This is a holiday ornament made of jewelry wire and glass beads, for well under $10, a funky alternative to traditional Xmas tree ornaments.

I made a book for my adopted 6 year old daughter from Haiti. She has been confused about the first 5 years of her life where she grew up in 3 different town, including 2 different orphanages in Haiti. So using a binder (purchased for $2), construction papers, markers, photos, stickers (some purchased for $5, some we already had), a hole puncher and double sided tape, I wrote and illustrated the story of her life...so far. It's about 30 pages and filled with drawings, maps, and pictures so that we'll be able to read the story of her life.

I made this sock dog from a pair of socks I found at the discount store in Greenpoint. I had an old pillow that the stuffing was coming out of, so I used that to fill the doggie. The buttons are from my button collection and cost just a few cents. I think the total cost of materials for this was about $4. I will call him "Andy" named after the first dog we had when we were little...maybe Andy Bandandy

I make clutch purses from placemats. I am very careful to select placemats that will work in quality, texture and design. I find interesting small objects, buttons and ornaments to use for the clasp which is held in place by black elastic. The sides are closed by using glue applied by glue gun. I keep my costs well under $10 by purchasing my materials on sale when possible. I also use double sided placemats as throw pillows, opening a seam just enough to slip in the stuffing. I either sew or glue depending on fabric.
I have many other uses for placemats and old ties.....

Preserved Sock Trophy ~ I won the sock off of Leo in a pool game. The sock was dipped in polyurethane and then mounted to a plaque lying around the apartment. Also utilized a Crackle medium to finish the plaque using old house paints. I did buy some fancy brass screws to attach the sock and name card.

Next time Leo's in town he's goin' to be mortified.

a sculpture created out of found plastic bottles riveted together. Will be publicly displayed in a group art show opening December 8th, 6pm. "Upcycled" art created from post-consumer plastic.
Ernest Rubenstein Gallery at the Educational Alliance
197 East Broadway

www.bernardklevickas.com

This is a handy crochet rock. I found the rock while on holiday in California and had the white cotton yarn in my stash. So I didn't need to supplement my craft supplies.
I like the idea of enhancing a simple rock. This can be used as a paperweight, a napkin holder for windy days or just something pretty to look at.

I value objects for their previous useful lives and their aesthetic appeal reflecting the skill of previous crafters. This piece cost only my time. The materials: a cardboard tube from packing materials, lens from discarded glasses and a honeycomb like packing material found on a construction site in 1992. This material is versatile for its interesting shadows and stamping of designs. The piece now sits on a shelf near my front door, It covers loose change which sits snugly under the cavity that holds the honeycomb paper that holds the lenses. The weight of the coins serves to anchor the piece for the heavier lens affects the balance. The tube is strengthened through papier mache of tissue found in recycling space. Discarded glasses I found in a basket at a senior center. I like lenses and frames for their shadows and reflections.

Set of 4 wine glasses hand painted, different flower design on each glass, the outside of the glass is presented as the outside of the flower, the when look inside the glass you see the inside of the flower (painted in layers). Enamel paint baked and dish washer safe. total cost $7.00 (set of 4).

Garage sale doily ($.75!), thumb tack and beer bottle

Winter corchet hat made of alphaca.

lightbulbs, wire, pliers, metal stand from a thrift store, plant clippings

It's a simple plant stand that proves hallowing out a lightbulb is not just for drug addicts.

Miles (the dachshund) is wearing a harness made from strips of old denim, a found sweatshirt and a metal snap. The harness is adhered to the sled with strips of velcro which I bought previously for a school project. The sled (filled with crafting goodies, cheese puffs and watermelon flavored pop rocks) is made from cardboard, tape and hot glue and has been papier mached (I made my own wheat glue with flour, water and glue) and painted with children's poster paints.

The antlers are made from pipe cleaners that I had leftover from another school project.

The only things I bought were a bottle of glue and the poster paints totaling $7.

Will you get a visit from the reindachshund on a crafting day?? Be extra good!

This little pencil cup is made from a recycled tin can (Goya chick peas, if I remember correctly) and layers of handmade papers.

It can be used to store pencils, pens, paint brushes, markers, knitting needles or whatever strikes your fancy. It also looks kinda nice just sitting on a shelf.

This is a hanging basket made by hollowing out a wax turnip, and threading twine through it. The turnip is hung upside down and water is put into the hollow. When the greens grow out you have a beautiful hanging basket.
You can also eat the part you hollow out. Thrifty!

"EMERGENCY SNOWSUIT"
When guests arrived at our house during a snow storm, they forgot to pack a snowsuit for their son! The snow beckoned us to go out and play. What were we to do? Time to get CRAFTY! I made the snowsuit out of a single heavy-duty "contractor" garbage bag. Black duct tape allowed me to seam the necessary parts and provide extra strength for the bottom. I made the placket, name tag and "octopus" patch out of yellow foam craft paper I had on hand. An extra long shoe lace provided an excellent closure device for the placket. The snowsuit lasted the entire weekend and kept little Nathaniel happy AND dry!

I am knitting the depicted socks from leftover yarns I had in my yarn stockpile. I didn't have enough of the black to make a pair of black socks and I didn't have enough of the varicolored yarn to make a pair of varicolored socks, so I am combining them to make my friend a pair of socks. One sock is for his birthday, which is in a couple of weeks, and the other is for Christmas. I didn't have to use one red (or varicolored) cent to "supplement my craft supplies" (extra credit, please) although I am a bit nervous about whether I have enough of the varicolored stuff to finish the second sock in the established pattern -- I may have to work the end of the foot (above the toes)in black. It would serve my friend right for having such big man feet. Anyway, I hope that I don't lose any credit because my project isn't finished. I mean, there are still a few weeks until Christmas, right? I'm sure the Christmas sock will be finished by then.

"Faux-lopment Wedding Cake Topper"
My husband and I finally married after 13 years. We eloped, but we managed to have some guests so we call it a "faux-lopement. " I used two white paper espresso cups, two white pipe cleaners, and two 15-watt lightbulbs. The red heart was cut from the plastic cap of a small can of WD40 and was secured with a generous amount of candle wax. The facial details were made using a mailing label and colored with a magic marker. The cake topper sits on our mantle to this day. The fact that we both look like Burl Ives is pure coincidence!

"The Little Frieda Xmas Tree"
Two intersecting pieces of corrugated cardboard recycled from an abandoned box, cut to Xmas tree shape. Painted with leftover green poster paint and embellished with a green sharpie. Decorated with cut paper shapes painted with watercolors. The lights are a single string of battery powered lights formerly used on an outdoor wreath. The star on top was salvaged from broken mirror frame found in my attic. The tree sits in front of the painting "www.smallworld.com."

I can't throw out anything that has the potential for use. I saved all of my family's socks in a large red cotton bag throughout the past thirty years. I started the sock rug for my youngest daughter, whose favorite color is orange.

There are very few orange socks in the world. First, I dyed my husband's sports socks orange. Then, I cut all of the socks into long strips, by cutting them in a spiral. Next, I sewed them into long tubes. The tubes are braided together, paying attention to the colors. I then sewed the braids into a rug.

Amazingly, I still have a big red bag full of socks!