TIP OF THE MONTH


Each month, the Goddess of Garbage will post a hot tip about how to "recyclize" those dumpster finds! So before you throw it away, check out her latest ideas.

THE HOT TIP

DIAMONDS ARE A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND

Diamonds are forever! Or so they say. The glamorous Goddess of Garbage's birthstone is the diamond, so it seemed appropriate to title her pillow, "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend."

Having a passion to create good looking tasteful reuse and recyclized items for home and office, including fabulous interiors as a worthwhile unique design style, the Goddess of Garbage's pillow is created out of "recycled" materials.

The rhinestone jewelry was part of an inheritance. The butterfly pin is most interesting as it has one black rhinestone set into it. This is the way the Goddess of Garbage received it. She decided not to replace it with a clear rhinestone. The Goddess of Garbage felt it was fitting to leave the one black rhinestone, symbolizing how the caterpillar weaves a chrysalis around itself and then transforms into a beautiful butterfly. This black rhinestone represents the last minute change the caterpillar has to go through to start a new life as a butterfly.

The vintage rhinestone butterfly and flower pin can be removed and worn to that special event only to be returned to its proper position on the pillow afterwards.

    Materials Needed:
    Plain paper for pattern design
    Vintage jewelry and/or buttons
    (Shown: 3 rhinestones brooches and 1 pair of earrings)
    3 or 4 different texture types of fabric remnants
    (Shown: faux leather, faux fur, stripe cotton, geometric cotton)
    Dacron filler
    Sewing machine
    Scissors
    Needle and thread

    Here's how:
    Draw design on paper cut to the pillow size
    (Shown is a 22" square pillow)
    Sketch where different pattern fabrics should be placed
    Position jewelry and/or buttons in place on paper
    Measure, cut and sew pieces of the fabric design together
    Place front and back of pillow fabric together inside out to sew seams
    Sew three seams of pillow together, keeping a 2" seam on all three sides
    Turn pillow fabric right side out
    Sew and/or pin your brooches and earrings into position
    (If using earrings, cut off backs to sew to surface)
    Stuff pillow with Dacron filler
    Stitch last opening closed by hand.