Bedsheet shirts: Two clothing designers from Archivist Studio in Berlin, Germany, found a unique way to reuse material that would have gone to the dump. Eugenie Haitsma and Johannes Offerhaus offered to take expensive hotel bedsheets that were headed for the garbage bin, due to minor flaws and tears. The designers realized that the Egyptian linen would be perfect for shirts, and the hotels were happy to get rid of it. With so much quality material to work with, the entrepreneurs soon came up with some styles, and they intend to add more to their portfolio in the future.

Brave stance: Elephants may be quite a lot larger than crowned cranes, but that didn’t stop one of the birds from aggressively protecting its nest against a herd of the giant grazing mammals. The crane’s bravery was caught on camera in Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve. As the elephant approached, the crane spread its colourful wings and squawked loudly while moving towards the mammal in a menacing manner. The adult moved away, and then the crane started badgering a baby elephant, which didn’t go over well with the adult. All was well in the end, as the elephants wandered off.

Body art: Born in Italy, Johannes Stötter is an artist who is an impressive body painter. He uses human models as his canvas and creates realistic looking animals, insects, reptiles, fish, and more. As the models can’t stay in place indefinitely, he takes photos of the finished work. Often, it’s difficult to tell there is a human being (or two) in the photo. For example, he painted two models to look like a crocodile. He painted one curled-up model to look like a beautiful butterfly. Two models, one on top of the other, appear to be a scaly lizard. Aside from his painting, Stötter is also a trained musician.

Crazy furniture: A furniture maker from Auckland, New Zealand, has found a way to make his creations unique. Henk Verhoeff uses his carpentry skills to design and make furniture that looks like it’s warped or cracked – but it is not. In reality, every drawer opens perfectly on a dresser that appears to be crooked and broken, and a hole in the door of a side table is camouflage for miniature shelves on the inside. It is quite a feat for Verhoeff to accurately cut the angles so the moving parts work properly. Verhoeff’s work became known when his daughter posted some images on social media.

Picturesque burglary: If you are going to rob someone, try not to take a picture of yourself on the victim’s phone. That’s what Ashley Keast did after breaking into a home with the intent of stealing. Keast, of Rotherham, South Yorks (England), stole a SIM card and put it into a different phone before posting a selfie. He didn’t realize that the photo was seen by the victim’s co-workers, who called the cops. It didn’t take long to find the thief, who was caught with the victim’s £4,000 Rolex watch. Keast ended up in jail for his bad deed.

Unusual art: Artist Reijo Kela of Finland must have been a bit bored when he decided to make some friends – literally. He came up with an art installation consisting of over 1,000 “people” made of wooden frames and dressed in colourful clothing. All the figures, which have heads of peat and hair of straw, face the same direction. Called “The Silent People,” the installation is situated in a field near a highway, in the Finnish municipality of Suomussalmi. Drivers who are accustomed to the sight may not look twice, but those who don’t know about it experience quite a shock when they first view the army of scarecrows. See these creepy creations here:

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Plant lover: Joe Bagley lives in his own personalized jungle. His home is a one-bedroom coach house in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England, and it is filled to the rafters with all kinds of potted plants, from cacti to ivy and from tropicals to succulents. All told, he estimates that 1,400 plants live in his abode. His love of plants started when, as a boy of 13, his grandmother gave him a spider plant cutting. Since then, collecting and caring for plants has become his passion. Even his work involves plants: he works in a garden centre.

Close proximity: Those who live near busy highways may not be thrilled with traffic noise, but that’s nothing compared to a situation in Cairo, Egypt. Designed to carry fast-moving vehicles, Teraet Al-Zomor Bridge is under construction just 50 centimetres (20 in.) from four high-rise apartment buildings. Apparently, the bridge is an important addition to the infrastructure, and the construction has a permit. The apartment dwellers will have to relocate, as the buildings will be torn down. For now, though, the view from some of the suites is definitely blocked, but hopefully the compensation to the renters will be worth it!

Big loaves: The country of Vietnam holds many tourist attractions, but one unlikely item has people talking – giant loaves of bread. Baker Pham Thi Bac of An Giang province in the Mekong Delta, started making the big loaves in 2018, just for fun. At about one metre (3 ft.) long and weighing approximately three kilograms (6.5 lbs.), the loaves taste great and are glazed with butter and seeds. Local people heard about the bread first and started asking for it. Then tourists joined in, wanting to take home a loaf or two as souvenirs – if they could figure out a way to carry them! See them here...

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House for raffle: Katherine Jablonowska and Ryan Mclean wanted to do something different, so they took on a unique project. They bought a 19th-century cottage on the Llyn Peninsula in North Wales and renovated it. But their goal was not to live there. Instead, they plan to raffle it off for £5 per ticket, with the lucky winner becoming the new owner. Originally a working barn, the home is now a beautiful, peaceful abode, with all the “bells and whistles” of modern life. When selling tickets, the pair is requesting a £1 donation, which they will match and donate to The Children’s Society.

Underwater art: A young Bahamian girl sits beneath the sea off the coast of New Providence, an island in the Bahamas. Actually, the girl is a statue, made of sustainable materials designed to encourage the growth of coral. Named “Ocean Atlas,” this statue was made by Jason deCaires Taylor, an artist and photographer. “Ocean Atlas” was installed in 2014 under the water near the city of Nassau. It is 5.5 metres (18 ft.) tall and weighs over 60 tonnes. It is possible to go snorkelling in the area to see this interesting art installment up close.

Tiny tree: Fairy Lake near the town of Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island, Canada, draws people to its shores so they can view a little fir tree. This small conifer is special because it is growing out of a log that is submerged in the lake. The tree is thought to be between 30 and 40 years old, and no one is quite sure how it survives on the log, which is the source of its nutrients. The tree is the subject of many photographs, and no two are alike. In times of high water, it may be almost submerged, while on still summer mornings, it sits peacefully in the mist. Take a look here... www.myCoffeeNews.ca/extra