great first class!

Such a great first class last Wednesday!  We started with 2 decoupage projects:  upcycled bathroom tiles as drink coasters and 10x10 glass tiles (scored from FreeCycle) as platters.  It's so great to see which materials everyone chooses and what they do with them!

bags of materials loaded and ready to go

sample coasters for inspiration

the workshop at Sticks and Bricks,

where all of the magic happens

materials ready to go

let the crafting games begin!

mid-coastering

demo platter displaying delicous cider doughnuts

maps gone wild

gearing up for fall class

The fall classes are upon us, and we are busily crafting our demos and figuring out ways to display all of our gorgeous materials.  After much discussion about how best to display all of that amazing vintage fabric we scored, I found the most perfect piece of furniture to do it - for a buck at a garage sale in Easthampton.  I also scored an Oral Roberts metal serving tray for future decoupaging projects for 25 cents, but we'll put that aside for now.  Finally, we can give our fabric the respect and space it deserves before it gets snatched up and Mod Podged on ceramic tiles to make the hippest coasters ever. 

There's one slot left for the fall session - email us today at jendieringer@gmail.com and join the crafting fun!

Vintage Fabric Tile Coasters- Fabulous Housewarming Gift!

don't tell, but i made this adorable set of coasters for some newlywed friends that recently moved into a new house.  our fabric stash happens to include many fabric squares of similarly patterned, but different colored prints, like these.  (see also napkin rings below).  i think these coasters hit the perfect note of hip and modern with a nod to another time.  it's what i always think of as this couple's style. i hope they like them!

Can't. Stop. Decoupaging.

I want to decoupage everything that moves (cats and baby Gus emit sighs of relief).  This project was inspired by a beautiful decoupaged plate I got at Twist several years ago. 

It began by scoring a bunch of large square glass tiles from FreeCycle.  I then sat down with a bunch of magazines, some old books and my alphabet stamps and started decoupaging.  It looked a little high school (you know, when you cut out a bunch of pictures and words from Seventeen and Glamour Magazines and put them all together and gave them to your friends...or maybe it was just a Long Island thing?).  So with Laurie's help, I changed some stuff and came up with this summer-themed square with a very preppy paper background:

While I loved the design, it kind of still felt like a glass tile with decoupage on it.  Pretty, not practical, and we at Reclaimed Crafts are all about pretty AND practical.  And lots of Mod Podge.  Then Laurie, thinker of big, creative thoughts, remembered the vintage glass stoppers we got at Brimfield even though we had no idea what we'd do with them:

Feet!  Of course.  They were meant to be feet, so that Decoupaged Glass Tile would become Pretty Summer Cheese Plate.  And so, with a touch of Gorilla Glue, it did.

My map obsession grew when I found a maritime map at Goodwill.  It wasn't just any maritime map, it was a maritime map of Long Island, where my stepdad has his boat.  His boat clearly needed a tray for cocktail service, and it needed to be decoupaged with the maps of where the boat was going.

And then there are all of those vintage road maps from gas companies long gone.  Perfect little present for my mom, the compulsive organizer, to clip her papers neatly together.

Final Class Gorgeousness

Our innaugural class could not have been more fun and fulfilling.  What an amazing group of creative women!  Thank you, guinea pigs!  Below are some of their fabulous creations, and stay tuned for the posting of the fall schedule.  It will feature some of the same projects, some brand new, and a multi-session class as well as several single-project classes.  We can't wait!

funky coasters made from a totally cool, really old book

Tom was not losing hope!

Action shot!  Wendy was so committed, she crafted with just one arm.

Gorgeous photo window

cool coasters using photos and stamps

beautiful coasters using decoupage paper