Goodwill Fashion Expert—Bjorn Nasett

Bjorn Nasett - Goodwill Fashion ExpertBe sure to read Bjorn's weekly column for great advice. If you have specific questions send him an email at askbjorn@goodwillsew.com.

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Random Re-Purpose = A Great Gift Idea!

Posted by Jamie Klinger-Krebs on Nov 8, 2012 2:03:00 PM

Random Re-Purpose Well, it’s almost that time of year again when we share the bounty of our creativity and resources with others. If any of you are crafty in any way shape or form you know that sometimes a project just suddenly comes to mind from an item you pick up at Goodwill. For me it was a package of $1.99 Styrofoam balls. 

I didn’t really know what I would do with a package of Styrofoam balls, but when I got home I glanced around my work/sewing room hoping for some inspiration. And then I spied some burlap remnants and thought of wrapping the balls with fabric to make ornaments. As I started pinning the fabric to the balls, I noticed a vintage china cup and saucer I left on the table earlier in the day. Right then I came up with the idea of making Random Re-Purpose teacup pincushions for crafty sewers like myself!  With the many pins, needles, thimbles and other accoutrement that goes with needlecraft, you always have to figure out a place to put it while you’re working. These teacup pincushions would be perfect, I random re-purposethought. By simply gluing a teacup to a saucer (.49 each at Goodwill) and then hot gluing the burlap ball inside, you’ve created a great pincushion, as well as a place on the saucer to place thimble, seam ripper, pencil, etc!  They looked so great that I had another awesome idea to use them to display pins and other jewelry on a dresser top in my home. I used some leftover black felt to cover one of the balls to create a more dramatic background for the shiny baubles to sparkle off of. The saucer then becomes a resting place for necklaces, watches, cufflinks, or earrings.  You’ll never have to go searching, and you get to enjoy your jewelry as art! 

Random Re-Purpose Once I did those simple projects, I just had to come up with more ways to display some fun jewelry.  While out shopping at Goodwill, I purchased four frames of varying sizes for .99 each. I purposely went for smaller frames that had some metallic detail and one with a floral motif that was made of porcelain.  After removing the glass from all of them, I cut black felt to fit each of their cardboard backings with a little overlap. Next I layered a small amount of cotton batting under the black felt as I glued it into place around the backings. I then replaced it into the frames and chose various pins to showcase in my new jewelry “frames.”  On the large frame, I hammered in two small gold nails at the top to hang a medallion necklace from. I was very pleased with the outcome and appearance of this very simple project. 

These repurposed beauties would make marvelous gifts for anyone on the giving list this year. Not only that, but they’re a great craft project to share with your kids! Reducing, reusing, and repurposing isn’t just a saying; it’s a large part of our mission here at Goodwill. So have fun shopping at your local store to get the cups, saucers, frames (and even some jewelry) to kick start your own crafty conversions for Christmas! Or, just make some to brighten an area of your home with some whimsical charm.

Topics: DIY, Bjorn Nasett, Fashion, Fashion Expert