Upcycling Expert - Annie Temmink

The other day, someone asked me about making reusable ‘bulk goods’ bags.  And I was surprised I had never thought of it before. There are tons of reusable grocery bags, but I still find myself with a half dozen small plastic bags of essential grains and spices when I leave the grocery store.  Instead of filling up those thin plastic bags with almonds, rice and pasta, you could bring cloth bags and fill them instead.  That way you wouldn’t need the plastic and you would have something more fun to put in your shopping cart (you can wash and reuse a fabric bag many times).  And they are simple to make.  So in honor of Earth Week why not make a few reusable bags from upcycled Goodwill shirts and see what you think. 

Topics: reusable bags, upcycle, Earth Month, Upcycling, Earth Day, Annie Temmink

Spring is starting to show and Easter is on its way so why not celebrate with a garden party!  Invite friends over for tea and snacks and have a big basket of silk flowers you can all use to decorate dresses, shirts, corsets or other spring clothing.  Play music and tell stories while you work on your projects with friends. This flower corset would also be a great top for a prom dress too!

Topics: upcycle, Upcycling, Annie Temmink

Prom is coming so why not make some fun jewelry to go with your fabulous dress. Goodwill is a great place to start shopping for prom because you may find the perfect dress at an incredible price, but even if they don’t have the dress you want, you are sure to find great jewelry making pieces. Die cut toys are a great source for jewelry inspiration. I found this honeybee kit and used the pieces to make abstract jewelry.

Topics: Prom, upcycle, Upcycling, Annie Temmink, jewelry making

I’ve noticed recently that more and more companies are playing with the surface treatment of their jeans. Bleach treatments in particular can make unique urban prints that are easy and inexpensive to do yourself. Bleach allows you to take an uninspiring pair jeans from Goodwill and turn them into one-of-a-kind, high-end denim over night.

Topics: upcycle, Upcycling, Upcycling Expert, Annie Temmink

Pins can bring humor to your style without a lot of effort or over-the-top costuming.  You can be playful and particularly for guys, this is a great way to stand out and show everyone how interesting and unusual you are.

Topics: upcycle, Upcycling, Upcycling Expert, Annie Temmink

There’s nothing like getting a hand written letter in the mail on a snowy afternoon. Cards are also a lot of fun to make too. Just write on the back of your Goodwill receipt, a book page torn from a Goodwill book, or decorate paper bags with markers, pencils, and paints you find at Goodwill. Put in an envelope and delight your friends.  Also a great snow day activity. 

You will need:

Topics: upcycle, Upcycling, Upcycling Expert, Annie Temmink

When a storm is coming, don’t stock up on emergency supplies alone, stock up on Goodwill!  Then if the snow starts to pile, you’ll have plenty of fun things to do!

Topics: upcycle, Upcycling, Annie Temmink, snow day activities

Valentine’s Day can be divisive, but this year make it collaborative! Instead of giving a coupon book, make an activity book to share with your significant other or friends. 

Topics: Upcycling, Upcycling Expert, Annie Temmink

I never thought I would find a good reason to buy artificial flowers, until I realized that fake flowers are just like Legos. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the components:  stems, buds, and connectors. They use a simple snap-on snap-off connection to make a wide range of life-like flowers. With these parts you can mix and match the variety of fake flowers you find at Goodwill to make exquisite hybrid, mutant flowers that are more fantastical than anything you would find on the shelf. There’s no need to buy new artificial flowers when you have such a great selection at a fraction of the cost available at Goodwill. Cook up your own flower varietals!

Topics: Upcycling, Upcycling Expert, Annie Temmink

January is a good month to rid your closets of unnecessary gadgetry and reassess your essentials. Consider the kitchen. Regardless of what you think the essential tools may be, I have compiled a list of seven unessential kitchen items that you can happily remove from your drawers without a second thought. By donating these non-essentials to Goodwill you’re giving yourself extra living space and also providing great up-cycling source material for your local (and friendly) artists!

Topics: upcycle, Upcycling, Upcycling Expert, Annie Temmink