Not all my waste-free-upcycling-craft-attempts are smooth sailing.  As much as I hope to transform every discard into something useful or wish that I can make everything that I need from scratch, sometimes, they just don’t turn out the way I thought, or like they say: Pinterest fail.

Here are a few to share:

++ DIY Shower Pouf ++

// inspired by this
// material: nylon mesh packaging bags for garlic, free from vegetable stalls. jute string, from Daiso.
// how it failed: the material was too rough as a shower pouf, the tough nylon makes them better off as produce bags. turned out that nylon is a recyclable material, so off they go into the blue recycling bin,

 

++ DIY green fabric dye++

// inspired by this
// material: wilting pandan leaves that were unsold by end of day, free from stallholder
// how it failed: the fabric did not absorb the color with the boil and soak method, my fabric used to squeeze pandan juice ended up many shades darker (photo below right).

++ DIY five stones ++

// material: used empty silk pyramid tea bags, dried green bean as filling
// how it failed: the fabric just couldn’t hold the stitches, started falling apart after the 4th game.  better zero waste luck sticking to loose tea leaves.

++ DIY liquid laundry detergent ++

// inspired by this
// material: labour brand bar soap
// how it failed: the liquid soap turned into blobs of fats instead of a running liquid detergent

++ DIY cocoa eyeliner ++

// inspired by this
// material: cocoa powder and coconut oil
// how it failed: not sure why, but mixture turned clumpy after a few days and became too difficult to apply evenly.

++ DIY Reusable facial cleansing pads ++

// inspired by this
// material: cotton fabric from an old blouse
// why it failed: the material was too rough for wiping makeup off my face.