Ornament from the recycle bin

Like most people, we did celebrate Christmas two months ago.
But I didn't blog over the holidays and hate the thought of letting them go by completely unmentioned.

We realized a few years ago that if we want to avoid broken ornaments and the guilt and disappointment that goes along with broken ornaments, we need to stick with the home made variety. Most of our ornaments haven't lasted from one year to the next. I'm totally fine with that. As long as we enjoy making and hanging the ornaments (and hopefully looking at them), I'm satisfied.

This year, my kids ended up using Sculpey clay molded into balls, squares, discs and a lot of free form shapes, pipe cleaners and colored beads for theirs. They turned out pretty cute and weren't demolished during the stay of our tree.
I had been thinking for some time about making trees out of lids from our recycle bin, though, and managed to finish one. I drilled a hole in the center of each lid and strung them together with basic white string. I used a couple Sculpey balls and a disc to create a stronger resemblance to a tree.
So, totally belated, but there it is.

Speaking of belated...O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, You've overstayed your welcome....
Confession: Our (artificial) tree is still piled up on a table in the living room awaiting its return to its box and our basement. This year's ornaments are also still in the living room awaiting their trip back to their dark and creepy home. You know how when you let something go for a while, you start to get used to it being there, even if it's unwelcome?

A Recycled Valentine's Day

Hello! Nothing like a cute and completely Hallmark-ized holiday to draw me back into blogland.
I'm still here, but have been spending more time reading, watching movies, going to meetings, organizing meetings, celebrating meaningful holidays and merely doing nothing than I have been crafting or blogging (that one's obvious).
I felt motivated to blog about this little Valentine project, though (let's hope it's like riding a bike), and I may find blogging again gets me excited to come back on a regular basis. Who knows?

So, Valentine's Day....Instead of buying the cute but unnecessary trimmings and trappings, ribbons and wrappings from Target, I've dug into my stash of recyclable containers, fabric and paper to wrap up some little gifts for the fam. I didn't try anything elaborate or time-consuming, just wrapped, taped and glued some pieces to these jars.
Try decorating any kind of container you can easily wrap, it doesn't have to have a lid, and stuff your tissue-wrapped gifts inside. Add gift tags with glue, string them through ribbons or print out your message on the wrap itself. Oops, I forgot to do that.
Happy Valentine's Day!
And many thanks to Starbucks and Jif. You provide all sorts of creative opportunities in our home, and anytime you're interested in sending free products, we'll gladly accept.

Green Clean Sample Kit

Green cleaning (using cleaning products and methods that are non-toxic to people, Earth and its environment) has not become habitual in our home yet, but I am taking some steps toward becoming more eco-minded when it comes to what we do and how we clean in our home.
To stock our pantry, and share the fun of playing chemist, I compiled some recipes for simple cleaners, gathered the supplies and led a group in making their own Green Clean Sample Kits at the Craft Social last night. I chose these because they are the most-used cleaners in our home (kitchen, bath, laundry) and because these particular recipes could be quickly and safely made in our venue.
I purchased some small spray and squeeze bottles and raided our recyclables for screw-top glass and plastic jars to share with the group. (Some guests planned ahead and brought their own recyclable containers to fill). Most of us made one spray, one scrub and one batch of detergent.
The ingredient list for these solutions is short: white vinegar, baking soda, washing soda, castile soap, glycerin, essential oil, a few aspirin, and tap water. I found the washing soda at a local Jewel/Albertson's grocery store, the castile, oils and glycerin at Whole Foods.

I considered sewing very simple bags for guests to use in carrying their cleaners, but you know how things go (well, you do if you're a procrastinator like I am), but I did happen to come across directions for this great newspaper cleaner caddy in a book at the library. I couldn't resist trying it out. I love it! It's from The Newspaper Everything Book: How to Make 150 Useful Objects From Old Newspapers by Vivienne Eisner and Adelle Weiss, 1975. I'll have to make some time to practice modifications for other uses and then write up a tutorial for it.
For now, here are the recipes I made available for use in our sample kits. For more green cleaning tips, follow the links below.

