything else we stock.

Use compostable cutlery.
Or napkins, takeaway cups, there are a whole host of compostable products out there you can use. Check out Vegware products for loads of ideas. We're introducing new compostable products as we run out of their throwaway counterparts.

Re-purpose everything you can.
Keep waste out of landfills by seeing if there's another use for it first. Our used coffee grounds are used to keep bugs off plants, down the drains as a de-odoriser, a tint for fixing wood furniture.. Check out some more ideas here. Old tins/pots become plant pots or pen pots. Empty handwash bottles become vases - Neal's Yard bottles are especially pretty for this idea.

Have your own compost heap.
There are loads of products these days that stop pests being an issue with a compost heap, so why not create your own? Throw all your food wastage onto the heap then find a local company or gardening group that will be happy to use it for you. We don't do this particular idea, but it's something I've looked into and would be viable in a business bigger than ours.


Is your business or the company you work for taking these steps? Are there any other steps you can think of that I haven't mentioned here? Get in touch, I'd love to hear from you. :)

Post Fifteen: Light Bulbs!

Happy Monday Everyone!

This weekend was so fabulously sunny Tom and I decided to get out and do something despite the fact we were both ill. Saturday was spent mooching around the shops and treating ourselves to a few new clothes (which went onto my printed wardrobe diary!). I got some amazingly comfy trousers and a pretty pink top from New Look - I'm really feeling spring colours at the moment so I love the delicate flowers on the trousers and the pale pink of the top. :) I also got myself some No 7 nail varnish in Me! Me! Me! which is a bright pink colour. Then it was off to Asda for the weekly shop.

We managed to last nearly a week on just my Saturday shop last week - so happy! Only had to pop in for bread for Tom's lunches. :) Might not have the same success this week as I was nowhere near as organised and we didn't really buy anything except picnic food this week, but thanks to bulk buying last week I don't think I'll need to go in until later in the week at least. I also remembered to take in one of my bags for life, so that cut out 2 or 3 bags that would've been wasted. Next goal: remember both!

Sunday I picked up a casette to iPod converter for my car, because it's so old I could only listen to the radio up to now. Then Tom and I got some new trainers each, since his are falling apart and I haven't bought any for 5 years! Shopping finished, we headed to Victoria Park for a picnic. I was really excited to use the hamper I got for my birthday. :) We had some yummy sandwiches, pork & pickle sausage rolls, pringles, smarties cookies and amazing Ice Cream Soda to drink. Not the healthiest, but considering all the walking we did over the two days I'm giving myself a break!

Now I'm back at work glaring enviously at the people out in the sunshine, but it's made a little better by the fun Upcycling Ideas I've found for used light bulbs on pinterest. My favourites on the page are the mini hanging-basket style vases and the glittery christmas tree decorations. Can't wait to try out some of these ideas. Now I just have to wait for some bulbs to blow.. (at which point I'll pop in energy saving ones of course!).

How did your weekend go? Did you get crafty or go out in the sunshine?

Post Thirteen: The Sustainable Wardrobe

Good Afternoon!

The sun is shining, I'm in a flowery maxi-dress to mark the occassion and the sunglasses are tentatively in my handbag. I've got pink nails with white crackle on them and a flowery headband on and my only concession to the chill is a long cardigan. It's definitely getting close to summer weather even if we have only just started spring! So following on from this post about your summer wardrobe I wanted to do a blog about how you can make your wardrobe more sustainable and eco-friendly.

I found a brilliant article by Amisha Ghadiali called 12 Rules To Dress By which you can read here. It has a fab print-out that you can keep in your wardrobe to remind you of the rules before you go shopping and a little chart where you can keep track of how sustainable any new additions are.

If you want the full run-down on ways to keep your wardrobe up to date and still eco-friendly you'll need to read the article, but the basic principles are:

Do you really need new? I love the term pre-loved that's now used to describe clothes from charity shops or something you've been given by a friend. We're not talking your grandmas cast offs here, getting a group of friends together to swap clothes is a great socialising opportunity and you all walk away with a new outfit.

Research Ethical Designers. Green is the new black on the fashion scene, which means it's becoming so much easier to buy clothes made from organic or recycled fabrics, or that ensure fair trading standards are met for their suppliers.

Clear out your wardrobe. Not only will you find clothes you forgot you had and will now be wearing all the time again, you'll get extra space in your wardrobe once you give the stuff you don't want to charity. Now you can fill that space with pre-loved, sustainable clothing instead!

Get creative! You can pick up a sewing machine for the price of a new handbag and with it you can make hundreds of new creations - customise your old clothes, use old clothes to make a jar of hearts or even turn old clothes into fashion accessories. A fancy cuff from a dress/top can easily be turned into a new bracelet!


I'm going to be printing off the chart and writing down everything that goes into my wardrobe this year. Hopefully it'll get more environmentally friendly as the year goes on! Who wants to join me?

Post Twelve: How-To Make A Jar of Hearts

How To Make A Jar Of Hearts

If you've been following my blog for the last few days you'll know that I've been working on a secret project for Mother's Day. Since yesterday was the big day, I can now let you all know what the present was. :) I made the card myself and all the hearts in the jar (obviously I didn't make the jar!).

