Repurposed, reimagined (Crafty Tuesday)

Halloween themed collage from "junk"
Originally uploaded by nostalgichomemaking

It is too easy when you have discretionary income to run out and buy whatever you need to complete a craft or decorating project. But what do you do when you are strapped for cash? Take a hard look at the junk..er...stuff that is collecting dust. Reimagine it and it becomes something wonderful (at least to you, anyway). The collage pictured here came from remnants in my far-too-cluttered office space. I wanted to make my sister a wall hanging with Halloween flavor. I had some ideas, all requiring purchases at the craft stores, but my wallet said no. So, I dug deep into my cupboards and cardboard boxes and found the parts to make this piece. I think it is pretty darn nifty and I hope she will too. The how-to information is listed below.

The text and photos were all generated using Adobe and Microsoft Publisher (Quotes from MacBeth, Practical Magic and a guide to teareading). I crumpled, burned, tore and tea-stained the paper to give it character. I added silk leaves and sprigs of thyme from my garden for some depth. One of my vintage Halloween cards adds some nostalgia and I finished it off with little glue puddles covered in tea leaves and Kosher salt. Some leftover gift ribbon makes a nice hanger and the frame was rescued from a box destined for Goodwill.This gift cost me nada and was fun to put together on the cheap. Give repurposing a try, you might find it a good way to clean out your closets.