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Oh my gosh, Valentine’s Day is in FIVE DAYS. Don’t panic! We’ve got 10 last-minute Valentine’s Day ideas from cards to gifts to homemade sweet treats. Maybe it’s that it comes basically right on the heels of Christmas craziness, but I am terrible at Valentine’s Day. Leaving things to the last minute is my MO, and I have a feeling that I’m on the only one in need of some last-minute Valentine’s Day ideas around this time every February....

Curious about origami? Wanting to bust some paper stash? Make origami hearts! These little origami hearts are quick and easy to make, and they look adorable. Here’s how to fold them: Start with a strip of paper. Any paper will do for this project, from brown paper bags to wrapping paper scraps to bits of your favorite scrapbook paper. You can also play with the size of your strip, although I tend to always use the same size strips that we use for our paper chains: 1″x6″....

Cool winter nights are perfect for kicking back and watching a good movie – right from the comfort of your own sofa. And while I believe any flick by a warm fire makes for a good night, popcorn is the real key! Sure, popcorn in a regular bowl is fine. But make things even more special by crafting up some DIY popcorn tubs. You can use leftover movie tickets for this project – you know, the ones you find in your jacket pockets....

Instead of cramming Darrol Henry into the last onesie that he outgrew, I wondered if I could come up with a onesie craft idea to make it fit him for just a little while longer. The result? Since snapping on the bottom was causing the problem, I just cropped that bottom right off to turn his old onesie into a t-shirt. When I do t-shirt crafts for myself I’m cool with the unhemmed edge rolling up a bit, but for a baby shirt, this seemed like it could get uncomfortable....

Sara Lee Parker creates beautiful organic fabrics, and she just released a new line! Last weekend I visited the Indie Craft Experience (ICE) here in Atlanta, and of course I scoped out the scene for green crafters to feature here. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be profiling some of the green crafters I got to meet there! I was super excited to run across Sara Lee Parker’s booth at ICE....

You don’t always want your kids to play with their nice building blocks outside. Sure, outdoor play is great for minds and bodies, but their building blocks will get dirty, rained on, lost, and run over by the car, and then what will they play with inside? Instead of subjecting heirlooms to the elements, then, make your kiddos a set of outdoor building blocks using nothing more than the ubiquitous wooden pallet....

PBS Design Squad challenged kids aged 5 to 19 to create the next great eco-friendly invention using recycled items. They chose the winners a few weeks ago and those lucky kids got to visit Boston and see their inventions brought to life. The winners were: MaryAnn, age 14 who designed a water-saving toilet; Daniel, age 14 came up with a bike that has space to stash your backpack and features to keep you dry when you’re riding in bad weather; and Lilly, age 12, who came up with the recycled “Sibling Soaker....

Sure, if you’re wearing it to your Prom next month, it’s definitely cute now, but just hang onto it for a couple or ten years, and then take another look at it. See? It’s not cute. Those sleeves! That neckline! Those ruffles! The sequins! That BOW!!! Old Prom dresses–and bridesmaid dresses, and cocktail dresses, and formal attire of all varieties–need our help to make a new life for themselves, one that’s not tacky and dated and just all sorts of wrong....

Gather your materials and ideas. Here’s what’s involved: An inkjet printer The seed packet outline template (download here in JPG or PDF file formats) Embellishment option 1: A graphics program such as Adobe Photoshop or GIMP (free open-source software) Embellishment option 2: Decorate the packet post-printing by hand Embellishment option 3: Do both! Paper grocery bags Iron and scrap fabric Scissors Ruler Pencil Glue stick Paper creaser or popsicle stick 1 can of wildflower seeds Optional: rotary cutter with dedicated blade Optional: stamps, stickers or other embellishments(as long as they don’t poke holes in the paper)...