Green Clean Sample Kit

Powdered Laundry Detergent
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup baking soda
1 cup washing soda
¼ cup liquid castile soap

Mix well and store in sealed container (glass or plastic jar).
Note from article author: I find it easiest to pour the liquid soap into the bowl first, stir in the washing soda, baking soda, and add vinegar in small batches. The mixture will foam at first, become a thick paste then break down into a heavy powdered detergent as you stir. Break down any hard clumps while stirring. (It helps to make sure the baking soda isn't clumpy to begin with). I used ½ cup per full with great results.
From Tipnut

Soft Scrub for toilets and tubs (and more)
1 cup baking soda
3-5 drops tea tree oil
¼ cup liquid castile soap
2 aspirins, powdered

Mix all ingredients and add enough water to make a paste. Store in a squeeze bottle. To use, apply with a sponge, scrub and rinse thoroughly.
From Make Your Place by Raleigh Briggs, 2009.

Creamy Soft Scrub
baking soda
liquid castile soap
vegetable glycerin

Pour about ½ cup baking soda into a bowl. Add enough liquid detergent (castile soap) to make a texture like frosting. Add 1 teaspoon of glycerin to the mixture to keep the product moist and store in a sealed glass jar. To use, scoop the mixture onto a sponge and wash surface. Perfect for cleaning the bathtub because it rinses easily and doesn't leave grit.
5-10 drops essential oil can be used to scent the scrub. For a citrus scrub, add 5-10 drops orange or lemon essential oil.
From Care 2 Make a Difference and Best Green Home Tips

All Purpose Spray
½ teaspoon washing soda
A dab of liquid castile soap
2 cups hot tap water
Combine ingredients in a jar and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Pour into spray bottle. Spray and wipe with a sponge or rag.
From Care 2 Make a Difference

Disinfectant All Purpose Spray
liquid castile soap
2 cups water
tea tree essential oil
lavender essential oil

Mix a few drops of natural soap (castile), 2 cups water, and 15 drops each of tea tree and lavender oils. Spray on all surfaces like cutting boards, counters, toilets, and walls, but not glass.
Note from article author: You can use 30 drops of one oil, I just like the mix. You need to keep either the tea tree or lavender essential oil in the mix to make it a disinfectant. Castile (like Bronner's) is great for general cleaning, but real essential oils of tea tree or lavender have antiseptic/antibacterial aspects. I like to mix them, because too much tea tree scent alone makes me loopy.
From Tree Hugging Family

Alphabet block magnets

I know I promised more food posts this week, and I do have some ready, but I got so distracted with this tutorial and then felt I just had to finish it and post it before doing anything else. Anything else. Like washing dishes or preparing for our blueberry-picking trip or doing laundry or eating lunch. Sometimes projects do that to you, you know?
So here is a tutorial for alphabet block fridge magnets or photo holders.

Materials:
alphabet blocks
small hand saw
small piece of sandpaper
3/4" round flat magnets
drill fitted with 3/4" spade bit
craft glue like E6000
table vise, clamp or some way to stabilize your block while drilling (I stood on the side of a 3" C-clamp)

1. I chose 5 blocks with the initials of our family.
2. I used a coping saw to create a slit in the top of the block. I made it almost halfway between the front and back of the block, but a little closer to the front. I sawed down a little more than halfway to the bottom. Make sure your letter is right side up before sawing!
3. I sanded the inside of the slit and curved the paper to sand the side edges at the cut.

4. I tightened a 3" C-clamp around my block with the front of the block facing the floor and the back of it facing up.
4. I fitted our electric drill with a 3/4" spade bit and centered it on the back of the block (while standing with my feet holding the clamp to the floor).
5. I drilled down about 1/8" and dropped a magnet in to make sure the hole was flat on the bottom and as deep as I wanted. (I wanted to mostly hide the magnet).
6. I used a toothpick to spread some glue in the hole and pressed the magnet in.

Once the glue dries, you can stick your block to the fridge and insert a photo or your appointment reminder card or library due date receipt. If your photo is not secure enough in the slit, then wedge a little piece of paper or cardstock behind it.