I should've got a smaller jar if I'm honest, as I wasn't able to make enough hearts to fill it in time. But now I have present ideas for the next few years - I plan to get some really nice fabrics and add to mum's collection each birthday, christmas and mother's day. Along with other presents of course!
To give you an idea of what the hearts look like here are a few of them:

So here's the how-to guide. There are a lot of pictures to give you a good idea of how to do each step, so don't be put off by the length of the post - it's actually very simple! Each heart takes about 30-45 minutes to make depending on how good you are with a needle and thread and how big each heart is. I'm sure the experts out there could do one in about 15-20 minutes even.

You Will Need:
Fabric - I used old clothes I didn't want anymore.
Rice (or some other form of filling - why not scraps from cutting out the hearts?)
Needle & Thread

Optional
A sewing machine (way easier than stitching by hand!)
A funnel (makes filling with rice easier)

Method:

1. Draw your design on the WRONG SIDE of the fabric, with a border around to allow for a seam.

2. Cut it out and draw around it on the RIGHT SIDE of the fabric (this is so your shapes match up - if your heart is identical both sides you can draw it on the wrong side).

3. Cut out the second heart and sew the two together RIGHT SIDES facing inwards, leaving about an inch gap along one side.

 



4. Turn it inside out so that the RIGHT SIDE is now on the outside.

5. Fill the heart with rice (or your other filling).

6. Finally, use invisible stitch to close the small gap you left. If you don't know invisible stitch, just use whatever stitch you know - remember it doesn't have to be perfect!

And that's it! Just repeat and make as many hearts as it takes to fill your jar. One thing you can do is add a few drops of essential oil into the rice on just ONE heart. The scent will be really strong so don't do it to all of them! I used lemon and it gave the jar a lovely smell when it was opened. :)

As for the card I made, I keep a lot of the nice birthday/christmas cards I get each year and I have some plain black card for making my own. I just chopped up old cards, ribbon and added glitter to make my own unique card. Plus some metallic gel pens for the writing. Simples!

Post Six: Summer Wardrobe

The sun is shining brilliantly in Bristol today and it's got me thinking ahead to summer, which is perfect really as now is the time to be thinking about your summer wardrobe! Don't wait until summer actually hits and expect to find a bargain in the charity shop. Unless you're buying brand new clothes for the season (in which case, this blog isn't for you) you have to think about things now so you have time to get what you need.

My sunny weather must-haves are denim short shorts. When the sun comes out so do my legs! In the shops a decent pair can set you back anything from £15-£40 depending on the shop and when you're on a shoestring budget that takes quite a bite out of it. But with a bit of time, effort and some creative designing you can make your own shorts for as little as £0. Below are a few videos on how you can turn an old pair of jeans (either from your wardrobe or bought as a bargain in a charity shop) into a brand new pair of shorts.

First of all making them:

Then a how-to on distressing, bleaching and other edits you can use to create your own unique style!

Other things you need to think about are sunglasses (I found a pair in the charity shop just last night so it's definitely not too late to pick up a pair), jewellery (you can make your own out of buttons, beads or even taking apart old/broken pieces of jewellery) and a summer beach bag! A bag is definitely the most fun to make as it can be as simple or as complicated as you like.

A very simple method is to get two identical pieces of fabric (size will depend on how big you want your bag to be) and with the pattern facing inwards, sew them together along three sides. Then turn out the right way, get two long strips of fabric (matching, contrasting - be creative!) and sew them onto the remaining open side to create handles.

If you want something a bit more challenging and you have a pair of old jeans that you're not using to make shorts, you can try this:

If you don't have the skills to create your own summer wardrobe there are plenty of people who would happily help you out. Ask friends round for a customising party or even swap clothes with them. You'll both be getting a bargain and a whole new wardrobe!

And finally, if you have a small budget but not enough to go highstreet shopping the charity shop is your best friend. From vintage to current fashions, if you're willing to put in the leg work you can get some real unique finds. Here's a guide to charity shop hunting taken from Superscrimpers on Channel 4.

I wish you luck with all your crafty endeavours and I would love to hear how you get on. :) Or if you have any other DIY summer wardrobe tips please put them in a comment below - I'm always looking for new ideas!

Post Five: Upcycling

I found a fab website today dedicated to Upcycling and thought I'd write a blog about it.

Upcycling is the art of taking old or used items and giving them a makeover. Either revamping them to good as new to carry on in their original purpose, or making them into something completely different. Anything from reupholstering a chair to using an old shutter door to make a table!

The website I found is www.weupcycle.com and has hundreds of upcycled items that members have shared. It has some great ideas on uses for common household things like tin cans and empty shampoo bottles. You can either copy their ideas, or use them as inspiration to make your own creations.

I love the concept of taking old things and making them into a whole new item - it gives you the feeling of getting something new without the pricetag that goes with it. I've only done this with one item so far, which I'll post a picture of once I get home, but having spent some time on this website my head is full of ideas for other things I can do!

Have you had a go at anything like this? How did it go? What are your upcycling ideas/tips?