Each year for our town’s Trashion/Refashion Show, my younger daughter and I have a system: she designs the outfit of her dreams, together we thrift or scavenge the clothing that we can repurpose for it, I sew it for her, and she models it on the runway. I would never lie and tell you that I am an expert seamstress. I sew very well, but dressmaking is not my passion, and therefore there are a lot of fiddly bits and details of dressmaking that I just don’t know yet....

A reader wrote in not long ago wondering about where she could donate some gently used needlecraft supplies she’d inherited, since she wasn’t a needlecrafter herself. Even if you don’t do needlecrafts yourself, you can use those old supplies in other craft projects. Embroidery thread, for example, is handy in projects that call for baker’s twine (but don’t use embroidery thread in cooking, since the dyes may not be food safe)....

This week I searched Pinterest to find a cute way to give small gifts this Christmas. I saw several projects of the traditional laced mittens and laced stockings, and thought it would be great for small items! I simply added an eco-friendly twist by using book pages. If you want to impress your co-workers with a cute gift, or dress up that gift card for a friend, this is the perfect project for you!...

What You Will Need: An old window. You can find one at garage sales, thrift stores, local antique stores, and on second hand websites like Craigslist. (Tip: Depending on the age of your window, you will want to test it for lead paint with lead paint swabs, just in case. Safety first!) Recycled paper. I used sheet music, but you could use recycled scrapbook paper, book pages, or an eco-friendly fabric....

Upcycled books are a fabulous craft, but making one always leaves you with one question to answer: How to bind it? Hand-sewing requires some skill, using an existing book limits your design possibilities, and staples and book rings don’t always look nice. For a few months, now, my kiddos and I have been using the Zutter Bind-it-All to bind books made from upcycled papers and cardboards. The Zutter Bind-it-All is a tool for punching and binding a book in metal wire, giving the finished project the look of a spiral-bound book....

In Michigan we had a tiny taste of it, then snow dumped on us again. I am so ready to dig in the dirt and work in my garden. But can’t just yet. I can dream though. I’ve been scouting the web for new ideas for eco garden art and inspiration to get ready for the eventual thaw. Here’s what I found. In my search for garden ideas, art, DIY and eco outdoor inspiration I found some amazing blogs filled with crafty garden goodness that I will be adding to my blogroll....

Are you getting your life ready for a new arrival? You can save money and conserve natural resources by sewing for baby instead shopping at the big box store! Of course, you shouldn’t feel pressured to make all of your baby’s stuff by hand. When you’re sewing for baby, you want to decide which things are worth it for you to make and which you’re better off buying. There are so many pre-made baby products that are much safer than when we were kids....

Excuse me as I scour the internet, garage sales, thrift stores, and antique stores to find a camera that I can upcycle! Can’t you see this in a photographer’s studio, a retro or vintage room, or even in a fun craft room? My head is spinning with ideas, guys! To make your own vintage camera lamp, you will need: a vintage camera with a flash a keyless socket a candelabra base switch cord a nightlight bulb scissors electrical tape a small screwdriver...

These photo holders would be great decor in a home office. Use them to display photos, business cards, important notes, or recipe cards. They would also make a great gift. All you need is a stamp with a nice wooden handle, a little glue, and some wire. Get the full step-by step instructions and detailed pictures for the Rubber Stamp Junk Project over at Junk Camp. Be sure to check out Ki’s other great Junk Projects....

Don’t know what to do with that dried-out marker or pen? Well, first see if you can recycle it–Crayola has a marker recycling program that accepts all brands of markers, not just Crayola, BUT it’s only available in certain parts of the country, and even then only offered in schools, so it’s possible that you’ll be out of luck. If recycling is a bust, however, you can still keep that marker out of the waste stream by doing something awesome with it....

Here is how to use freezer paper to make a few types of templates or appliques. 1. Names or initials Print out the name or initials you want to use. Place the shiny part of the freezer down on the template and trace it using pencil. This step is not necessary if you are artistic and can draw the letters right onto the freezer paper. Then, using sharp and pointy scissors, cut out the letters....