Now, to use the blocks as tiny standing photo displays, business card or place card holders, simply cut the slit through the top and skip the rest. Unless you want the block weighted, in which case you could drill through the bottom instead of the back and insert a magnet or something to weigh it down.
Try stacking and gluing the blocks for a little photo tower or build pyramids or what have you. These blocks make it easy to change up your display often!

Candy wrapper belt tutorial

Alright, here it is. Now you, too, can wear a fantastically cool candy wrapper belt.

Candy Wrapper Belt

Materials:
candy or gum wrappers (the bag they're packaged in works well, too)
scissors
straight edge (optional)
tape measure
clear packing tape
double stick tape
x-acto or utility knife (optional)
2 d-rings in width of your choice (D-rings can be purchased at fabric stores. I made belts using 1 1/4” and 1/1/2” rings. These are probably the best for fitting through belt loops on most pants).

1. Measure your waist and determine the desired length of your belt. I used a ribbon belt I had on hand as a guide, too.

2. Determine the width of your belt by measuring the width of your d-rings. Plan to make your belt slightly narrower so it lays flat in the bottom of the ring.

3. Prepare your candy wrappers. I found the Starburst wrappers were simplest to use as they didn't require any trimming to fit into a 1 1/2” d-ring. With other candy wrappers I preferred trimming the sides to remove the excess or the ugly parts. The Tootsie Rolls were simple to trim with scissors, just outside the orange lines and they fit perfectly in a 1 1/4” ring.
I trimmed odd sized wrappers with a straight edge and utility knife. I found the width of the ruler I had was perfect for the 1 1/4" rings, so I placed the wrappers underneath it and trimmed down both sides.
With some wrappers, you could fold the excess wrapper over the back and double stick it down. I didn't want the extra thickness. Also, fyi, if you fold them over without taping them down, it creates kind of a tube belt and I found that annoying.

For my belts, I used about 19 Starburst wrappers and about 25 Tootsie Roll wrappers. The Tootsie Roll belt has a reversible end whereas the Starburst one doesn't. Obviously, a child's belt would require fewer wrappers.

4. Cut a piece of packing tape a couple inches longer than your desired belt length and lay it sticky side up on the table.

5. Begin placing candy wrappers face down in a line along the center of the tape strip, overlapping each slightly, paying attention to the direction your wrappers are facing. I wanted mine going the same way.
At one end, place a strip of double stick tape on the back of your wrappers (about 5 inches long) and place candy wrappers face up. That will be the reversible end opposite the d-rings.

6. Fold the edges of the packing tape running lengthwise over the backs of the wrappers. Cut a strip of tape in half lengthwise and stick it onto the back of the wrappers down the center to seal your belt, overlapping the folded tape edges. I found this easiest to do in multiple short strips versus one long one.

7. At the reversible end of your belt, fold the end over about 1/2” toward the back of the belt and wrap a piece of packing tape around the belt to secure it.

8. Slide the two d-rings onto the opposite end of the belt. Fold the belt end over onto the back of the belt about 1 1/2”. Wrap a piece of packing tape around the belt leaving about 3/4” play for the d-rings.

9. Slide through your belt loops and show it off!

I had a picture of my belt being worn, but can't seem to find it. If I take a new one, I'll be sure to post it.

While figuring out how to make these, I discovered you can thread your belt through the rings in 2 different ways: one with the end of the belt coming through over the topside of your belt and the other with the end sliding underneath the belt next to your pants. I had no idea. I'm actually a fan of threading it underneath now which means you wouldn't need to make the end reversible. Seems to hold the belt tighter, too.

On my daughter's belt (which she helped make) I added a loop to catch the end of the belt. Hers was a little thick at the end and needed some help laying flat. I made a short strip using the same process as the belt, circled it around the belt and taped the back side of it to the belt.

And just fyi, plastic doesn't breathe so expect a sweat ring around your waist if you wear one of these this summer.

