Here’s how: Big or small, edge or middle, this project relies on two linking puzzle pieces. Have your kiddos sort the remaining pieces from an incomplete jigsaw puzzle into linking pairs (save other orphaned puzzle pieces for more crafty upcycling projects!), then let them paint each pair a fun background color. My kiddos chose every color from red to green to black, and made themselves a glorious happy mess while they did so....
How to make a skirt with a t-shirt Making a skirt with a t-shirt is just as easy as making the girl’s skirt if you use the elastic waist method. But if you use a larger shirt for the adult size, the waist band would bunch up since there’s more fabric at the waist. So, I wanted to use the “shirring” method for my skirt so that doesn’t happen. If you don’t know how to shir (PDF), you really should try it....
Start with a sheet of honeycomb beeswax. Lay it flat over a covered work surface, and press a shape into it with an ordinary cookie or clay cutter–I like to use cookie cutters for larger shapes, like hearts or stars, and the smaller clay cutters for letters and numbers. If you’re using a plastic cookie cutter, you should be able to press all the way through the beeswax by hand, but if you’re using a metal cookie cutter (especially a homemade one) that would hurt your hands if you pressed that firmly against it, you can also gently thump the cookie cutter with a mallet to push it through the beeswax....
At my house we have a missing sponge issue– you know, when the sponge gets lost among the huge pile of dishes. My roommate and I went to the store hoping to find a solution, but all we found were overpriced sponge holders. I realize $10-$20 is not a lot for some people, but when you’re on a tight budget, it’s too much for a silly sponge holder! I decided I would make our own holder....
While garage saling last week, I came across this unique vintage cookie jar for $4! I wanted to sell it in my craft booth, but the paint was faded and cracked. I think it goes without saying that the owl has pretty creepy appearance as well. Here’s how you can fix up that vintage piece next time instead of passing it up. What You Will Need: An old cookie jar 2....
Being green and being thrifty often coincide. This is definitely true for large purchases like sewing machines. Just like with cars, people don’t always wait until a sewing machine has completely worn out before trading up to a new one. But unlike with cars, you don’t have to worry about the gas mileage on an older sewing machine! So whether you’re looking for your first machine or trading up, buying used can be the way to go....
Supplies Scrap fabric: 2 squares, 4.5″ Felt or fleece scraps, red and yellow/orange (you want a fabric that doesn’t ravel for this, or you can get creative by upcycling plastic grocery bags or feed sacks) Two matching buttons A small piece of chalk Stuffing or fiberfill Any combination of dry rice/beans/peas/popcorn kernels Cutting and sewing supplies, hand-sewing needle and embroidery floss Directions Cut two squares of fabric to the dimensions 4....
Add mixed-media collage to the long list of the many uses of beeswax! With beeswax, you can make a mixed-media, collaged art piece that’s almost entirely glue-free. The beeswax gives the surface an antiqued look, and you can play with its translucency and its ability to have pieces embedded within it. You can layer materials indefinitely, and you can use surface embellishments such as washi tape, acrylic paint, or glues right on top of the beeswax without fear of slipping....
Have you ever noticed that children do a lot of performing on stage? Also, have you noticed that those performances are often… odd? I tell you this as a person whose child just finished a weekend performance as a dog in a Mandarin version of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm,” performed by our Girl Scout troop at our council’s annual World Thinking Day celebration. Last year, the children did a puppet show of a Mongolian folktale, which required a lot more set pieces....
I used to think that seed bombs do not work, full stop. And to be fair, I had a good reason for my opinion, because most of the seed bomb tutorials that you see online just do NOT work! Here’s why: If the seed bomb is too big, it’s not going to be able to dissolve in good time and release the seeds. If the seed bomb recipe calls for too much liquid, the seeds will germinate prematurely and then die....
Yes, many patches these days are iron-on, but iron-on patches are the pits. It takes longer to iron them than it does to sew them, and that’s even assuming that they’ll stay on, which they will not, or that your iron won’t get too hot and melt them into the fabric, because that will totally happen, too. And if you wash your fabric, just assume that at some point, sooner rather than later, the iron-on patches will fall off in the wash....
Is your stash of fabric scraps getting a little bit out of control? Turn them into beautiful homemade fabric scrap twine! Cintia at My Poppet was cleaning out her sewing area when inspiration struck. Instead of storing heaps of fabric scraps, she used a rope-making technique to turn them into colorful twine! All that you need to make your own fabric scrap twine are skinny fabric scraps, scissors, and something to use as a spool....
We love to hate laminate countertops. They’re durable and functional, but they look utilitarian. They also last forever, which makes ripping them out to install trendy stone countertops a tough decision. We don’t want to send them to the landfill when they still have life left in them, but we want to update our kitchen. What to do? Try this cool technique to make laminate countertops look like granite, so you can have the modern look you want without ripping out your old countertops....
Creating nature crafts makes learning fun and gets you and the kids outside. You can create simple projects like twig photo frames, leaf print place mats, flower and nature wreaths, with whatever you collect on a nature hike, or a crafty mobile with leaves, twigs, flowers, pine cones and small pebbles. If you want great step by step instructions for some projects check out Family Fun. I found great projects there like Pounded Flower Prints....
A handful of my friends had outdoor weddings, and I love the way that they incorporated the natural scenery into their wedding decor. These are some of the outdoor wedding ideas inspired by my own friends’ beautiful wedding ceremonies. 15 Outdoor Wedding Ideas Mason Jar Lanterns – You can put these on table tops or hang them in the trees for some ambient lighting. Glue Free Bunting – Punched paper circles strung on twine or yarn make a delicate bunting perfect for stringing between trees to define your spaces....
This is a play dough recipe that’s safe for young toddlers who still like to experience the world by tasting it. My son Darrol Henry is 17 months old, and he still puts everything into his mouth. That means store-bought play dough full of mystery ingredients is out of the question. This kid has eaten sticks, rocks, leaves, sidewalk chalk, dog food, and at least a few pieces of Feline Pine that the cats tracked out of the litterbox....
You don’t need to buy that canned stuff. Making your own pumpkin puree from scratch is super easy. ‘Tis the season for all things pumpkin! Pancakes, muffins and of course, pumpkin pie are mainstays of all the holidays from October through December. And instead of using canned pumpkin to make all your favorite autumn treats, try whipping up some homemade pumpkin puree. Going with the gourd is actually super easy and as always, it’s super green....
Cardboard boxes have never looked so good, swiftly upcycled into a footrest for you to kick off your shoes and relax on. This project is especially cool considering I just moved and need to upcycle those boxes! Check out the new Re-Construct DVD for more helpful tips. This also makes a wonderful educational gift!
Justyn’s work is so interesting and original because he uses recycled photographs (mostly doubles and blurry snapshots collected from Craigslist) and a paper shredder to create his signature look. I love this idea to use a paper shredder to cut the paper, just think of the possibilities! Although Justyn seems to always arrange the paper horizontally, think about weaving or alternating the orientation of the strips to create your own look....
For a kids with allergies or other sensitivities, only the most gentle playthings will do. Art materials can be especially difficult to monitor, since every kid wants to color, paint, and play with clay, and yet the most popular brands are often the dirtiest, full of petroleum products and other unhealthy ingredients. To this end, I’ve been purchasing and testing out a variety of high-quality natural art materials. I’ve traded some of our Crayolas in for Stockmar beeswax crayons, and learned to make natural glues, and I do already have a supply of both homemade modeling beeswax and Stockmar modeling beeswax, but I was curious to see if another popular brand, Artemis Plant Color Modeling Beeswax, could blow my other two favorite modeling beeswax materials out of the water....
