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Our new house came with a magical garage. In that garage, and in the nearly-falling-down-but-not-quite 1930s-era general store building next to it (we’re not really supposed to even go in it anymore, but I do, of course, and once I stepped on a seemingly random floorboard and felt the entire building sway around me), remain some of the original storage and display used in that store. Some of that storage and display consists of sturdy yet unlovely shelving, and those I feel free to varnish before setting them up in my home....

Check out these natural fabric stiffeners made with common household ingredients, along with the pros and cons for each one! When I made this fabric box with burlap, I used fusible web to stiffen the sides. But I wanted to find out what natural fabric stiffeners would be like. So I tried three stiffening methods using common household ingredients. The idea for natural fabric stiffeners came to me when I read Julie’s homemade spray starch and natural glue tutorials and I wondered if I could modify the formulas to use them as fabric stiffeners....

Some of the crafts are very simple (and great for kids) like water color butterflies made from old book pages and painted with watercolor paints, to bunny masks made from cereal boxes. The butterfly finger puppets and paper flowers are also simple projects you and your kids can share. With spring break coming up super soon (like this next week) this magazine couldn’t have come at a better time. I’ll share it with my kids and make some bunny masks and butterflies....

Need a snack that’s healthy and fun? Maybe one that inspires some creativity, lets kids practice their fine motor skills, and includes some secret STEM enrichment? Let your kid play with food! These grape and toothpick sculptures from The Artful Parent let kids play with food while learning a lot. First, kids get to build with the grapes (while munching). Then, they get to incorporate the grapes into a thoughtful and creative art activity (while munching)....

Did you know that you can’t just sew a quilt and then donate it to a hospital? Nope, there are rules. Does your quilt contain anything that might possibly aggravate an allergy? Can’t have it. Does it have ties or fringe? That’s not safe around tubing. Will it pill up when washed? Sick kids could aspirate lint. Can it stand up to industrial-strength washing and sanitizing? It would have to, in a hospital....

Wedding season is always in season but a lot of couples get married in spring and summer. As a bride I looked high and low to find a modern hairpiece instead of a traditional veil. Foundling’s shop on Etsy features a recycled silk pin with glass beads that can double as a hair piece. Each layer is cut and singed by hand. Sizes range from about 3.5 to 4 inches in diameter....

The Green Guide lists a lot of craft and art supplies that are green, eco-friendly, and less toxic. It is also filled with recipes so you can make your own green supplies like natural paints and glues. There are recipes for glair paint, milk paint, watercolor paints, gouache, egg tempera, and casein paints as well as many natural adhesives like waterproof glue, methyl cellulose glue, collage glue, rice paste, gum Arabic glue, casein glue, and acrylic glue....

The girls at A Joyful Riot simply dipped the spoons in paint and let them dry. Rather than using acrylic paint, try a green tempera from Blick. Also, use reusable containers instead of plastic cups. If you want to make your own DIY painted spoon wall art, here’s what you will need: Spoons Paint Double-sided tape Now that you’re ready to create your own, click here for the tutorial. [Photo via A Joyful Riot, text added]

Ready to get crafting? Here we go! Summer Craft for Kids: No-Sew Owl You’ll need: At least three colors of recycled felt. I went with four colors, using olive green for the body, orange for the wings and beak, and yellow, black, and white for the eyes. You can mix up the colors however you like! fabric glue scrap piece of ribbon or embroidery thread, about 4″ long our Owl Template scissors...

You have the sleeves, for one thing, and the shoulder and neckline that connects those sleeves. And that, my friends, is exactly what you need to make that nice kid a nice pair of matching leggings to go with her skirt or her diaper covers. This tutorial utilizes the crotch curve line from a pair of your kid’s own well-fitting pants–using that curve, and applying your kid’s waist and length measurements, you can create a warm, comfy, nicely-fitting pair of leggings that would go well layered with anything else in your winter wardrobe....

