Published on October 14th, 2009
Kids love to get messy! What better way to let them get that out of their systems than with a little finger painting?
Conventional, store bought finger paints are full of polysyllabic mystery ingredients like mannitol, polyethylene glycol, and sodium benzoate. Some also contain mineral oil, a petroleum product. Rather than letting those kiddos get that stuff all over their hands, clothes, and faces, you can whip up a batch of finger paint in the kitchen! It’s cheaper, easier, and you know exactly what your kids are getting themselves into.
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Published on October 9th, 2009
Celebrate Green
by mother daughter team Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson is the green book to have because it covers aspects of greening pretty much every holiday and celebration and it has some great ideas for the holidays that are currently coming our way.
Halloween is right around the corner and Celebrate Green has a lot to say about greening Halloween including some crafty things you can do yourself like make your own face paints, create fun costumes and decorations, even turn everyday ordinary objects into candy buckets and containers.
It’s also full of yummy recipes and fun ideas for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
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Published on October 8th, 2009
One of my favorite things about working with all kinds of vintage papers is the way in which a unique paper can completely change a project for the better.
For instance, you could make a serviceable bookmark out of any piece of cardstock, but that’s all that you’d have in the end–a serviceable bookmark. But make this same bookmark out of the cover from your favorite (though now sadly scratched) vinyl record, or the box that your favorite cereal or pizza comes in, and you’ve got a personal, original, graphically outstanding bookmark.
And it’s still serviceable. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on September 27th, 2009
Craft Hope is a faith-based, love inspired project designed to share handmade crafts with those in need, and their goal is to combine love for crafting with desire to help others into a project to make a difference around the world. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on September 26th, 2009
After all the Halloween craftiness I created from tossed trash last year I am trying to figure out new things to create this year.
I grabbed an ice pail and painted it orange and black for Halloween. I want to find some crafty Halloween paper designs to cut out to decoupage to the pail to dress it up a little more.
I was thinking about wrapping it in scrap book paper but I had no Halloween colors or styles. But I think it turned out pretty good considering it started out as a plain white pail headed for the recycling bin. I would love to make a Halloween bucket with paper like I did when I turned an ice cream pail into a flower girl basket for a wedding. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on September 25th, 2009
The other day I was cleaning out my recycling bins and gathering everything up to take in. I had a lot of tin food cans. I decided to keep a few different size cans out and craft with them.
The results of this round of crafting include a soup can turned vase and a few can creations that could be wedding worthy with a few accessories added.
To create these can crafts I just used black spray paint, glue and satin ribbon. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on September 11th, 2009
Empty cardboard toilet paper rolls are one thing that everyone seems to have.
My kids love to play with them to make binoculars and all sorts of fun playthings.
I have found several creative ways to transform toilet paper rolls. Favor boxes for special occasions and parties are one way to put them to good use.
Anyone can easily take empty rolls and turn them into fun party favors, especially for Halloween. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on August 29th, 2009
It’s an old-school way of creating an image, perhaps reminiscent of junior high science projects on one of those lucky days when you got to hold class outside.
Or maybe it reminds you of your undergrad years, spending hours in the darkroom in the basement of the union, a hobby that you gave up a few years later when you got pregnant and the idea of the chemicals started to skeev you out.
Or does it remind you of how you totally want to learn to do gocco or screen printing, but it seems kind of hard and requires more equipment thn you have the money for?
Well rejoice, friends, because this project requires only special paper and the sun, and it can make some surprisingly sophisticated prints. Here’s how: Read the rest of this entry »
Published on August 29th, 2009
Stampington and Company launched a new magazine on August 1st.
GreenCraft is their ode to all things green, recycled, upcycled and more.
In the premier issue you’ll find over 50 stylish and sustainable projects to inspire you.
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Published on August 28th, 2009
Ever time I pick up a new eco-craft book I am so amazed at the creativity I find inside and I swear I like each new one even more than the last, though every book I have found has fun, new ways to take old things and recycle or more accurately upcycle them into fabulous new items.
Green Crafts for Children: 35 Step-by-Step Projects Using Natural, Recycled, And Found Materials
is full of cute, whimsical and super adorable crafts that kids, especially little girls, are going to love. Read the rest of this entry »
