If you travel frequently, you eventually find a pile of maps sitting in a drawer or box somewhere. They can be hard to throw away, even if they’re way outdated and worn out. Instead of getting rid of them completely, you can save their beauty and nostalgic value by upcycling the map pages into something new.
1. Envelopes
via La Petite Fabrique
One of the most versatile party decorations are cupcakes. You can make them look classy and feminine, but there are also masculine cupcakes, like the ones from Butch Bakery in New York. With the right cake toppers, they can match any party theme. Best of all, you don’t have to pack away the decorations once you’re done. You just eat them.
Paper mâché might make you think of piñatas or childhood crafts, but it’s a handy hobby for adults to learn, too. Once you know how to make paper mâché and find the perfect paste recipe, you can recycle all kinds of old paper into useful objects, like these beautiful bowls.
1. via Etco
If you break a walnut perfectly in half, you can make a dozen things out of the shell. Even if it’s not perfect, there are still a few ideas to try.
1. Thumbelina sailboat
via Gifts & Stars
The American Independence Day is usually celebrated with a barbecue, but if you want to try something different, visit the Colonial Williamsburg website for American recipes from the 18th century. They have a whole department dedicated to researching and recreating colonial American foods, called the Department of Historic Foodways. They’re currently researching culinary topics like coffee, dairying, food preservation, beer brewing and military foods, but there’s a generous list of recipes already posted with instruction videos and background information about the dishes. Some examples:
Tomatoes and Eggs - recipe