And yes, while historically hexagon quilts were likely assembled while stories were told around the fire or Pa played his fiddle after supper, they’re just as easy, satisfying, and mindless to make while watching TV. Ask me how I know this. Although there are loads of tutorials online to show you how to make and sew the hexagons (here’s a good one, and here’s another good one!), the gist is super simple....

Whether you like natural or upcycled materials, reusable or guilt-free disposable solutions, I’ve got a ton of ideas for you! Gift Bags drawstring gift bags. These simple gift bags are sewn from scrap fabric, with a ribbon drawstring. Make them in any size you desire, and monogram or embellish them any way you please. After the gift is given, they’re super useful to hold all the things! add a denim pocket....

I recognized all these photos as ones that I have digital copies of (I’m still not ready to talk about The Terrible Hard Drive Erasure of 2017…), so I could have just tossed them all into the recycling. But yikes, how wasteful would that be?!? Mind you, I have no problem tossing stuff that I truly want to toss, but Past Julie clearly spent time and money on this photo order, and all the photos are of my adorable babies, now almost all grown up, and our fun traveling adventures....

We have lots of projects for crafting with soda cans, but what about those humble little tabs? If you’ve been saving your tabs for the right project, this upcycled soda tab bracelet might just be the one! Recycling metal is much more efficient than recycling plastic, but when you reuse metal soda can tabs in your crafts you’re still using less energy than recycling, and you’re also replacing new craft supplies with something that would have otherwise landed in the bin....

Here in Atlanta, the weather has been weirdly spring-like, and it’s got spring cleaning on my mind a little bit early this year. Last week, my husband cleaned out his dresser and closet and found a few old pairs of jeans that are past their prime. If you’ve got some old jeans that are ready for a new life, get them broken down for crafting and try some of these fun ways to reuse old jeans!...

Still on a plant fiber kick, this week I’ve come back to cotton. It isn’t recycled this time but an honest to goodness 100% organic cotton. This lovely yarn from Estelle Yarns is certified organic and comes in wide range of sturdy colors. Cloud Cotton is available in dyed and undyed. The dyed cotton ranges from bright spring greens to soothing blues. The undyed cotton is natural looking browns and neutrals....

Since then, that same group of women has developed in 17 cooperatives and a non-profit organization. Thanks to its dedicated and passion for making a true difference for local communities, Manos has become the second most beloved business by Uruguay locals, right behind the country’s only national dairy cooperative. All Manos’ yarn is grown, spun and dyed right in these cooperatives. The company is also well-known for its knitted garments, which are made from start to finish of these yarns in the same cooperatives....

Here are some of my favorite patchwork alphabets: Spell it With Fabric This free pdf pattern uses squares, half-square triangles, and half-square rectangles to spell out an alphabet that’s simple to construct, but quite detailed and legible to look at. Every letter looks like what it’s supposed to be! I followed these templates for two out of the three zippered pouches in the top photo. Detailed Pixel Pieced Patchwork Alphabet I love the pixel patchwork alphabets for how easy they are to piece, but not every letter looks the way I want it to as simple pixels....

I’m a nerd, at least, and I’m planning a J.R.R. Tolkien-themed party. Parties need food, and decorations, and probably a craft or two because I’m that kind of nerd. And it’s all got to be eco-friendly, because of course. Whether you’ve named your kid Samwise and your dog Frodo (and yes, I’ve met people who have done each), or you just have a hankering for second breakfast while you marathon Lord of the Rings (I’m talking about myself, here), check out the following list of super-nerdy, eco-friendly J....

1. Bicycle Wheel Wreath https://www.instagram.com/p/BoUD2WUnYTC/ If you had to do a little more maintenance than you anticipated when you brought the bikes out of storage, upcycle an old bicycle wheel into a front door wreath! 2. Bundt Pan Wreath A bundt pan makes a super fun wreath, especially when painted in bright colors and patterns. 3. Burlap Wreath Did you know that burlap is a natural fabric? It’s true! And when it’s blue, it’s also very spring-like!...