Give blood!

The need is constant.

The gratification is instant.

Habitat for Humanity Riverside is hosting an American Red Cross blood drive on Tuesday, February 21st in our Community Room located at:

Save time! Appointments are available from 11am to 5pm.

You can schedule your appointment online by clicking Schedule Here or by calling Kristii at (951)787-6754 x111.

All donors will receive a coupon for Mimi’s Café and discount ticket vouchers for
the LA Galaxy, Grammy Museum and LA Kings.

With your support we were able to save 48 lives in December. Please help us save more than 100 lives in February.

Scan for a Direct Link to make your donation appointment.

February 14th – February 18th

Every week, the Riverside ReStore has product marked down for special clearance. Check out this week’s specials:

January 31st – February 4th

*Sales are valid as scheduled, excluded items will be marked. All sale items are sold as is, no returns or exchanges. All sale prices are valid based on a time of purchase pickup.

Candelabra RePurposed into a Charming Cupcake Stand

Did you know that a standard cupcake and a glass votive have approximately the same size base? Just think of all of the gorgeous votive stands that you can repurpose into displays for your edible works of art.

This candelabra holds fifteen cupcakes & was only $5 at the Riverside ReStore.

*Cupcakes not included, drat!*

Simply nestle your cupcakes into the holders and display. You may also choose to embellish the stand with pearls, spray paint, ribbons, flowers or craft wire & beads.
Consider creating realistic faux cupcakes as a charming alternative to votive décor.

The breaks in the webcast were opportunities for conversations with many of
Riverside’s Green leaders; representatives from Growcology, the Riverside Food
Coop, the Wood Streets Green Team, and our very own ReStore RePurposing program
were onsite to answer questions and inform our guests about small changes that
can make huge environmental impacts right here in the community.

The rain was no match for the aroma and warmth of the coffee donated by Starbucks.
All that talk about food made Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market – with their
donation of delicious and healthy salads, sandwiches, wraps and juices – a tasty
favorite.

It was a marvelous day of healthy food, captivating ideas, and motivational company
at Habitat for Humanity Riverside & the ReStore.  Everyone here looks
forward to another innovative and inspiring event in the future.

If you commute to work,  you probably and unfortunately see traffic tubes every day.  They’re similar to traffic cones but lankier, and their purpose is to caution drivers about nearby road workers and to adjust one’s speed accordingly.  So what happens to traffic tubes when they’ve completed their noble duty?  Nothing.  If a traffic tube enters a landfill it will sit there for more than 10,000 years, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (Preliminary Review of the Degradation of Plastic and Rubber Materials. EPA. 2006).  This gives a whole new meaning to ‘Expect Delays’, which is why Making Purchases with a RePurpose can truly make a difference for the environment and our future.

Used traffic tubes can often be purchased directly from construction companies.  Recently, the Riverside ReStore received a large donation of them and started pondering “RePurposes”.  We were thrilled with the green possibilities: stepping stones and tree “huggers”!

Stepping Stones 

RePurposing the Base:

1. Remove the black rubber base from the orange tube by slipping it over the top.  Now you have two RePurposable items: the base and the tube.
2. Simply wash each base and align them in your garden walkway as easy, inexpensive, and eco-savvy stepping stones.

Note: The black rubber base is manufactured from recycled tires and is surprisingly sturdy, usually weighing between 12 and 18 pounds each. Their open space in the center, where the tube was situated originally, lends itself to become a decorative feature.  You can either allow grass to naturally grow through (see photos above) or fill it in with ornamental gravel or river rock.  Black, white, and grey gravel is a stylish option which provides additional traction and a weatherproof solution for icy climates.

Tree Hugger

“I used to protect road workers, now I protect trees” –Retired traffic tube turned tree hugger.

The orange traffic tube can also serve as a “RePurposed” tree hugger, literally.  Tree protectors, also known as tree guards or tree tubes, are probably more common on the East Coast,  and are used to protect the bark and trunk of fruit trees and saplings from rodents, rabbits and deer that might chew on the trunk or scratch themselves on the bark, damaging the fragile tree.  Perhaps ‘Buck Rub’ isn’t plaguing you in Los Angeles, but rodents, opossums, and the neighbor’s cat might be. Tree protectors are a gardener’s friend whether you live in a forest or a concrete jungle.

RePurposing the Tube:

1. Drill or punch holes liberally throughout the middle (two vertical feet at the center) of the tube in order for tree to breath. Note: Traffic tubes are quite similar to products manufactured specifically as tree tubes with one alteration, ventilation holes.
2. You will also need a support stake.  Master gardeners recommend that you bury a support stake between 14 and 16 inches below the soil, 1.5 inches away from the tree, and on the north side of the tree to prevent the stake from blocking sunlight. 

1. Slice the traffic tube vertically, using a saw or box knife, and place it over the newly sprouted sapling or wrap it around the existing trunk. 
2. Align the tree tube with the support stake (some store-bought stakes with pre-drilled holes) and drill matching holes along the tube’s sawed open seam.
3. Lace a zip-tie (or a more eco-friendly product) through each set of holes to secure the tube to the support stake.

