Going "Green" in the Craft Room

Let's face it, paper crafting can get expensive.  This year, in my "rock what you got" series, I'm using the craft supplies that I have.  I'm not purchasing any new stamp sets or dies.  If I need adhesive (only if I run out of what I have), I will buy it and if I completely run out of card stock (as if), I will buy more, but other than that, I'm using what is in my stash. 

I'm also a strong believer in using what you can find to make cool stuff.  You don't have to buy lots of patterned paper or lots of stamps to make beautiful cards.  Look at any material or paper as a potential card project waiting to happen.  Today, I want to show you some cards I made from recycled materials I had at home.  Hopefully, this will encourage you to make something different too.

Tissue Boxes have Great Patterns

Have you noticed that? Tissue boxes come with the cutest patterns on them these days.  Why not cut them down and use them on your cards.  The leaves on these cards are from a tissue box. I collapsed the tissue box and used the perfect vine die (from Catherine Pooler Designs) to cut out the leaf pattern in the shape of a vine over and over. I ink blended the edges of the leaves to add some depth. 

A few weeks ago, my grandmother was given flowers and I noticed the wrapping was a gorgeous looking hessian and a frosty sort of plastic material.  She was happy to let me have them.  So I cut out some of this hessian and used it as a background for my first card here.  Then I added a sentiment and some jewels from Nuvo and I was done. 

I blended some distress oxide colours on some bristol smooth cardstock for this card and used some die cuts that were in my scrap basket as a background for these leaves.  A heat embossed sentiment made this look so classic.  A few sequins to embellish and I was done! :) 

One more tissue box that turned into a card, had the most adorable Mickey Mouse pattern.  I had to turn it into a card!! Working out which sentiment to add was tricky, but I'm happy with how it turned out. 

More Boxes that Became Cards!

This card was made using a strip of card stock that was wrapped around a block of chocolate.  The BFF was given the chocolate ages ago, when I saw the box, I asked if I could keep it.  She was more than happy to give me her rubbish.  Lol.  By the time I cut this down, the strip was not too big.  So I chose some strips of patterned paper that were in my scrap basket to go with it. This simple design and muted colours make this the perfect masculine card for any occasion. 

This cheerful card comes from a box that my perfume bottle came in.  The bright yellow background is so happy.  The white flower was just begging to be on a card.  A light grey mat was all that it needed.  Check this out. 

I really enjoyed making these cards, because I had to think outside the box (see what I did there? lol).  There was a bit of fiddling about and trying different colours to co-ordinate, but it was worth it.  No one would ever know where these bits of card came from either, which makes me feel really clever. 
What have you got laying around your house that could make a fun card?  Let me know in the comments. 

Happy Paper Crafting! See you next time.