Ooh I scored me some awesome trash today!! Yeah, I know, not the most glamorous thing to get all hot and bothered for but, for realz, trash is a crafter’s best friend. Whenever I have a major crafting project coming up, like Halloween, I make a point to try and look at my trash in a whole new way before I toss it out. Newspaper automatically gets saved for papier-mâché projects, but I’ve discovered phone book pages work just as well. And since the dickweeds in Phone Book Land have completely fucking ignored all our requests to stop delivering them, I guess it works out.
Another great treasure is from the most super coolest gift ever: a 31″ giant Darth Vader doll action figure my man bought for me. Sometimes he is just such a guy and brings home flowers, which is totes sweet, and sometimes he’s Super Boyfriend and brings home friggin’ Darth Vader! But I digress…
Vader’s packaging would make an excellent stand for a sign, if I laid it flat it could be a good angle for a display, or maybe I could weigh down the bottom and use it as a base for afore mentioned papier-mâché sculpture…lots of possibilities there!
Also exciting is a piece of very dense, flexible, non-corrugated cardboard that was included in the packaging of a duffle bag. What will I use that for? I have no fucking clue. But its soooo bendy!!! I’m sure it will come in handy for something.
And that’s really the point: learning to look at things with a creative eye and staying open to possibilities. It’s kinda like beer goggles, but for trash. If you’re not already a trash digger like me, it might be hard at first. To help you out I made a list of items I always think it’s worth saving when you know you have big crafting projects on the horizon. So put on your Trash Goggles and enjoy!
- Cardboard boxes, duh. Even if you don’t use them for a craft they’ll be handy for staying organized.
- Newspapers & phone books for papier-mâché.
- Wrapping paper & paper towel tubing.
- Shoe boxes.
- Buttons, trims and scrap fabric from old clothing.
- Trash bag twisty ties.
- Wire hangers (Mommy Dearest be damned!)
- Interesting cardboard, styrofoam or plastic packaging pieces.
- Spare metal pieces (for example curtain rods or nuts & bolts).
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