Scrapkins Build-It Book Vol. I – Book Review

Review by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Scrapkins Build-It Book Vol. I
12 Things you can make from junk
by Brian Yanish
Published 2011 by Crackle Press, NY
for Scrapkins
32 pages paperback (comic book format)
ISBN-13: 978-061543894
Price: $9.99

12 recycled art projects, activities and comics.

Recommended for Ages 6-9 years

What can you make from all that junk you throw away? Join The Scrap Kins, a toothsome monster family who live in a recycling center, as they give step by step instructions to turn toilet paper tubes and milk cartons into pirate ships, bird feeders and more! Share a project with your kids with true DIY fun at home!

This is a great little book for kids full of “cute” crafts project using junk and waste materials.

This book is a lovely tool to teach children that there is value in reusing bits of trash from which to make things.

When I was a kid we made things all the time from junk – it was just what we did. Not that we did have much in the ways of toys anyway and we had to make our own, really. But, more often than not, we made things for serious use and even with the view of selling the stuff we made on markets.

I do love this little volume and my favorite bits are the making of the Jeans Tote, the Foam Glider (finally a use for Styrofoam trays) and the Owl Bird Feeder.

Children, if but given the chance and a little encouragement will go and look at waste in the same way as we did as children and try to find a reuse as toys or other even. We just have to get them away from the GameBoy, the X-Box, the computer or the TV.

How often do we see kids than, when they come across a cardboard box, for instance, that may have had a gift in for them even, that the box is being played with rather than the toy. If we allow them to get on with that they will put us to shame in the ideas department as to what to do with packaging materials, etc. and if they have a little guidance such as the “Scrapkins Build-It Book” they will even outperform any of us by way of ideas, I am sure.

Oh, did I mention that I love the book... I think I did but let me just say it again... I do...

The book can be purchased via ScrapKins website: http://www.thescrapkins.com

or via Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0615438946?tag=thscki-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0615438946&adid=0A47EERQRMG3G4MXW6C7



© 2011

Post Title

→

Scrapkins Build-It Book Vol. I – Book Review

Post URL

→

https://national-grid-news.blogspot.com/2011/03/scrapkins-build-it-book-vol-i-book.html

Visit National-grid-news for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

Turning trash into treasure

Diverting waste is the ultimate act of sustainability

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

There are abundant resources for any home sustainability project you wish to undertake. All you have to do is learn to look in the right places first! And, these resources are completely free.

There is nothing more sustainable than trying to get the most use out of the embodied energy of any material. That means: if you have got an old cupboard you don’t have a place for anymore, don’t smash it and use it as firewood! Countless gallons of water and petroleum went into turning that wood into a cupboard, so brainstorm other ways to use it in its high-energy state, or give to someone who can use it. In fact I am normally the one who ends up with such an item from others, as I am generally happy to accept such donations, though I have to say that my home is currently a little overflowing with such items.

In “Cradle to Cradle”, the authors talk about how recycling materials often results in “downcycling”– where the subsequent use of the material results in low-grade, un-recyclable products. Since this is the current state of design, recycling is nowhere near “sustainable.” On the other hand, reusing materials and not thinking of them as “waste” leads to a more ecologically-responsible lifestyle.

Don't let me loose on any skip, as dumpsters are called over here, as long as there is place at home, in the garage or the shed. Alas there are times where stuff has to remain there for one or the other reason. The biggest one is that I am not a driver and do not own a motorcar. Thus transportation is a problem at times and other times it is the case, as it is at present, that there is simply no space either in the house, the grange or the shed. The grange is full of bicycles, abandoned and some damaged, to be rebuilt, and the shed is just, well, full. But using found and available materials makes everything in my home all the more specific, original, and creative!

Here are some tips for where you can find just about anything you need.

“Garbage picking” in affluent neighborhoods. This is by far the most successful means of acquiring excellent materials. Simply driving or biking around the streets on trash night (easily determined on the Internet), there are tons – at times literally – of interesting and useful things to be picked up.

The neighborhoods don’t have to be affluent either, but I think you’ll find that the rate of good materials is higher on a house-to-house basis in such neighborhoods. Shame on them for being so wasteful… but good for you and your projects.

Freecycle or the “Free” section on Craigslist. Dozens of furniture items, building materials, and miscellaneous household stuff are being given away right now in your neighborhood on these online forums! For FREE! When was the last time you could get loads of lumber for free? Also, check out the barter and other sections for good deals.

Dumpsters or skips, as they are called in Britain, or Containers in Germany: Ever driven around to the back of a grocery store or a strip mall? There is lots of great stuff there but, and here it comes; in many places going through those is, theoretically and practically, regarded as trespass and theft. So, you have been warned. Check your local ordinances and laws as to this.

Tag sales. Sometimes people just don’t know what goodies they are tossing out.

Free box. Some community projects, especially cooperatives, may offer a free box. Common items include clothing, slightly damaged tools, and miscellaneous small items.

Wholesalers. Occasionally you will find large, unusual items from food distributors, retailers, supply stores, etc. This includes 55-gallon drums. And don’t forget…

The Junkyard! Want to build a wind turbine for home use? It’s a pretty simple procedure… and it requires a car alternator. Get one for a couple bucks at a junk yard!

Well, I think you are getting the idea.

I am lucky, in a way, that I often find useful items thrown away by people in my day job. I love litter bins... and on top of that there is what people “fly tip”.

While, officially, I hate fly tippers, and that is true, there are times when the stuff is rather useful, such as a bow saw – perfectly usable still though may need a new blade – dumped by some tree surgeons that fly tipped a load of branches in the park.