Nature themed morning

Today at our homeschool co-op, the preschoolers participated in nature themed activities. It was a gorgeous day to do so.
We began with God's story of creation from the Bible then moved outside to do some exploring and collecting. I prepared a scavenger box for each child in advance, knowing we wouldn't have time for the children to design their own. I labeled ours "Color by nature scavenger box." You can find these boxes described in multiple places online, but the basic idea is: paint your egg cups with a variety of colors and place your (small) found object in its corresponding cup.
We were able to find several dandelions and tried painting with them-actually pressing and rubbing the flower part onto the paper. They do make a nice yellow color on white paper. We used many of the other items for gluing onto collages.
The kids used tempera to paint some large smooth stones I'd picked up at the beach last summer. I love seeing the pretty rock my son painted so I'll probably pull out the rest of our collection and have my daughter paint some.
The kids were duly impressed, and slightly confused, by the dirt cake we had for our snack. This has been around for so long, but it's always a treat to serve it to a child who has never seen it before. I layered it in a lined pot and stuck a flower in to do the dessert justice. We also sliced apricots, apples, pears, and an orange and compared the seeds from each fruit.
It was a nice morning.

Cereal box globes for Earth Day

I didn't plan well enough ahead of time to do anything particularly special for this year's Earth Day, but I figure a little recycling project and a reminder on taking care of God's Earth is good for us. Luckily, caring for our home is something we can practice every day. If you're looking for some tips on "going green," as we tend to call it these days, this article at Simple Mom may be a good place to start.
The instructions for these globes can be found here at Martha Stewart. Great for old greeting/holiday cards.
Happy Earth Day! If you feel like sharing how you celebrated today, I'd love to hear about it and be inspired. Thanks!

Paper pocket booklets

Say that three times fast.
My friend Jess and I were charged with leading some women in a craft during some down time at a recent church retreat. I was looking for a project with simple directions that wouldn't require a professional to put together, that would be functional and, of course, cute. Additionally, it needed to be cheap and relatively small. This paper booklet (with pocket) is one of the projects we completed. I think it was a hit.

The necessary materials for making this handy booklet are:
heavy paper (patterned is cute)
copy paper
cardstock for printed template
scissors
pencil
X-Acto knife
embroidery floss
embroidery needle

For the template and complete instructions, with video, see Jess's post here.

You'll notice I made a couple booklets from cereal boxes. I do recommend this, as it makes a cute and sturdy booklet, but not if it bothers you that the cardboard sort of remains open. It doesn't lay perfectly flat when it's closed. I figure that's not a big deal in most circumstances.

Another way to make these booklets that would be even simpler would be to cut your heavy paper to an 8 5/8"x 5 5/8" rectangle and score down the middle to fold. I preferred this method with the cardboard.

Cereal box bookmarks

This is a simple project that will save your books from dog ears and your cardboard from the trash. Simply pull out your colorful cardboard packages, flatten them out and cut them into strips about 1 1/2" x 6". A paper cutter will give you a more consistent cut. And any size strip will do, really, as long as it fits in your book.
Trim your corners with a corner rounding tool (or the old-fashioned way with scissors or an X-acto). I like this tool because it's sturdy enough for light cardboard, you can see the paper as you punch it without flipping the tool over, and the squeeze is easy on your fingers.
Lastly, punch a hole in the top and thread it with a matching ribbon.

On a personal note, I don't read as often as I'd like. I will never put a list of books read during the year on my blog because it is just embarrassing. However, I did just finish a good one.
I'm betting that some of you are fans of the period pieces from Jane Austen, the Brontes, etc. I enjoy these books and can't get enough of the videos.
I've just recently watched the BBC's adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South. I loved it and immediately went out to get the book. This is the book I just completed by stealing away a few minutes at a time into the bathroom, catching a few pages while putting the baby down for a nap, and reading by booklight as long as my eyes could stand it after everyone else had gone to bed. This is the only Elizabeth Gaskell book I've read, but I'm inspired to start another.
What book have you read recently (or not so recently) that you couldn't put down?

Hanging photo display

Every once in a while I have this need to make something specific and this morning was one of those whiles. I constructed this simple photo display using materials I had on hand: computer-printed photos, cardstock (optional), laminating sheet (optional), tin can lids, ribbon, double stick tape, scissors and/or circle cutter. Oh, and a power drill. I cut and laminated photos (backed with yellow cardstock) to fit some lids from the recycling bin. I drilled some holes at the top and bottom of each lid and threaded an 1/8" ribbon through (with the ribbon behind the lid). Lastly, I stuck the photos in and hung it from a little nail.

