Into this:

Or this?

This is a question I received awhile ago and since then, I have been trying to think of/ find ways to reuse old fleece jackets.  Fleece is very handy – it is really warm, but after some time, it starts to not look all that great – but never fear, I have found some great ideas on how to prolong the life of a fleece and help with your cleaning and crafting creations, to boot.

- How can I Recycle This?, a great site based in the UK posed a similar question awhile ago and several people responded with pretty interesting ideas, including : using fleece as an insulator for frost-sensitive plants, as hot water bottle covers, rag rugs, dog blankets, bean bags, and cleaning cloths!

- If you are crafty with sewing, this site lists a couple of dozen suggestions (note that some of the links they list no longer exist)

- Homemade dust mops!

- Baby Toys! (no sewing required!)

- Polar Fleece Hats (thanks, Martha!)

- Crafty Fringe Scarf

Do you have ideas on how to use old fleece jackets?  I know there are hundreds of ideas out there.  Please leave us a comment!

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted some crafty projects to peruse, and with the holiday season coming up, now is a great time to start thinking about projects for holiday giving.  I have several in mind that I’m starting to work on (I will share later on!), but there are literally thousands of easy projects out there that are creative, inexpensive, and fun.  Enjoy!

You may not have bread, but there is always mail

I saw this idea on Design*Sponge awhile ago and since then, I have been on the hunt at Goodwill to find one of these.  As the writer points out, however, you can usually find these antique toast holders on eBay – I would recommend checking out antique stores, as well.  If you are in the present-making mode, I think pairing this with a stationary set, a book of stamps, and fancy pen makes for the perfect gift

Weighed Down?

Have I talked about how much I love Design*Sponge? This post especially blew me away, partly because of my love for Audubon prints.  If you want to learn more about Audubon, this is the post to read!  All the information is paired with a creative project that makes for a great gift.  The Audubon paperweight is really easy to make AND you can substitute in any print you would like – who doesn’t appreciate a handmade, decorative paperweight as a gift?  I’m thinking of making several of these this year.

You need a paperweight kit (I’m thinking you can also purchase these at local craft stores), your print, and a pair of scissors.  Pretty darn easy!

What are you making for holiday gifts this year?  Let us know and we will feature a compilation of readers’ idea on the blog!

I am excited to announce that the Grand Opening of the new Goodwill store and donation center in Ellsworth, Maine, is set for Friday, November 20.  Doors open at 9 am and the morning and early afternoon will be filled with prizes, raffle drawings, and a special guest appearance by the Goodwill mascot (see below!)

The new Goodwill store is located at 15 Downeast Highway (near the intersection of Routes 1 and 3 and on the spot of the old Dave Gould Ford dealership).  The newly-constructed building features a convenient donation drive-through.  The new store also accepts used computers and parts through the ReConnect computer recycling program.

The store was constructed with several environmentally-friendly features, including an energy-efficient HVAC system, updated flooring, and “green” windows to offset energy consumption.  The building is also engineered for Energy Star compliance, which means Goodwill will be able to apply for Energy Star status after one year of operation.

Goodwill is new in the Ellsworth community and we are excited to open our doors there – for more information, please visit our Facebook page!

And the best part?  These items are featured as “Buy it Now” so if you want them, you can get them!  The bags measure 7 x61/4″ and 6 3/4 x 5.”

This is the time of year when I pull out pants, shirts, sweaters, and skirts that I haven’t seen in close to 8 months – and then I remember, oh yeah, this sweater has a hole I told myself I was going to fix or “I would still wear these pants if it wasn’t for this tear…”

One of the best ways to get “new” clothes is to fix and mend the much loved ones you already have.  Below you will find links to articles that share great tips on how to tailor, sew, and mend your way to a fresh new closet of clothes!

But there’s a hole in my pocket!

Stop losing change and fix that hole!  This is probably the easiest snafu to fix, especially for your favorite pair of jeans. 

Crafting a Green World has an easy to follow post on how to mend that hole and extend the life of those jeans just a *bit* longer.  Though the tutorial is for jeans, I think it can be extended to any pair of pants.

Hemming…

Speaking of jeans, you may have a few pair that fit really well, but are dragging you down with their length.  Hemming pants is surprisingly easy – I used to bring long pants to the tailor, but no more!  Once again, Crafting a Green World comes to the rescue – all you need is a pair of jeans, a double-fold bias tape maker, and a sewing machine (or a sturdy sewing needle).

Hodge Podge

If you have never checked out San Francisco Indie Fashion, I recommend you do – while they focus primarily on Bay Area designers, they also often have great tips on fashion, sewing, and tailoring.  In the spirit of “revamping” your closet, they share five tailoring ideas on how to take what you already have – and make it new.  As they point out, it IS ok to take clothes to the tailor – if you have nice clothes you want to last, it is worth the investment – dressing up the outfits with different accessories also extends the wearability of your clothes.

Other ideas they share are turning a dress into a shirt, changing the sleeves on a shirt, converting a tie-neck halter to a button closure, and replacing the lining (a GREAT idea for much loved winter jackets).  Read more here.

