RedThreadDIY

By now, everyone should know how I feel about overpriced stuff that can be easily made on your own.

Making your own ring bearer pillows will be so much more personalized than buying a mass-produced one. It will be a lot cheaper too! You want your wedding to be original, right?

Lucky for me, I have two ring bearers, so I get to make two! Yay!

Here are some great tutorials that I’ve come across in my search for making my own. When I get around to making my own, I will be sure to post my tutorial and plenty of photos! For now, just click on the photos below to go to a tutorial that interests you.

Tutorials:

• DIY Ring Pillows: Martha Stewart Weddings – this link has a collection of 17 different ideas!

My DIY Ring Pillow: Wedding Bee

Ring Bearer Pillow How To: Sewing.Today

Wedding Ring Pillow: LilBlueBoo

Ring Bearer Pillow: Apple Bride

Ribbon Ring Pillow: Martha Stewart Weddings

DIY Project Ring Pillows: Wedding Bee

Ring Bearer Pillow - a DIY Tutorial: 12K Wedding

How to Make a Something Old Something New Ring Pillow: CraftStylish

How to Make a Ruffled Pillow: Kelly and Olive

How to Make a Ring Pillow with Vintage Lace: CraftStylish

Monogrammed Felt Pillow: JCarolineCreative

Inspiration, Ideas, and Photos:

Wedding Ring Pillow: Eleen

My DIY Ring Bearer Pillow: Bridgettes Detroit Wedding

My DIY Ring Bearer Pillow: Bridgette's Detroit Wedding

If you know of ANY other examples or tutorials, please comment below so I can add them to this list. Thanks!

For some reason, I still have hundreds of paper lunch bags from when I used to take my lunch to school. Since I don’t go to school anymore and they’ve just been sitting in my kitchen drawers, why not DO something with them?! YES!!

Not gonna lie – the MAJORITY of these tutorials are for kids.

However, there are a lot of other awesome ones mixed in! I tried to separate the tutorials in a better way so that you could search freely through the post. Enjoi!

Tutorials:

• Piano Hinge Paper Bag Book Tutorial: AlteredBookLover Blog
• Paper Bag Scrapbooks: Family Crafts
• Paper Bag Album: Leapin’ for Stamps
• Paper Bag Scrapbook – with Personality: The New Homemaker
• The Paper Bag Scrapbook: Make-Digital
• Brown Paper Bag Scrapbook Album: Craftbits
• Recycled Paper Bag Art Journals: Creative Kismet’s Blog
• Gift Certificate Holder: Michaels
• Brown Paper Bag Card: Enchanted Learning
• Creepy Crawler Bug Box: Better Homes and Gardens – also could be used as a cute packaging source. They look like Chinese take-out boxes!
• Owl Gift Bag: d.Sharp
• Paper Bag Book Cover: Family Crafts – I remember making these to protect my books in school! They’re really easy, you can decorate them however you want, and they are fun to make.
• Paper Bag Pinata: Family Crafts
• Paper Bag Monster Pinata Craft: Enchanted Learning
• Pikachu Pinata: Making Friends
• Brown Bag Kites: KinderArt
• Fiesta Table Decorations – Place Mat and Sombrero Centerpiece: Making Friends
• Animal Litter Bag Craft: HowStuffWorks – Help out your community – pick up trash!
• Brown Grocery Bag Crafts Resources: Teach-nology – Includes a ton of listed resources for paper bags

Animal/Figure/Decoration Tutorials:

• Paper Bag Penguin: Family Crafts
• Paper Bag Fish: Tappi
• Paper Bag Squirrel: The Best Kids Booksite
• Platypus Craft: Family Crafts
• Paper Bag Polar Bear Craft: The Ramblings of a Crazy Woman’s Blog
• Paper Bag Animals: Making Friends
• Stuffed Paper Bag Whale: DLTK
• Moose Made from 4 Bags: DaniellesPlace
• Potato People: Family Crafts
• Yucky Bag Heads: Making Friends
• Stuffed Baseball or Softball Craft: Family Crafts
• Stuffed Football Craft: Family Crafts

Puppet Tutorials:

• Paper Bag Puppets: DLTK
• Paper Bag Puppets: Enchanted Learning
• Simple Paper Bag Puppets: Family Crafts
• Recycled Paper Bag Puppets: OurBigEarth
• Paper Bag Puppets: FunRoom
• Hoho Paper Bag Monkey Puppet: Nick Jr.
• Kai-lan Paper Bag Puppet: Nick Jr.
• Bob the Builder Paper Bag Puppet: SproutOnline

Accessory Tutorials:

• Paper Bag Apple Pin: Family Crafts
• Paper Machet Dinosaur Hat: Enchanted Learning
• Big Hat Craft: Enchanted Learning
• Paper Bag Poncho: KinderArt – This tutorial also tells you how to make a poncho out of fabric.
• Grocery Bag Outfit for Earth Day: DaniellesPlace
• Paper Bag Purses: Creative Itch
• Paper Bag Purses: Small Fry & Co.