Related: Some time ago, I shared a little tutorial for making single photo magnets with can lids.

And just FYI, in case it makes any of you feel any better...things do go pretty much to pot in our home if I take time to work on a project by myself without first having a plan for keeping the kids occupied. This morning I had no plan. I never learn.

Also today, catch me at Blissful Kids. I'm guest posting with our faithful granola recipe.
They have some very talented and creative contributors at Blissful Kids. It's a great resource for playful and educational activities to do with your children. Check it out!

Valentine garlands

Technically, it's still Friday, and I said I'd post the last part of our Valentine garland sampler today. I'm counting the hanging apparatus, a red painted yardstick, as the finishing touch on this decorative display.
I do love an old yardstick, especially a painted one. I wiped this one down, painted it with my kids' washable red tempera, and coated it with acrylic gloss medium. I stuck a piece of sturdy velcro (white like our walls) to each end of the yardstick and the corresponding pieces of velcro to the top of an archway between our dining room and living room and pressed it into place. It was easy to slip the garland loops over the ends of the yardstick and I love that I can easily pull the whole thing down and add or rearrange hanging elements. I can see getting more use out of this system throughout the year.
Oh, and I did make one other decoration to hang with our garland. A three-sided paper heart. You could hang these individually or as garland. Cut three same-size hearts in same-color or coordinating papers. Score down the middle of the backside of each. Fold slightly, stick the backsides of the hearts together, making sure to stick in your fishing line or string before sticking down the third side.

Cereal box garland

My final garland this week is made from cardboard cereal boxes. I love the bold colors, graphics and unexpected quality of this garland. Nice to stray from the traditional pink and red combo, too. Detailed instructions for making your own are posted at Blissful Kids today.

Shoebox terrarium

Last week, we finally got around to something I've been intending to do for quite some time. We made terrariums (or vivariums): little plant/animal habitats. This is a fun project and, like so many of my favorite projects, can be made with household items and minimal craft supplies.

Materials for making your own toy terrarium:
cardboard box with lid (the hinged shoeboxes or mailing boxes are great)
thin, clear plastic (like bedding packaging, salad greens container, etc.)
magazines with nature photography
foamy filler (like polyester fiberfil, cotton batting, t-shirt or fabric scraps, etc.)
felt
cardboard scraps, plastic lid, cardboard tube
rocks, sticks
double-stick tape, glue stick, craft glue
X-acto knife
scissors

1) Begin by cutting, with your X-acto knife, a window in the lid and side(s) of your box, leaving enough room around your window to tape down the plastic. Cut your plastic next, larger than the windows. I used a clear package that held a mattress pad. I've had similar packaging from bed linens, storage bags, and other household items. You could also cut out from the lid or bottom of a grocery store-purchased spinach bin .
Use double-stick tape around your windows to tape down the plastic.

2) Cut nature photos from magazines and tape or glue to the interior of your box.

3) Line the bottom of your box with a shallow layer of filler. I used polyester fiberfil, but you could use any batting, fabric scraps, newspaper bunches, etc. Cut a piece of felt a little larger than the base of your box. Line the edges of the base with craft glue and press down the edges of the felt to cover the bottom.

4) Add your plant life. I glued some nature images to thin cardboard (eggs, leaf) and cut them out. I also glued felt to cardboard and cut out grass/plant and nest shapes. For our water basin, I glued felt around a 1/2" deep jar lid, and filled the inside like I did the box-with fiberfil and felt to cover. Cover a cardboard tube with felt to make a log. Add natural elements like rocks and sticks.

5) Finally, add your animals. We used little toy frogs, lizards, and snakes, that tend to come home in party bags.

We did not decorate the box exterior, but you could take it a step further and do that, as well.
My kids call it the frog house and are asking for another, since this one is rather small. I did construct this one by myself, primarily, but I'm thinking next time they could choose images, glue them on, make some plants, add the nature elements, and decorate the box exterior. Older children could participate more fully in the design and construction.