To fix or not to fix…

Lastly, to leave you with some food for thought, I recommend you read (or re-read) this article that appeared in the Boston Globe awhile back: “Can this garment be saved?”  It explores when you should and shouldn’t save that article of clothing and related costs.

Do you have any tailoring tips or shortcuts?  Please share them with us!

Dear readers,

Goodwill’s annual Trick of Treasurer Fundraiser is in full swing and runs through October 31.  For every dollar donated, you receive a “scratch ticket.”  Will your ticket be a trick or a treasure? Scratch away and you have the chance to win some of these great treasures:

- A Goodwill tote bag

- A Free Loyalty Card

- 10-20% off your next purchase

- $5 off your next $20 purchase

- And more!

Every dollar you donate will benefit Goodwill’s group homes so that we can make needed capital improvements. Goodwill has 23 residences that assist people who are in need of a comfortable home setting, while living as independently as possible. People served through these services may have an acquired brain injury, a developmental disability, or other barrier to independence that requires the support of Goodwill staff.

All 25 of Goodwill’s stores in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont are participating in the fundraiser.

Want to learn more?  Watch a recent news piece on Goodwill’s group homes on WCSH-Channel 6 in Portland.

Participating in these sports can be expensive, however.  Fall is a great time to get deals on outdoor gear – lots of towns all over northern New England are hosting ski swap sales, offering used and new equipment at affordable prices.

Ski swaps are also a great place for you take in your old equipment and swap it in for something new.  Check out the upcoming sales below to see if there are events in your area.

If I missed some, please leave a comment to let us know!

Maine

- October 17: Penobscot Valley Ski Club

Ski and Snowboard Equipment Sale

Bangor Armory, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

- November 8: Brunswick Park & Recreation Department

Ski and Skate Sale

Brunswick Recreation Center, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

- November 15: Aubrn Ski Association

Ski Swap

Auburn Middle School, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

- November 28: Downeast Ski Club (Portland)

Ski and Snowboard Swap and Sale

Portland Expo Building, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

New Hampshire

- October 23 & 24: McIntyre Ski Area (Manchester)

Ski Swap

McIntyre Ski Area,

October 23: 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

October 24: 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

- November 7: Seacoast Sea Club

Ski and Snowboard Swap

Putnam’s Ski and Snowboard Shop, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Vermont

- October 24: Montpelier Recreation Department

Ski Swap

Montpelier High School, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.  Equipment drop-off is on Thursday and Friday.

- November 7-8: Cochran’s Ski Area

Cochran’s Ski Swap

Camel’s Hump Middle School, Richmond, VT

(Please contact Cochran’s for times)

- November 20-22: Okemo Mountain, Ludlow

Annual Ski Swap and Sale

Okemo’s Main Base Lodge.  Open Friday 3-7 p.m.; Saturday 9-5; Sunday 9-1. Drop off items for consignment on November 14, 15 and 18.

You can also check out the Ski Swap Database for updated listings.

Clothing Swaps

There really is no rhyme or reason to hosting a clothing swap party – ask a bunch of your friends and family to clean out their closets and bring it over for an afternoon of swapping – asking people to bring food for a potluck is a good idea, too – trying on that many clothes can make you hungry!  Read this post for a more detailed summary of hosting a clothing swap party.

If your friends are not interested (what!?), then check out clothing swap listings on craigslist, your local community center, or in area cafes and gathering spots.  If you want to host a public swap, consider asking a local cafe or store to host the swap – it’s good publicity for them and you have a great space for swapping!

And of course, any clothes left at the end can be donated to Goodwill!

What about other items?

If you are interested in swapping other items, check with your town’s local transfer station.  For example, Saco, Maine has a Swap Shop that offers its services to residents in area towns.  More and more towns are offering this service to help keep perfectly usable goods out of the landfill.

There are several swapping sites online.  If you are looking to find some new books, try Paperback Swap.  If you want to share movies and music for free, try Swap a DVD and Swap a CD, respectively.

Do you have any other swapping ideas?  Leave us a comment!

You can view more pictures and place your bid on our eBay site.

Dear readers,

With the first of October comes thoughts of fall, pumpkins, apples…and of course, Halloween.  I am still trying to decide this year’s costume, but I will be heading to Goodwill this weekend to get some inspiration.

The best costumes are often found by browsing through clothes, accessories, and shoes.  Do you want be an ’80’s fashion queen for sixties flower child?  No problem.  You can even go more traditional by finding all black ensembles for your witch outfit or paint on some yellow lines for an instant bumblebee.  Imagine the possibilities!

In addition to one-of-a-kind clothing to inspire your costume creativity, Goodwill also has several Halloween accessories to complete your outfit.  We have tombstones, creepy-crawly bugs, plastic knives and pitchforks, earrings, devil horns, and witch hats.  There are also lights and home decorations to get your place decked out for the creepiest holiday of the year.

Don’t have time to put together a costume?  We also have pre-packaged outfits ready to go – you can be a chicken, cheetah, fireman, grapes (!), shark, pirate, and more.

Do you have costume ideas?

Share them with us or send us your pictures and we will feature you on the Goodwill blog!