Creative Mother Upcycles

Kia ora - thanks for popping in.

I thought I would add a few typical New Zealand photos taken by Derek on our recent road trip to the mountains.

Maori meeting house in the township of Taumaranui

Typical rural roadside scene - we love the look of old farm buildings 

This slide is really best when the tide is in at this home in Raglan on a tidal inlet.

Creative Mother
(...that's me)

My daughter Maria (21) has just moved into a house by herself, and we are still busy getting her organized. I came away with a list of all the little things she needs - because we have amalgamated a few households over the years and have way too much stuff.
On this list were fridge magnets ("not tacky ones though"). We have a lot of those promotional magnets that you get sent without asking for. They are not pretty, but I don't like to throw them out. Usually I stick pieces of them onto the backs of postcards and display the cards on the fridge like that.
This time I though I would cover a couple using some upholstery vinyl that I had saved from a project. I will wait and see if these pass the "not tacky" judgement. I thought they would go with the black and white decor.

Double sided sticky tape and new cover for fridge magnets

Fridge magnets - now a bit more attractive

The next item on the list was place mats. I know I have some extras somewhere - probably stored high in the garage, but meanwhile I came across the remains of an old bamboo blind...the same one I used to make light shades with for the caravan refashion.

Don't throw those old bamboo blinds out!

A bit of work with the scissors, and a good scrub, and I will hand them over with a poker face to my girl who has champagne taste on a beer budget. They should do until she has enough money to buy herself what she likes.

"New" set of bamboo place mats - no expense spared.

It's only small stuff - and yes it would have been (almost) quicker to go out and buy new ones - but where's the fun in that?