Upcycled Jewelry, Bags, Belts and More - a new book by Linda Peterson

upcycled jewelry book linda peterson
So I learned something about my friend Linda Peterson - the woman makes magic with bits of old bike tires and soda can tabs!

I've always loved her jewelry designs and craft projects, but I really love her new book, Upcycled Jewelry, Bags, Belts and More! It's packed with lots of really inspiring projects that are both eco-friendly and stylish.

I have an artisan purse made from crocheted soda can tabs and it gets lots of attention every time I carry it. This book shows you how to make your own, plus a matching belt.

I love the extreme close-up photos, which make it easy to see exactly what she's doing with each finding or bit of wire.


recycled plastic earrings lisa fulmer

Feeling inspired, I went digging through my recycle bin to make something. The only thing that spoke to me were the mangos. The lower half of these sturdy plastic fruit cups are nicely fluted, so I cut out sections of one cup to make these tiered earrings. 

I colored the bottom piece with blue alcohol ink and coated the front with crackle medium. I added a stripe of copper glass paint in the recessed area of the top piece, along with a couple gems. I love the overall shape and they're super lightweight.

Click here for Linda's playlist of companion video tutorials and then check out all the other designers' blogs below to see what they have to say about the book!