I could start a very long list here of stuff people throw into bins, or not, as the case may be, and also lose and never bother to cone back for but that would be way too long and, I should think, boring. Suffice to say I won't have to buy a woolly hat for years.

© 2011

Post Title

→

Turning trash into treasure

Post URL

→

https://national-grid-news.blogspot.com/2011/02/turning-trash-into-treasure.html

Visit National-grid-news for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

You can't get money for old rope...

...betcha you can.

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

The saying always was “you can't get money for old rope” but, apparently, this has all changed now with recycling being chic and the latest in fashion and must have accessories for wear and home.

A company recently was noticed on the Internet selling just that, namely recycled old rope with wooden beads as a belt or necklace, and it was advertised thus “Made with wooden beads on a thick jute cord it can be worn as a belt or necklace. $70”. I mean this is $70 for a length of old jute cord and some wooden beads – probably – it will be claimed – recycled in Southern Africa or thereabouts.

While I am the first to say yes to all things green and all things recycled this is a little too much money to pay for in my liking. Who is getting the income from this “beltlace”? I am certain it is not the people in some Third Wold – oops, sorry – Developing Country who recycle those into this piece of fashion accessory.

I have seen the wire sculptures, for instance, that are made predominately by children and young people in Southern Africa and that fetch a small fortune in the “ethical” stores in Europe and North America but I could bet my bottom dollar that very little money of the sales of those goods ever gets back to those that make them.

With the world as it is today, with Internet and such communications, I am sure it would be possible that some ethical publications (those of Tatchipen Media are only too open for that) to advertise (recycled) goods produced by co-ops and even individuals, and to enable those producers to sell their goods direct rather than through middlemen who, in the end, are always the ones who reap the profits.

The problem with the “Beltlace” and such “ethical” and “green” goods and products is that they are NOT ethical in the way the rip the buyer off and, more often than not, the producers get very little by way of return. While the couple of bucks, if that, they they get per item made, which indeed in their country may be a small fortune, it is not, at least not in my book, very ethical to rip both the makers and the buyers off by charging such exorbitant prices for what is but old rope.

The same, also, is true for other such goods and please, let no one start me off about the useless so-called green products of which the Eco-Button (see my product review) is but one example.

© M Smith (Veshengro), May 2008

Post Title

→

You can't get money for old rope...

Post URL

→

https://national-grid-news.blogspot.com/2008/05/you-can-get-money-for-old-rope.html

Visit National-grid-news for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

Champagne Cork Peg Board (Practical Recycling)

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

In my opinion, but then most of your regular readers will know that already, practical recycling, that is to say, turning items of “trash”, whether discarded by yourself or by others, into usable goods, must come well before the commercial recycling.

Then again this kind of recycling also can make for the creation of, hopefully, saleable items, thereby becoming commercial, but not in the way of the commercial grand scale recycling of the reclaiming secondary raw materials is.

Champagne Cork Peg Board (Coat Rack).

This is a project that happened to result out of the fact that I once worked in a catering establishment where such corks were in abundance and they ended up thrown away after events and functions and, thinking that there might be a use for them though which I did not know at the particular time, I took a number of them with me to see what might come to mind some day.

One day then, without much thinking about it, a peg board come coat rack came to mind as I wanted to make one for some reason and I remembered the champagne corks. Having a board to hand it took but a few minutes, literally, to have a working peg board/coat rack to go onto the wall.

Ingredients:


• A number of champagne corks (real cork or pressed cork)
• Equal number of long wood screws (normal slot is better than Phillips)
• A nice wooden plank as a back board (this could be salvaged skirting, floorboard or from a pallet)

First of prepare the back board. This may mean, if need and you wish to do so, sanding and oiling (using vegetable oil), after having drilled the two holes that will be used as to wherewith to affix the board to the wall by means of screws. The rest, then, is a simple as ABC. Screw screw into cork slowly and precise into the previously marked peg locations and once they have all been screwed in – voila – one peg board or coat rack.

Apart from the screws (unless they be salvaged too – and this is possible) there should be no financial layout for this project. However, properly promoted, this could be something that a livelihood project could make.

Idea & Design © Michael Smith (Veshengro), 2001-2008

Post Title

→

Champagne Cork Peg Board (Practical Recycling)

Post URL

→

https://national-grid-news.blogspot.com/2008/05/champagne-cork-peg-board-practical.html

Visit National-grid-news for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

DIY-Cereal Box Wallet

A review by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

The other day, via a link from another site, I found the instructions and downloadable PDF template to a little DIY cardboard wallet. Now this is a nice idea of practical recycling. This is intended for the recycling of the cardboard from breakfast cereal packs but will also work with other boards to be recycled that is of a similar thickness or somewhat above.

I downloaded the template, applied it to the cover of an old brochure from a trade fair and within less than 20 minutes – including finding the elastic cord – I have a fully functional wallet suitable for a number of things, including and especially business/visiting cards.

This is, as just indicated, a great little wallet for business/visiting cards that anyone can make in, I should think, less than half an hour.

It will make a great conversation piece in the same way as do the business cards that we ate Tatchipen Media use, which are recycled from printed press releases and such.

However, the one drawback is that the wallet in the current template design only works with cards that are a little narrower in height if seen in landscape as are the more standard versions of business cards. Those more standards cards would require a little redrawing – though not much – of the template, which should not be too great of a problem either.

In a further, enlarged version of the template, this wallet design could be made suitable for use with 3x5 index cards and the “hipster PDA”.

Go, give it a try.

You find the details and the template here:

© M Smith (Veshengro), April 2008

Post Title

→

DIY-Cereal Box Wallet

Post URL

→

https://national-grid-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/diy-cereal-box-wallet.html

Visit National-grid-news for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection