Want your house to smell like you’re cooking something wonderful, WITHOUT having to actually cook something wonderful? Check out my easy, homemade room scents–you simply have to mix them up and warm them on the stove! Step #1: Pull out your smallest pot. A little scent packs a lot of punch, so save energy by using your smallest pot on your smallest stovetop burner. Step #2: Add things that smell delicious....
Beeswax-coated paper has a lot of uses. The yellow patina lent by the smooth beeswax coating makes paper an instant antique, a perfect look for many scrapbooking, card making, and altered book projects. Or perhaps you’re more interested in the waterproofing effect of the beeswax–a beeswax-coated paper bunting is one outdoor party decoration that won’t be ruined by a rainy day. And just as with beeswax leaves, beeswax-coated paper is, while perhaps not archival, certainly preserved....
Conventional fabric dyes are bad news. The runoff from fabric dye pollutes waterways, and the dyes themselves are not so healthy for workers who are around them day in and day out, either. Luckily, you don’t need harsh, chemical dyes to tint fabric in lovely colors! You can use natural, food-based ingredients like fruits, veggies, and herbs to create your own non-toxic fabric dye. If you’ve every cooked with turmeric, you know that it stains fabric like gangbusters....
If you can get a clock with a dragon on it, always choose the dragon clock. Dragons are awesome. But if you can’t get a clock with a dragon on it–if ALL the clocks at the thrift store are boring and beige and dragon-free–then just choose one of the boring clocks, take it home, and put a dragon on it yourself. This particular clock cost me a whole dollar at Goodwill....
Even if you can’t sew, you can sew this. Look at this shirt. Poor button-down shirt, missing its button! Fortunately, a missing button on a button-down shirt is THE easiest thing to replace. You don’t have to know how to sew to replace a button. The only things that you need are two needles, matching thread, and a pair of sharp scissors. “But don’t you need a button?” you might ask?...
Wood stains are expensive and pretty toxic Check out how to stain wood using Kool-Aid instead! Between the artificial colors and refined sweeteners, Kool-Aid isn’t super healthy for your kids to drink. Those artificial dyes may not be good for your body, but if you’ve got some unfinished wood, it makes a great stain! Laura Kuhlmann at Pet Scribbles shows you how to stain wood using a simple Kool-Aid-based stain. Don’t you love how vibrant her finished project looks?...
I have a couple of the craftiest kids on the planet, and even so, I’m telling you that it can be hard to teach kids the real-world, hands-on skills that we want them to know. Some of this is apparently because I’m very lame and boring and uncool, and my older kid, polite as she is, has nevertheless begun to give the side-eye to some of the super-fun activities that I suggest, such as teaching her how to change the spark plug on the riding lawnmower, or how to cook the perfect baked potato (so that she can cook dinner instead of me–gee, why would she ever give the side-eye to that innocent plan?...
Do you need some handmade singing in your life, too? Here’s how to make your own wind chimes. Mine are upcycled from aluminum cans, silverware, old keys, bottle caps, and metal lids, but feel free to substitute your own stuff needing to be upcycled. I also really like glass bottle wind chimes! Supplies & Tools Needed Here’s what you’ll need: Aluminum can (empty, no label, clean, and dry) Embellishments (silverware, old keys, metal lids, stash beads, bottle caps, etc....
Ruby is all about being eco-friendly and makes sure all of her projects start with one of her favorite R’s- Reuse, Renew or Repurpose. I love her Carbon Footprint Tennis Shoe Project. She turns an old tennis shoe into a cute planter that can be used for a plant or small tree seedling. It would make a great gift. The water bottle piggy bank is too cute and perfect for my girl who loves little piggies....
Editor’s note: We’re super-excited to share this reclaimed cardboard box project from Monica T. Blas! Her play city is so cute and looks like a lot of fun. Monica has a new ebook of upcycled crafts that’s coming out soon, and you can check out deets on that below! – Becky Striepe Fall greetings fellow crafters! Loving the earth is easy to do when upcycling crafts are so much fun....
Eco-Artware has a small but beautiful selection of jewelry handcrafted by artists who make use of what’s available to them create beautiful jewelry out of recycled, repurposed, and reused objects. Here are some of the pieces I’ve been coveting for a while. Perhaps if I add them to my wish list I might receive one of them for Christmas (honey if you are reading this- that’s a hint) Next »
Have you ever gazed longingly at the MOO website and wished that their beautiful cards were eco-friendly, so that you could order a set guilt-free? Well, gaze no more! The folks at MOO reached out to let us know that they have a new range of ‘green’ business cards that are 100% recycled and recyclable and even manufactured using wind power. Yay! If only I’d known before the Summit, I would have included them on our Green Crafty Resources infographic....
I love to dig and weed and plant. I often don’t have a lot of money to put into my garden so I use what I have on hand, which means I need to be more creative at times. I have pulled old rusty stuff out of my backyard and turned it into garden decorations- like old tractor seats. I’ve turned a found piece of old tractor/farm equipment into a trellis; an old wooden ladder became four separate trellises for my morning glories and moon flowers....
A healthy bagged lunch is as much about the packaging as the food inside. Check out these DIY school lunch ideas for a waste-free lunch! Of course you want to pack a healthy lunch for yourself and your family to take to work or school, and you don’t want to ruin it by wrapping up your kiddo’s sandwich in toxic plastic or using disposable plastic utensils for that healthy salad. You can buy plastic free school lunch containers, but making your own is a great way to have a waste-free lunch without spending as much money....
And it’s real, you know? I mean, you’re not going to fall to your death or anything, but it’s not all molded plastic and hand sanitizer, either. My six-year-old freaked out inside a twisty steel slinky that lets you climb from the first floor to the third, and since she was halfway up at the time, she had the decision to make of freaking out while climbing up or freaking out while climbing back down....
Here are some helpful hints to pick up some vintage finds for your next craft or screaming cheap, “I-need-a-new-paint-job!”, wicker furniture. Tag sales are a great way to recycle, whether you are having one yourself or going to one for bargain hunting. What was your greatest find at a tag sale? [Photo by besighyawn, used under Creative Commons License ]
Thanksgiving tends to be an overlooked holiday, in my opinion, treated as nothing more than a stopover between Halloween and Christmas. I mean, there’s a parade on TV, there’s a feast that’s exactly the same as the feast that you’re going to have again in a month, and there’s football. Oh, and the next day’s abject consumerism. Can’t forget that! But the truth is that this overlooked holiday can be a much-needed stopover....
This homemade toddler activity box took minutes to put together, was totally free, and entertains my son Darrol to no end! What is it about toddlers and the changing table? My baby boy refuses to stay still for a diaper change. He screams. He wiggles. He tries to crawl away. It’s maddening! The other day in a moment of desperation, I handed him the box of baby wipes to distract him....
1. Upcycled Sushi Tray Bracelet Tutorial by Bespangled Jewelry Bespangled Jewelry created an adorable bracelet using a sushi tray! Instead of throwing away that take-out tray, upcycle it into awesome jewelry! I especially love the colors and style her tray has! She gives a beautiful step-by-step tutorial on her site– go check it out! Next» Making Beeswax Candles with Kids by Musings of an im-Perfect Mom Did you miss the deadline for this month’s Showcase?...
Even if you don’t have card one, however, you can still send out a full roster of holiday greetings to your loved ones. With some plain cardstock or other papers of similar weight (think glossy magazine pages, or the covers of thick catalogues or phone books, etc.), you can use your same pretty fabric scraps to make a completely new card that’s completely you. And if you have something else awesome for embellishment–vintage buttons, leftover sequins, extra beads–even better!...