Home Decor Tutorials:

• Paper Bag Apple Magnet: Family Crafts

Pet Tutorials:

• Kitty Condo: Making Friends

Valentine’s Day Tutorials:

• Be Mine Valentine Wall Hanging: Family Corner
• Paper Bag Valentine Card Holder: Making Friends

St. Patrick’s Day Tutorials:

• Leprechaun Hat: Making Friends
• Leprechaun Puppet: DLTK
• Bonnie Bagpipes Craft: Crayola

Easter Tutorials:

• Bag Bunny: TheHolidaySpot
• Paper Bag Bunny: Making Friends
• Paper Bag Easter Bunny: CraftElf

Independence Day Tutorials:

• Fire Cracker Pin: Family Crafts
• Star Spangled Luminarias: Family Fun

Halloween Tutorials:

• Fall Scarecrow Decoration: Family Crafts
• Haunted House Treat Bag: Making Friends
• Last Minute Trick or Treat Bag: Mod Podge Rocks
• Paper Bag Scarecrow: Fun Room
• Outer Spacers Costume: Family Crafts
• Make a Ladybug Costume: Enchanted Learning
• Recycled Grocery Bag Vest: Free Kids Crafts
• Paper Bag Bowls: The LongThread
• Paper Bag Treat Bag: Family Crafts – You could also use this idea for party favor bags, or for any holiday really!
• Paper Lunch Bag Pumpkin Craft: Family Crafts
• Paper Bag Pumpkin Craft: Kaboose
• Paper Bag Pumpkin Patch Craft: Crayola
• Paper Bag Pumpkin: Plaid
• Paper Bag Trees: Family Fun
• Paper Bag Trees: KinderArt
• Paper Bag Gargoyles: Family Fun
• Paper Bag Scarecrow: Associated Content
• Stuffed Paper Sack Pumpkins: ActivityVillage
• Trick or Treat Bags: Craftown
• Black Cat Hat: Enchanted Learning
• Paper Bag Crafts for Halloween: Craft Jr.
• Halloween Loot Bags: Making Friends
• Halloween Friends: Making Friends – print these guys out, color them, and glue them to a lunch bag for gift bags!
• Paper Bag Luminaries: CraftZine

Thanksgiving Tutorials:

• Turkey Centerpiece Craft: Family Crafts
• Pilgrim Hat: Making Friends
• Native American Headband: Family Crafts
• Tepee Craft: Enchanted Learning
• New World Map: Kaboose
• Native American Doll Costume: Making Friends
• Paper Bag Turkey Hand Puppet: Ramblings of a Crazy Woman

Christmas Tutorials:

• Max the Dog Ornament: Family Crafts
• Gingerbread Treat Bag: Making Friends
• Paper Bag Apple Ornament: Family Crafts
• Santa Puppet: Family Crafts
• Stuffed Gingerbread Man: Family Crafts
• Brown Paper Christmas Stocking: EnchantedLearning
• Christmas Gift Bags: Craftown
• Easy Brown Paper Reindeer: Make-Stuff
• Paper Bag Gingerbread House: Making Friends
• Christmas Tree Paper Bag Puppet: Scholastic

Inspiration, Ideas, and Photos:

• Lunch Bag Art
• Upcycled Art: WebEcoist
• Paper Bag Art Puts Faces on Homeless: Hillsborough

Yep. I’m excited. I was SUPER excited to find the inspiration sites – they are just so interesting.

I’m going to definitely try the first half of the general tutorial list. And, as usual, I will post the results in this post when I do so!

If you know of ANY other examples or tutorials, please comment below so I can add them to this list. Thanks!

Photo Credit: St0rmz on flickr

So. I have these books. Worthless books. I can’t even sell them for $0.75 on eBay, Amazon, or Half.com. And I sure as heck don’t want them – they are old schoolbooks that have already been way outdated!  Absolutely no one can use them. I realllllllly wanted to do SOMETHING with them, as I have so freaking many! So, as usual, I spent a good amount of time researching different projects with books. I also asked my Twitter and DIYscene peeps (of course!) I was ultra happy to find so many tutorials and ideas!

