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Hi, I'm Juliana. Ever since I can remember I've loved to: 1. Eat (+ be merry) 2. Rescue things from the garbage and use them to make something new 3. Create projects of all sorts. I still do all of these things. Join me!

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DIY Gift Wrap: Bow Made of Newspaper I love gift wrap that is both recyclable AND recycled. This bow is both, plus is pretty and charming, with a homemade feel. What I Used: old newspaper, tape, scissors How I Did It: Cut the newspaper into strips. Twist and tape several of the strips into figure 8s and layer them on top of one another to create the bow. Add a round circle in the middle of the bow and tape a few strips to the bottom of the bow as tails. To make the geometric accordion-like tails, place the end of one newspaper strip flat on top of another at 90 degree angle and tape it together, then fold the strip on the bottom over the piece on the top, and keep repeating, alternating back and forth. When you’ve reached the end of the strip, tape the other end together and you should have a nice “accordion” tail! Depending on the section of newspaper you use, you can make it a simple, classy black and white, or add more color by using the funny pages! Photo by Juliana Brafa, bow-making fool

DIY Gift Wrap: Bow Made of Newspaper

I love gift wrap that is both recyclable AND recycled. This bow is both, plus is pretty and charming, with a homemade feel.

What I Used:

old newspaper, tape, scissors

How I Did It:

Cut the newspaper into strips. Twist and tape several of the strips into figure 8s and layer them on top of one another to create the bow. Add a round circle in the middle of the bow and tape a few strips to the bottom of the bow as tails.

To make the geometric accordion-like tails, place the end of one newspaper strip flat on top of another at 90 degree angle and tape it together, then fold the strip on the bottom over the piece on the top, and keep repeating, alternating back and forth. When you’ve reached the end of the strip, tape the other end together and you should have a nice “accordion” tail!

Depending on the section of newspaper you use, you can make it a simple, classy black and white, or add more color by using the funny pages!

Photo by Juliana Brafa, bow-making fool

Animal Time! Dog who loves to fetch. This is my other boyfriend Rambo. We rescued him from a shelter and I’m convinced he’s forever grateful. Catching a dirty old tire is his favorite thing in the world. Photo by Juliana Brafa, dog kisser

Animal Time! Dog who loves to fetch.

This is my other boyfriend Rambo. We rescued him from a shelter and I’m convinced he’s forever grateful. Catching a dirty old tire is his favorite thing in the world.

Photo by Juliana Brafa, dog kisser

Tags dog fetch

DIY Turtle Made from Old Clothes What I Used: Fabric scraps: too-short jeans, old long johns + a shrunken sweater Stuffing Needle + thread Buttons for eyes How I Did It: I chose a turtle because it seemed hard to mess up - it’s just round with little square feet. For the limbs and head, I eyeballed the basic shapes, sewed the fabric together, turned it inside out and stuffed it. For the body, I pinned the limbs to the inside of the fabric layers of the body and sewed up the body around the edge (leaving a gap). Then I turned it inside out and presto - I had a headless turtle! Then I just sewed on the head! Photo by Juliana Brafa, undercover elf

DIY Turtle Made from Old Clothes

What I Used:

Fabric scraps: too-short jeans, old long johns + a shrunken sweater

Stuffing

Needle + thread

Buttons for eyes

How I Did It:

I chose a turtle because it seemed hard to mess up - it’s just round with little square feet.

For the limbs and head, I eyeballed the basic shapes, sewed the fabric together, turned it inside out and stuffed it.

For the body, I pinned the limbs to the inside of the fabric layers of the body and sewed up the body around the edge (leaving a gap). Then I turned it inside out and presto - I had a headless turtle! Then I just sewed on the head!

Photo by Juliana Brafa, undercover elf

Tags turtle stuffed animal DIY

I Made Illegal Salsa and Gave It to a Priest

Adventures from our vigilante garden…

toddbieber:

In May 2011 I decide to illegally grow a vegetable garden on a neglected patch of land in Brooklyn. While tending the garden this summer I encountered a thief, a dirty old man, and GOD — as documented in this follow up video.

Reblogged from Todd Bieber - i make movies  Source toddbieber

“Spaghetti can be eaten most successfully if you inhale it like a vacuum cleaner.”

Sophia Loren

My Dirty Little Secret: I’ve Got WormsYep, that is one of my worms. I keep them in a bin in my kitchen closet and feed them my leftover kitchen scraps.Why?- less rotting garbage stinking up my trash can (the worm bin doesn’t smell)- smaller landfills - they give me dark, vitamin-rich soil that I can use for gardening or houseplants- it’s fun to mention when dinner parties get boring (“So I have worms…”)I love my worms, but if you’re a bit more squeamish, you don’t need worms to start composting. Learn more here. Photo by Todd Bieber

My Dirty Little Secret: I’ve Got Worms



Yep, that is one of my worms. I keep them in a bin in my kitchen closet and feed them my leftover kitchen scraps.

Why?

- less rotting garbage stinking up my trash can (the worm bin doesn’t smell)

- smaller landfills

- they give me dark, vitamin-rich soil that I can use for gardening or houseplants

- it’s fun to mention when dinner parties get boring (“So I have worms…”)

I love my worms, but if you’re a bit more squeamish, you don’t need worms to start composting. Learn more here.

Photo by Todd Bieber

Tags home green compost worm worm bin kitchen

DIY Headband Made from Pantyhose! Got a run in your hose? Cut 5-10 inches off the top of the waistband and presto - you have a new headband! Photo by Juliana Brafa, headband technologist

DIY Headband Made from Pantyhose!

Got a run in your hose? Cut 5-10 inches off the top of the waistband and presto - you have a new headband!

Photo by Juliana Brafa, headband technologist

Tags DIY headband hair pantyhose craft

Cook Eggs in an Avocado (or Pepper) So easy (and tasty!) We used organic eggs from pasture raised hens (thank you food coop) and a cast iron pan that my man Todd seasoned to non-stick perfection. (Who needs Teflon?) What You Need: 4 eggs 1 red bell pepper 1 avocado olive oil salt and pepper How to Do It: Just slice, crack, season + fry. Photo by Todd Bieber

Cook Eggs in an Avocado (or Pepper)

So easy (and tasty!)

We used organic eggs from pasture raised hens (thank you food coop) and a cast iron pan that my man Todd seasoned to non-stick perfection. (Who needs Teflon?)

What You Need:

4 eggs

1 red bell pepper

1 avocado

olive oil

salt and pepper

How to Do It:

Just slice, crack, season + fry.

Photo by Todd Bieber

Tags food cooking avocado eggs pepper organic cast iron