Canningvale cares: upcycling keeps the love alive
22nd Jul 2021
A new love is exhilarating. It’s a time filled with firsts; the first touch, the first spark, the first time you say ‘I love you’. But when things have run their course and you’re ready for your last goodbye, we have some tips and tricks to help you cut down on waste and keep the love alive with these easy upcycling projects.
For your dog tired sheets
When your sheets have had a little too much love, spend a crafternoon converting them into a fancy new dog toy.
by @eviekay
You’ll need:
- Scissors
- Some old sheets or towels
- Measuring tape (optional)
- Pencil (optional)
How to:
- Cut the sheets (or towels) into 9 long strips (50cm long x 5cm wide). If you have a larger pupperino, you may wish to extend the size of the toy.
by @eviekay
- Lay the strips out on a flat surface.
by @eviekay
- At one end, tie all the strips together with a loose piece of fabric.
by @eviekay
- Separate your strips into 3 sets of 3 - then braid!
by @eviekay
- Remember: you’ll need to leave some room at the end to tie the final knot. You can use another piece of fabric for this. Ensure the knots are tight so doggo can’t rip through it too easily!
by @eviekay
- Let your puppy sink their teeth into their new toy!
by @eviekay
Make art with heart
Here's a pretty nifty thrift if your little one destined to have their work displayed at The Louvre. Convert your old bedding into a bespoke art smock - they can even design it themselves.
You’ll need:
- Scissors
- An old sheet
- One of your child's t-shirts
- Pins
- Fabric paint or crayons (optional)
- Paint brush (optional)
- Newspaper (optional)
How to:
- Grab an old sheet.
- Fold your sheet in half, then lay it out on a flat surface. Grab one of your child's t-shirts and lay it on top of the sheet (this will help you get the measurements right).
- Start cutting! Follow the lines of the t-shirt to get the body shape right. You can then pin the back of the sheet to the front of the sheet to hold the shape of the smock. Do this for both the body and arms.
- Do the same on the other side. Then cut the neck hole (following the lines of the t-shirt).
Remove the shirt.
Pop the smock over your child's head. Tie the long arms into a bow on either side. Remove the pins and voilà - your child has their very own art smock.
- Bonus option: Lay some newspaper down and have your little artist decorate their own smock with fabric paints (or even crayons).
- As a little extra incentive to recycle your new sheets, here's how your new bedding can be styled...
Give your towels a cat nap
There are several brilliant charities that can provide new love to your old bedding and towels. Get creative! But make sure you check in with all these places BEFORE you drop them off! Charities spend a tonne of money each year sorting through unwanted donations and disposing of them - and this is time and money that could be better spent elsewhere.
Canningvale’s donation of Ultima Towels used to comfort these sweet little beans at The Lost Dogs’ Home.
- Animal shelters - they’ll take towels and blankets, but not pillows or doonas.
- Homeless shelters - if you have towels or sheets that have been gently used, sometimes shelters will take them off your hands. They can also NEVER get enough blankets!
- Mechanics - some will take your old sheets as they need them for rags.
When the flame burns out
Ready to part with an old flame? Our gorgeous soy candles come in large glass holders that are the PERFECT size for a planter.
You’ll need:
- An old Canningvale candle
- A freezer
- A butter knife
- Warm water
- Detergent
- Spray paint
- Potting mix
- A plant
- Landscape gravel or pebbles (optional)
- Horticultural Charcoal (optional)
How to:
- Place your burned out candle in the freezer for a few hours.
- Remove all of the wax with a butter knife (it will have shrunk in the freezer, making this process super simple!).
- Wash out the vessel with warm water and detergent.
- Add some colour to your vessel with spray paint.
- Since your fancy new pot doesn’t have drainage holes, you may wish to add in a 2.5 cm - 4 cm layer of landscape gravel (or pebbles) to help with drainage.
- You may also wish to add in a 1 cm layer of Horticultural Charcoal to help keep the soil conditioned. Make sure you don’t add too much! You want to see the tips of rocks below.
- Add in your potting mix.
- Plant!
What other clever ideas do you have for upcycling Canningvale product? Share them with us @Canningvalelove
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