Brown Paper, String, Cardboard, Cards Etc Etc
I think in many ways I am a tad old fashioned with some things. For instance I always save good wrapping paper or little present bags, and always save little pretty paper bags, and decent pieces of string and ribbon. Recycling as we call it now I grew up with out of necessity, having to be frugal and making things stretch that much further, were par for the course, and wastefulness was frowned upon (during the second world war you could be prosecuted for waste). Our families had to go without during the second world war and for many years after the war things were tight. Today we are quite spoilt in comparison.
My Nan was the one, she had a small kitchen table with extension flaps either side and two small stools that went underneath, and two drawers built into the table. When we sat at the kitchen table things were snug, and we used to hit our knees on the undersides of the drawers, but that's where the paper bags, string, greaseproof that could be re-used again, and brown paper were stored. And when polythene bags first came out - they were washed and hung out to dry pegged onto the line and then re-used again. You never quite knew what was going to come out of that drawer next, nearly always something would be found that would fit the bill but most of all thrift prevailed throughout.
I go slightly further though; I tend to recycle anything that can be reused often in a different guise again. I always save the card from cereal boxes, primarily for my patchwork project that I have on the go, but it can be used in so many things. In the past I have had a go at making a little fabric covered box from scratch, cutting the sides etc from nice strong card and covering with the fabric of my choice. I save stamps where I can and send them to a charity which in turns sells them and raises funds for the charity. I also save old Christmas cards and birthday cards and use the images for home made Christmas cards with a little bit of decoupage work a bit of this and a bit of that plus some glitter and you have a home made creation to pass on as part of a pressie to a relative or a friend.
I also where I can recycle jars, and bottles by finding new seals so that the jars can be used again and again. There is a company that sells a well known pasta sauce comes in a large square type mason jar. I have found that the seals and rings for the new kilner jars fit these perfectly and the Liefheit seals fit the old style Kilner jars too. So go on have a play find out what fits what for yourself.
I have also started cutting the bits for a clippie or proddie rug - its slow cutting at the moment, but I hope to have enough to start working the rug soon. I am using old hardwearing cotton blue jeans.
My Nan was the one, she had a small kitchen table with extension flaps either side and two small stools that went underneath, and two drawers built into the table. When we sat at the kitchen table things were snug, and we used to hit our knees on the undersides of the drawers, but that's where the paper bags, string, greaseproof that could be re-used again, and brown paper were stored. And when polythene bags first came out - they were washed and hung out to dry pegged onto the line and then re-used again. You never quite knew what was going to come out of that drawer next, nearly always something would be found that would fit the bill but most of all thrift prevailed throughout.
I go slightly further though; I tend to recycle anything that can be reused often in a different guise again. I always save the card from cereal boxes, primarily for my patchwork project that I have on the go, but it can be used in so many things. In the past I have had a go at making a little fabric covered box from scratch, cutting the sides etc from nice strong card and covering with the fabric of my choice. I save stamps where I can and send them to a charity which in turns sells them and raises funds for the charity. I also save old Christmas cards and birthday cards and use the images for home made Christmas cards with a little bit of decoupage work a bit of this and a bit of that plus some glitter and you have a home made creation to pass on as part of a pressie to a relative or a friend.
I also where I can recycle jars, and bottles by finding new seals so that the jars can be used again and again. There is a company that sells a well known pasta sauce comes in a large square type mason jar. I have found that the seals and rings for the new kilner jars fit these perfectly and the Liefheit seals fit the old style Kilner jars too. So go on have a play find out what fits what for yourself.
I have also started cutting the bits for a clippie or proddie rug - its slow cutting at the moment, but I hope to have enough to start working the rug soon. I am using old hardwearing cotton blue jeans.
I am also making a king sized crotchet blanket/bedspread started initially with trying to use up odd balls of double knitting wool that I had quite a quantity of. I just bought cream wool to break the colours up I am about one third through the blanket - what has been done so far is quite warm and colourful.
All in an effort to Waste Not Want Not.
What do you get up to in an effort to recycle valuable materials?
Take care
Pattypan
xx
Your Nan's kitchen table reminds me of the one in our kitchen when I was a little girl. My mum too saved brown paper, wrapping paper and pieces of string. I'm afraid I'm not as good at doing that sort of thing as she was though.
ReplyDeleteBeing born during the 2nd WW, and growing up in the years after, I remember my Mother scrimpy and saving. She would save everything and anything out of necessity. I have photo's of my sister and myself in skirts she cut down and made from one of her own. My Dad would mend our shoes. After the string had been used on the hay bales she would braid it into mats. That saving mode was so instilled in her, she is still a saver at almost 94 years old. She saves Christmas cards and uses them for gift tags, she irons wrapping paper to be used again, and the list goes on and on.
ReplyDeleteWe are such a throw away world any more, makes you wonder where it will all end.
We are having more snow coming down at present, I am so sick and tired of it, it's been on the ground since late November!!!!
Thanks for your comments on my blog.
Hugs
Patricia
Waste Not Want Not whilst you Make Do And Mend! Love it. I would be interested to know which pasta sauce fits your Kilner lids and seals!
ReplyDelete