Recycle, Reuse, Restore

Manila, sisal, cotton, and unmanila are the best options for a rustic yet modern look when wrapping the outside of frameless mirrors, bottles, jars, and other "throwaways". Unmanila is resistant to many outdoor conditions and should be used for decorations that are going to be on the porch, deck, or somewhere in the yard.

Mirror

Wrap the outside of a mirror when frame breaks by using the following steps:

Items that are needed before starting are a hot glue gun (or other strong adhesive), tape (masking tape or another weaker tape will work best, cutting tool, marker, rope (length and diameter depends on the size of the mirror and how thick you want the border/frame to be), rope (to cover the tape at the at the bottom of frame where ends are shown), and the mirror.

Before starting on refurbishing the mirror, make sure the working end of the rope is taped, so that it does not fray while being used.

Steps 1 - 2. Lay the mirror face down and begin to make a single coil starting at the top and going around the very outside edge on the back of the mirror (be sure to tape down the rope so that it is secured to your working table).

Steps 3 - 6. Once the rope goes around one time, tape the end and mark where it meets the start of the rope. Cut along that mark and glue the two ends together.

Steps 8 - 10. Make another coil around the first one and remove the tape used on the first coil, so it can be used on the second to hold it into place. The second coil will also need to be taped and cut at the end, then glued to the beginning end.

Steps 11 - 14. One more coil will be made around the first and second coils. Once again the tape will be removed from the previous coil to be used for holding the third coil into place. After the last coil is made, it will need to be taped, but, and glued at the end.

Note: (More coils can be added if you want more than three for the border of your mirror)

Steps 15 -17. Remove the tape holding down the rope, but don’t remove the tape that is wrapped around the ends. Go around the creases of each coil with glue and hold them together until the glue dries.

Note: (It works best to glue and hold in sections rather than doing each coil all at once.)

Steps 18 - 19. Take a thin piece of rope and tie it around the taped ends, this will be used to cover up the tape and give the frame a clean, finished look. Continue to wrap the thin rope around until the tape is completely covered, and glue the end of the thin rope to the border.

Step 20. Finally, place hot glue on the mirror where the rope will be framing it and place your newly made frame onto the mirror. 

Note: (Make sure to let all of the glue dry before hanging it up.)

Below is a step by step photo tutorial on how to create the frame for a mirror:

Additional Ideas:

Add Letters

• Use cursive or block letters made out of rope to give your mirror a unique design that has the first letter of your name or your roommates.

Add Hooks for extra storage

• Loosely run rope from one side of the mirror to the other, and only secure the ends in place. Hooks can then be added to the rope to provide a cute hallway or entrance decoration that keys, hats, and other items can be placed on.

Bottles

Netting rope can be a great look to add onto old bottles that are going to be thrown out anyways.

Supplies needed for this project is 6 strands of rope that are 3 times the height of the bottle, one strand that can be tied around the neck of the bottle, one strand for wrapping around the neck of the bottle, scissors, and hot glue (or other adhesive).

Steps 1 - 2. First, tie the one strand around the base of the neck of the bottle, then take that one strand off of the bottle while it’s still tied.

Steps 2 - 5. Take the 6 strands of longer rope and secure them onto the single strand that is tied by using a cow hitch knot.

a. Fold the rope in half and place it under the single strand.

b.  A loop should be formed so that the two ends of the one large strand can go through, place those ends through the loop.

c. Pull tightly so the if the single strand were to be picked up, the large strands would be hanging from it.

Step 6. When all 6 strands are in the place, put the single strand around the neck of the bottle again and tighten the 6 strands while spacing them evenly around the single strand.

Steps 7 - 9. Taking adjacent strands from the longer pieces of rope and knot them by wrapping the rope around your finger to form a loop and pull the ends through and tighten the rope after each knot.

Steps 10 - 13. Repeat steps 7-9 until the netting reaches the bottom. (You can do as many levels of netting that you want, but in the steps there are three levels.)

Steps 14 - 16. Put the bottle on its side once the netting is completed and tie the opposite pair of strands together. After the ends are tied, cut off any excess.

Steps 17-20. Glue on row above the strand that was tied around the neck, and place one row of rope around where the glue was placed. Continue to do this until the entire neck of the bottle is covered leaving you with a finished product.

The newly netted bottle can be left as is or used for so many DIY projects such as:

Small Plant Hanger

• Add four more strands to the single strand that is on the neck of the bottle and create a handle that can be used to hang up the bottle for a fun plant hanger that can be used on the deck, porch, or balcony

Lost Message/Sand bottles

• Put a secret message in the bottle, sand, or other items for a fun and intricate display on desks, shelving, and tables, or bring something more to a centerpiece and arrangement

Add Lights or Plants

• The netted bottle can even be a simple vase on an end table or window sill. Turn it into a corner decoration by adding lights and decorative pieces to it.

Mason Jars

Another item that can be remade into a new and improved creation are mason jars or other kinds of glass jars (i.e. pickle jar). 

Wrap the jars using a strong adhesive and your choice of rope to create a stylish and crafty jar for any one of the following:

Bird Feeder

• After the glass jar is wrapped, an extra piece of rope can be tied around the head of the jar and towards the base. These two pieces can then be knotted together to form a handle to hang the jar up on a tree branch or pole. Fill the jar with bird feed and now you have an easy bird feeder for your yard or porch.

Pencil or Plant Holder

• With the jar wrapped in rope, flowers, letters, and other designs can be added to give it your own twist of style. Now you’ll have a simple yet cute pencil or plant holder for your desk and shelves.

Hand Soap Dispenser

• After the jar is wrapped, the lid can have a hole cut out of the top where a soap pump can be inserted and secured with adhesive. Then, the jar can be filled with soap and the lid can be secured back onto the jar for a new hand soap dispenser. Details and other materials can be added to fit a theme or personalized look for the bathroom and kitchen.