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Rethinking in the Kitchen

Use a recycled lid and wooden spoon to create a simple dinner bell.

By Susan Wasinger

Ring the Bell

Do you know that eating when you’re stressed or distracted is harmful to digestion? It’s true. In today’s busy households, dinner is often not calm or focused, and the problem is intensified when mealtime begins with a discordant yell meant to round up everyone from all corners of the house. With so much noise going on in a house, you may have to yell several times in several different directions to get everyone’s attention. Instead of yelling, try striking a gong or ringing a dinner bell. If you don’t have one, be creative and make your own. A simple gong can be made from a recycled pan lid and a wooden spoon. The soothing sound will be unmistakable to all and everyone will know what it means. Set the table, yes, but more importantly, set the tone.

A Recycled Foliage Arrangement

As fall arrives, green foliage turns to brown and seeds take flight, autumnal plants are at their most sculptural. A linear vase relies on two dimensions to highlight the interesting shapes of seedpods in the framework of vegetation. Simply constructed of 1-by 4-inch beetle-kill pine held together with bolts and wing nuts, a narrow trough can be filled with florists’ foam to hold dried plants. Or better yet, recycle some Styrofoam peanuts that can be replaced with the next arrangement. If the aesthetic of the Styrofoam peanuts is not appealing, cover them with a layer of sand, small rocks or grass seed. Use your imagination and an obliging meadow or garden for plant material. Experiment! The combinations and variations are never ending. It’s an easy and eco-friendly way to add a decorative element to your space.

Feeling Loopy?

This is a fun, green craft that even kids can help with. First, locate all orphaned socks you can find. Feel free to ask friends and neighbors as it seems as though every one has a pile of socks with no mates. Unravel the socks to make these fun recycled potholders. If you don’t have one of those mini-peg looms used to make potholders from cotton loops, ask your neighbor—or your relatives—or head to the local thrift store, where they’re a dime a dozen. New looms come with enough cotton loops to make only two potholders, rendering the loom obsolete unless you have a ready source of cotton loops. And, now you do!. Slice them in crosscuts, starting at the top and working down to the heel. The instep yields lots of loops, too. This is a great rainy day project or winter project when it’s too cold to go outside. Maybe you can even give a potholder to the people who were kind enough to provide you with a pile of old socks!

Can You Get Organized?

Look around at some of the containers that your groceries are packaged in. It’s easy to stow kitchen supplies such as tea bags, dry pasta, and maybe even your secret cash stash in these little recycled canisters. Although they’re uptown enough for the top shelf, they have humble beginnings as packaging for oatmeal, raisins, and sea salt. Specialty bookmaking papers, wrapping paper, origami paper, old maps, and playbills can be mixed and matched to decorate surprisingly pretty, super-simple storage. It’s a great way to recycle some containers and the outsides of the containers can be changed if your décor changes. Be chic and recycle!

A New Life for Broken Pottery

In old Germanic tradition, broken pottery is thought to bring good luck. And so it can—if you can find a way to recycle it back into your life. Made from broken plates, vases, and teapots, a practical trivet can’t help but coordinate perfectly with your tableware. Since one person’s trash is another person’s treasure, put the word out to friends and relatives that you’d like any broken pottery they may encounter.

YOU'LL NEED:
>> a metal cookie-tin lid to act as base
>> a paper bag
>> a hammer
>> about 1 cup plaster of paris
>> a sponge
>> rubber gloves

You’ll want pottery pieces that are approximately 1 or 2 inches in size. If your pieces are too big, place them in the paper bag and hit sharply with a hammer. Fill the tin lid 3/4 full with the wet plaster of paris, then set the pieces into the plaster. Let the plaster solidify for a few minutes, then smooth the plaster into the crevices and clean off the pottery with a wet sponge. Let dry for several hours or overnight. It’s an easy, fun, absolutely kid-friendly project that can take a little of the sting out of those kitchen crashes. It’s a great way to give your beloved pottery a new lease on life.

Stylish & Sustainable Kitchens

Rethinking in the Kitchen

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