And other recycling.

As part of my clearing out, I had to evaluate things I've been holding on to but not using. One was a piece of embroidered fabric my stepmother's husband had given us from his travels. It was lovely, but in colors (lots of purple) that we don't use in our decorating. I overdyed it in brown, and sewed it into a pillow cushion. There are snaps along the bottom and inside is a Christmas pillow I can take out and use, then return to its cover. No storage needed!

Höðr feels it is a fine place to take a nap.

And while I was making pillow covers, I took a gorgeous embroidered cashmere sweater that had belonged to my great aunt. It doesn't fit me at all, but was too beautiful to get rid of.

Turns out it made a perfect pillow for our bed.

One last recycling project - I wanted to add a wire cover to the existing glass globe ceiling lamp in the dining room. I spent a fair amount of time thinking this one through before getting to work. First, a big balloon, strips of newspaper, and a batch of flour and water glue.

Papier mâché is a messy process. Finally, I had the balloon all coated and drying on the sunporch.

Then I painstakingly cut the sphere into wedges and reassembled it around the glass globe. It was a brilliant idea: I would wrap copper wire around the form and then pull the wedges out through the opening at the bottom. Except it didn't work AT ALL. Major craft fail. The wire gauge had to be pretty rigid to hold its form and it kept knocking the wedges askew and sproinging all over the place. So I threw the wedges out and just started free-form wrapping the wire in the general area around the glass. It wasn't easy. Actually, it's was maddeningly difficult and there was some cursing involved.

Finally,  this is what I ended up with. My younger son pronounced it "whimsical." It is definitely that. But I like how the copper picks up the glow from the Edison bulb inside the glass.

Unusual, I'll grant you, but I like it.