Saturday, January 14, 2012

Up-cycled Lolly Containers - Vintage Papers

2012 plastics enhance vintage papers 
providing a new 'canvas' on which
 to display their bright colours and style.



The recent silly season, with all its parties and food,
 left me with the dilemma of what to do with the remaining plastic packing. 
These brightly coloured plastic lolly tubes were begging to be up cycled.


Hunt and Gather these Materials 
  • Some plastic lolly tubes (these were Skittles but I know there are similar ones around).
  • Mod Podge or PVA.
  • Papers for wrapping around the tube. These could be maps, origami papers, old patterns, anything that excites you! I love these Golden Book Illustrated Dictionary from the 1960's.



Get Creating
  • First, soak the lolly tubes in water for a couple of hours. This 'helps' to get the wrapper off. I say 'helps' because nothing, and I mean NOTHING seems to remove the industrial strength glue off these tubes. But that is Ok because you are going to cover it anyway - lucky!
  • Choose your papers. Smaller patterns or designs work best. 
  • Cut the papers with your slicer or kraft knife. These tubes required 8.5cm (h) x 9.5cm (w) / 3.3 inches (w) x 3.7 inches(h).
  • Brush the Mod Podge to the underside. 
  • Starting at the back, place one edge of paper onto the tube. 
  • Smooth the paper onto the tube getting rid of bubbles and creases as you go. Easy!
  • Brush Mod Podge onto to outside paper to protect it from wear and tear.


This 1970s pattern compliments the glossy orange.
Plastics and Patterns ...groovy man!


Maps and atlas papers.
Just so I remember where I am.


Vintage defininitions
for my  amusement (a-MYOOZ-ment)


The only hard this about these up-cycled lolly tubes?
 Deciding what to put in them.....
buttons, tacs, more lollies, pins.


So many possibilities, so few tubes.
Looks like the silly season may need to continue,
 so I can get my hands on a few more of these plastic packs!


Oh, how we suffer for our art ;)






Linking up this Elle and Lou post with these fabulous sites:
Friday

http://www.releasemecreations.com
Saturday

13 comments:

  1. Cute idea - reminds me of how we use to cover film canisters years ago!

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  2. These are adorable! I always love finding new ways to re-use things. Thanks for sharing at this week's BFF Open House.

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  3. Oh I love recycling little containers like this and filling them with things. What a great idea to decorate them with various papers!! Thanks for the inspiration, have a great week :)

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  4. This is an awesome idea my friend! so cool...keep rocking with your smartness *(*

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  5. What a great idea! I love it! I need to find some of the containers because it would be a great way to transport pins, needles, etc for sew-ins but also storage for buttons. Thanks for the great recycled idea.

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  6. Well that's just so cute - love the old comics! Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving such a sweet comment. Hugs ~ Mary

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  7. Thanks for your invite and you are right we are thinking a long the same lines. This is very clever and thanks for stopping by.

    Shari, Swinging on a Star Creations.

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  8. Such a great idea! I see books at my thrift store that are super cute for a quarter all the time and pass them by! I'm going to snatch them up and craft with them for sure!!! I'm glad I follow you! YOu're so inspirational!!! XO, Aimee

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    1. Great Aimee, if you do some I'd love to see them!
      Thanks for complement too, I feel very humble and am just glad that you keep coming back.
      Thank-you. Lou

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  9. Such a cute idea--I remember that very dictionary from my childhood! Love your map, too; I used to live in The Gap and Wooloowin....long ago!

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  10. Wow that is so close to me. Brisbane has changed a lot, for the better mainly (except for the traffic).
    And now you are on the other side of the world. i can only imagine how different that is!?!

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