Congratulations!  You’ve just “RePurposed” would-be industrial waste into garden beautification and protection equipment.

How would you like to make two fabulous and eco-savvy holiday gifts for $3 or less?  Two frames, a hardcover book, a hot glue gun and a little RePurpose creativity are all you need! You’ve probably seen a book paper wreath and a book secret box before, but with this tutorial the project is zero-waste, environmentally conscious, and super affordable!  When we encourage people to “Make Purchases with a RePurpose” we are promoting landfill diversion.

Instead of buying new materials and ‘antiquing’ them, support your local thrift shop or visit www.habitat.org to find the Habitat ReStore nearest you. I bought my hardcover book and two frames from our Riverside ReStore for $2.10 total!  This purchase kept reusable items out of a landfill and avoided the use of non-biodegradable material (like a Styrofoam base wreath), all while supporting Habitat for Humanity.

I love that which is witty and clever. So I was over-the-moon when I happened upon a hardcover book entitled Something of Value. Could there be a better book to make a secret box out of!?!”

Here’s what you’ll need:

 When choosing your hardcover book remove the dust jacket and check:

1. Inside- Do you like the color, look and condition of its pages and their edges? Note: These pages will become your wreath’s plumage.
2. Outside- Does the spine and cover have the look you want?  Is it structurally sturdy? If the spine is intact outside but separating from the binding inside it will be that much easier to deconstruct with edges that have appealing ‘aged’ hues. Note: The spine and cover will be used for your book secret box.

When choosing your frame for the book paper wreath:  Only the shape and width matter.

1. Look for a used frame already missing its glass and backing.  It will be cheaper and we want to avoid waste.  I chose a large oval plastic frame but you can use any shape you find appealing and a wood frame would work just as well.

When choosing your frame for the book secret box: Have your hardcover book with you!

1. Open your book- Place the frame on the first page, the frame should fit length and width.
2. Close your book- Set the book and the frame down side by side, the frame should be shallower than the book to ensure that the book/lid will close properly.

Note: The depth of the frame fits the depth of the book and becomes the depth of your box.  The frame’s sides will become the book’s ‘pages’ and the frame’s face will be what the lid opens to, so be sure you like it as is or plan to decorate it (before you glue it in).  Again, glass and backing are unnecessary.

Here’s what you do:

Project #1: RePurposed Book – Secret Box:

1. Open your book and carefully separate the binding from the pages with a box-knife or X-Acto blade.  This is easier with older books where the glue has already dried out and begun to separate.
2. Flip your book over, open and repeat.
3. You should be left with a book cover and a bound ream of pages.  You can set the pages aside to be used for your wreath.
4. The inside cover is the lid and bottom of your secret box which you can paint, mod podge collage images from the dust jacket, line with fabric, or leave as is.  Some books have wicked elaborate maps and images, use what you have.
5. Take your secret box frame and set it inside your hardcover, if the book closes around it proceed.  *If not, consider sawing-off the side of the frame that would be flush with the binding or finding a smaller frame and using this (too big) frame as another wreath frame instead.
6. The bottom of your frame is going to be glued onto the inside back cover of your book.  Align the outside edges of your frame with the outside edges of your book.  This ensures that the binding will have enough room and the lid will close easily.  Tip: If you are using a wood frame you may also want to consider tiny flat head nails or upholstery tacks for a ‘riveting’ decorative effect.
7. Depending on your book’s spine you can choose to glue it flush with the frame creating a more traditional jewelry box look.  Or leave it unglued so that it can lie flat open. Tip: This craft lends itself to so many embellishments and personal touches.  Consider gluing a ribbon or fasteners to the inside covers first, then secure the bottom one under the frame and the top under a wax seal or button.

 

 

Finished secret book box!

 

Project #2: RePurposed Book – Pages for the Ages Wreath

3. Now, take a page and without creasing it try a tube, accordion, ribbon candy or fanned style roll to decide what design you like best and stays sufficiently glued into shape.  I chose a standard roll with the smooth tip out.  If you fold a tab into the roll at the base it will minimize your glue points.  Tip: To minimize your finger burns use a tool (unsharpened pencil) to press your glued tabs onto the frame.

4. Start with the back of the frame, this will be the outside layer and you do not need to fold tabs.  Fold tabs toward the center for the next layer and towards the outside for the layer after that.

5. For my final layer I went from the back of the frame through the center to give it a very distinct oval shape.  However, you can do as many layers as you choose.  The more the layers the ‘puffier’ the wreath will appear.

For more information on the “Make Purchases with a RePurpose” program, please email info@riversiderestore.org.

January 17th – January 21st

Every week, the Riverside ReStore has product marked down for special clearance. Check out this week’s specials:

*Sales are valid as scheduled, excluded items will be marked. All sale items are sold as is, no returns or exchanges. All sale prices are valid based on a time of purchase pickup.

January 10th – January 14th

Every week, the Riverside ReStore has product marked down for special clearance. Check out this week’s specials:

*Sales are valid as scheduled, excluded items will be marked. All sale items are sold as is, no returns or exchanges. All sale prices are valid based on a time of purchase pickup.