Tuesday Tutorial : Julie Fei-Fan Balzer : Trash To Tools

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This week Tuesday Tutorials welcomes Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

Julie's submission inspired me with it's creativity and emphasis on recycling and reusing stuff you would normally throw away. Watch the video to see her create a great circle-grid layout (among a bunch of other cool ideas + techniques). Make sure to check out her blog for a peek into all her other creative endeavors. 

Here's Julie: 



This tutorial explores several easy ways of turning the trash in your home, into tools for art making. All of these techniques are easy, cheap, and environmentally friendly!






TOILET PAPER TUBE STAMPING


I often look into the bathroom garbage and see a pile of toilet paper tubes.  Here’s something fun you can do with them!



Using a paintbrush, spread acrylic paint on one end of an empty toilet paper tube.


PaintTube

Press it to your project to “stamp” a slightly distressed circle.  In my experience, you can get at least three circles, and sometimes more, from one brush load of paint.


StampTube



Here’s what the finished circles look like


Finishedcircles



And here are some finished layouts that use toilet paper tube rings:

LiveLife!-sm

NeverTooOldToPlay-sm



MAGAZINE CUTOUT FOR MASKING
Before your magazine even hits the recycling bin, take a few moments to pull some useful items out of it.



Find an image in a magazine with a strong silhouette.

MagazineImages-sm

The photo on the left is not a good candidate because of the way her arms are folded into her body. However, the photo on the right will work well because her limbs are clearly defined. Optional: Cover both sides of the image with packing tape (or clear contact paper). If you want to be able to use the image over and over, this is a good idea. If it’s for one time use, don’t bother.



CutItOut2

Using scissors and/or an exacto knife, cut out the image. Place it on your paper and spray with ink.



Remove the silhouette (wipe it with a rag to clean it) to reveal your masked image!

Sprayedimage


And here are some finished cards that have magazine cutout silhouettes on them:



Let'sPartyCard-sm


CelebrateCard-sm


TOOTHBRUSH PAINT SPLATTERING


They say that you should change your toothbrush every three months.  Here’s something you can do with that old toothbrush (other than clean the grout in your bathroom).



Mix water and acrylic paint together.


Paint-Water


Dip the toothbrush bristles into the pool of paint and water.


Toothbrushinpaint


Holding the toothbrush facing sideways, rub your thumb along the bristles in a vigorous manner.  


Toothbrush-thumb

Paint should go split splatting in every direction!


WetSplatters


And here are some layout that use toothbrush paint splats:


LoveAtFirstSight-sm

JustALittleSurprise-sm


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50 thoughts

  1. Kristen says…
    09/22/2009

    These are absolutely the greatest tips I've seen in quite some time. What ingenious, creative ideas. Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. Jo says…
    09/22/2009

    Amazing!!!!! Thanks for sharing such great tips and fabulous LOs! Jo x

    Reply 0 Replies
  3. Niki says…
    09/22/2009

    I'm environmental engineer, and I think these tips are fabolous.

    Reply 0 Replies
  4. Kaytee says…
    09/22/2009

    Awesome tips!! I know I have an empty toilet paper roll... I am going to try this!

    Reply 0 Replies
  5. Queen of Bristol says…
    09/22/2009

    What a fantastic tutorial! I LOVE the layouts and the ideas! Gotta try that!
    Thanks Ali for your Tuesday tutorials, they inspire me so much and I found so many cool blogs & sites through this which I enjoy reading and which keep me inspired.
    Sandy

    Reply 0 Replies
  6. Deb says…
    09/22/2009

    Love, love, love this. Dito to what Sandy above said. Thanks!

    Reply 0 Replies
  7. Susan says…
    09/22/2009

    Thanks for the great and fun ideas! Plus I work in a daycare and can't wait to have them do toilet paper printing!

    Reply 0 Replies
  8. Katie says…
    09/22/2009

    How fun - and eco-friendly!

    Reply 0 Replies
  9. Liz Ness says…
    09/22/2009

    Love this! Great ideas, for sure!

    Reply 0 Replies
  10. Tina says…
    09/22/2009

    Very cool stuff! All things that are kinda out-of-my-normal-zone. Dying to try it!!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  11. charlie says…
    09/22/2009

    I love these tutorials, but is there any way you can put them in a pdf file like you did on some of them. Thanks!

    Reply 0 Replies
  12. Jessica Salyers says…
    09/22/2009

    How is this possible? EVERY bathroom in my house has a FULL roll of toilet paper...AND the trash got picked up this morning...anyone have an empty roll I care borrow??? ;-)

    Reply 0 Replies
  13. ginika says…
    09/22/2009

    WoW!!! Love these techniques!!! Thanks for another great Tuesday Tutorial full of inspiration.

    Reply 0 Replies
  14. Michele says…
    09/22/2009

    Julie - the figure on the left is Michele Obama, first lady.

    Reply 0 Replies
  15. Nettie says…
    09/22/2009

    these are incredible......I am now off to check out her site.....thanks bunches

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. Sandi D says…
    09/22/2009

    Great ideas!

    Reply 0 Replies
  17. con-tain-it says…
    09/22/2009

    Thanks Ali for having Julie...most of those techniques I've used but I still learned something new today and that's fun...coating my silhoutes in contact paper...duh...why didn't I think of that. Have a great day, fondly, Roberta

    Reply 0 Replies
  18. Linda says…
    09/22/2009

    Love this!!!
    Great ideas, great inspiration

    Reply 0 Replies
  19. Cristina Tronco says…
    09/22/2009

    great tutorial!
    i love julie's work!!!
    thanks

    Reply 0 Replies
  20. Jana says…
    09/22/2009

    Great fun with texture and paint---love Julie's artsy layouts too!

    Reply 0 Replies
  21. Efrat Kashat says…
    09/22/2009

    Wow, wow, wow! Julie's layouts are *SO* inspiring! I really want to try the toilet paper tube stamping! Hope to do that tomorrow. It looks like so much fun!
    Thank you, Ali & Julie!
    Efrat

    Reply 0 Replies
  22. {vicki} says…
    09/22/2009

    Love the masking "trick" and the toilet paper roll stamp. I have used one of my son's old baby cups as a stamp before.

    Reply 0 Replies
  23. Aubrey says…
    09/22/2009

    I am generally not a re-user type, and I am *in love* with these ideas! Thanks so much to Julie and Ali both for sharing them!

    Reply 0 Replies
  24. jung a says…
    09/22/2009

    love this!

    Reply 0 Replies
  25. RachelM says…
    09/22/2009

    I love the magazine cut outs used for masking, what a clever idea!

    Reply 0 Replies

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