Contents:

• Tutorials
• Accessory Tutorials
• Home Decor Tutorials
• Wedding Tutorials
• Halloween Tutorials:
• Inspiration, Ideas, and Photos

Tutorials:

• Making Handmade Paper: PioneerThinking – found by Self_Inflicted_DIY
• How to Make Handmade Paper: Cathie Filian
• Shape Book Tutorial: Cheeky Magpie
• Page Turner Sculpture: Kari and Kijsa
• Altered Book Techniques: JenMinnis
• Create Your Own Altered Art in 60 Minutes: Creativity-Portal
• Look through ArtE-Zine to find a TON of ideas and photos. Tutorials are mixed in.
• Altered Book Tutorial: Karen’s Whimsy
• Altered Art Tutorials: SacredArtImages
• How To Make an Altered Coffee Filter Book: EweNmePrintables
• Make an Altered Book with Coptic Binding: Altered-Book
• Altered Book Tutorial: Knol
• Altered Book Tutorial: Stampin’ Mama
• Altered Book Tutorial – Gluing Pages and Cutting a Niche: 1st Floor Flat Blog

Accessory Tutorials:

• Old Books into Cool Handbags: Blisstree

Home Decor Tutorials:

• How To Turn a Book Into a Picture Frame: WikiHow – found by FatBottomBags
• DIY Invisible Floating Bookshelf: LifeHacker – found by TheKatzer
• Plant Holder: Altered-Book
• How to Alter a Board Book (Frame): Creativity-Portal
• Altered Book Safe: Craftbits
• How to Make a Headboard Out Of Books: Curbly – found by FatBottomBags
• A Murder of Crows: Can’t Stop Making Things
• What Crows Hath Wrought Frames:  Can’t Stop Making Things – These are awesome frames for your Murder of Crows prints
• Make a Book Clock: Ruffles and Stuff – this is amazing! Go to Ikea to get a clock to alter for $3!
• Book Page Wreath: Someday Crafts – beautiful. simply beautiful.
• Old Books Become New Wall Storage Folders: Gingerbread Snowflakes

Wedding Tutorials:

• Altered Antique Book: Craftbits

Halloween Tutorials:

• Making Creepy Books: Dave Lowe Design’s Blog

Inspiration, Ideas, and Photos:

• Absolutely Nobody Wants This Book: BookShopBlog – This is a MUST READ! There are a ton of shops, ideas, and photos listed that should inspire you to do something awesome with your books!
• entre lineas + kat macleod’s north carlton: Design Sponge
• Bittersweet Art of Cutting Up Books: DarkRoastedBlend
• The Altered Book – A MUST READ website as well! Tons of ideas, photos, techniques, and tutorials mixed into one!
• Artful Journey – Altered Book Ideas!
• Altered Books Gallery: Karen’s Whimsy
• Etsy Seller CaramBatack uses pages of books and turns them into art!
• What about taking the pages and decoupaging things? Little wooden boxes, frames, etc?? – FabulouslyFierce
• I have also seen people stack them and somehow fasten them together so they look slightly spiraled and using them as a base for end tables – WickedBadNaughty
• You could make new paper! Shred a bunch of pages, put it in an old blender with some water, and WHIRRRR!! Get a screen or some cheesecloth and poor the goopy mess over, and when it dries, fancy paper! I’ve also always had a hard on for those hollowed out books they have in mystery movies. – Smarmy
• How ’bout…glue the pages together and to the back cover, then hollow out the center and make boxes?? – Lily_Lazer
• You could make secret boxes out of them…or make purses with the covers (if they are hardcover)…use the pages for origami – RuJuBags
• Book Sculptures – Spooons
  
• Hmm… why don’t you take a page, use paints, paper etc etc, make collages and frame them and sell them? :] – NeonFaze
• I ordered something from Etsy a long time ago, and one of the extras she sent me was a bookmark she had made, and she had on it the definition of apple cider that she’d cut from a dictionary. I thought that was really neat. There are sooooooooooooo many things you can do. It would take forever to use up just one book! – MeanLook
• You could take parts of the book, dress patterns, newspaper etc and binding to make journals – DingoGirl66

Whatever you decide to do, you BETTER recycle them! I HATE people who just throw stuff out. It’s just going to go into a landfill and that just sucks. So recycle them somehow – donate them to a library (via Indiscretion), go to your recycling center, and if they are sellable, list them online! Or ELSE!

Once I get the courage and energy to attempt to conquer one of these altered book projects, I will post the result here.

If you know of ANY other examples or tutorials, please comment below so I can add them to this list. Thanks!

Photo Credit: AustinEvan on flickr