Cereal box turkeys

I think this cereal box project has been the most fun for me. This is the 3rd in my Cereal Box Cut-outs series. First, game. Second, mobile. Now, Thanksgiving turkeys.

Materials:
Cereal box circles (or boxes and circle cutter)
glue (glue stick or craft glue)
small cardboard or foam core scraps
scissors
popsicle sticks

I set out all of my cut circles and began layering to create colorful little turkeys, not gluing until I was satisfied with the overall appearance. Experiment with the front and backsides of the cereal boxes, patterns and solids, so as not to have too many competing patterns or like colors on top of each other.
Place a large circle in back, cutting off the bottom and making slits around the rest to form the tail feathers. Choose smaller circles for the body, one or layer two. Cut one circle in half for the wings. Use the smallest circles for the head and wattle. (Sidenote: It surprised me to see how many people have googled "What's the name for that red dangly thing on a turkey's neck?")
Cut little eyes and a beak.
For added dimension, layer small pieces of cardboard or foam core board between some of the body parts. See the middle picture above.
Once you're satisfied with your design, glue.
Glue a popsicle stick on the back and poke your turkey into a plant, centerpiece (make a bunch for an all turkey centerpiece), bowl of candy or cranberries, your baked sweet potatoes, whatever.
For clip-on turkeys and turkey napkin rings, see my corresponding Cereal Box Cut-outs, Part 3: Thanksgiving turkeys post at Blissful Kids.

Cereal box mobile

My first mobile was so much fun to make, I thought it was time for another. This time, I was trying to use as few materials as possible, primarily various sizes of circles cut from cereal boxes. This is a follow-up project to my first cereal box circle post, the matching game. You can find my instructions for making a mobile like this over at Blissful Kids: Cereal Box Cut-outs, Part 2: Mobile.

Felt desert

I finally made our felt desert to accompany our felt jungle. The animals have been getting impatient.
You can see from the pictures, the only permanent land structures are the sausage-like sand dunes and the water. The repositionable items are the tent (I forgot that in the 2nd picture), the flowers, the various cacti, and of course the animals.
The saguaro cactus has a cardboard roll skeleton. The smaller ones are sewn like little pillows, then glued into milk or soda caps which I'd wrapped with a strip of matching felt. They're, actually, all patchwork because I ran out of green felt, but it made them more attractive, I think. The tent and the flowers are backed with cereal box cardboard.

Several of you have mentioned making these for your own kids. I'd love to see them!

Cereal box matching game

Make your own Memory matching game with brightly colored cereal boxes. Find boxes with enough solid color surface area to cut out multiple same-size matching pieces. I used 6 boxes and cut out 4 circles from each. Having two matches in each color makes the game move a little faster.
After playing Memory, use your cut-outs for other games. We made letters and stone walking paths for our animals. My daughter invented a kind of reverse matching game, but left the table in a huff when my son wouldn't cooperate. I'm sure your children will enjoy inventing their own practically-impossible-to-follow-the-rules games, as well.

Felt jungle

Hello! We have been so busy with my mom visiting that I've quite neglected my blog. I used to try to catch up on crafting while my mom was here, but that's gotten harder to do as we've had more children and found that so much more time is required to just happily survive. Here's the one project I've managed to complete this week. Felt jungle.
My mom brought the kids some toy animals (they've been loving these in everyone else's homes) and I designed a little felt habitat for them. It's very obviously not geographically accurate and certainly not made to scale, but neither are the animals. We call this one the jungle. I intend to make a desert home, as well, but we'll see how it goes.
I started with a big piece of that stiff craft felt. I shaped the perimeter and sewed some grass around it. I sewed on a pond and a snow-capped mountain. The other pieces I purposefully kept separate so the kids could rearrange the land how they'd like.
The palm trees are made from tp rolls and felt; the standing grass and little cave are stiffened with cereal box cut-outs. I stuffed the mountain, a rock, and a fish with polyester batting. Finally, we added actual rocks, and, of course, the animals.
When my daughter saw the completed jungle, she declared it "A beautiful new land!" Right out of a book we've very much enjoyed called Whale's Canoe, which colorfully depicts the forests, plains, mountains, and rivers of Australia. I was glad she liked it.

Update: See our felt desert here.