Handmade Holidays: Let’s Get Started!
Well hello there, November! Where did you come from? If you’re planning to have a handmade holiday this year, now is the time to get started.
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Holiday Crafts
6 Last-Minute Jack-o-Lanterns to Make in Time for Halloween
It’s not too late! Get inspired by one of the projects below, then pick up your carving knife (or hammer and nails, OR solar light and glass jar) and whip out the Jack-o-lantern of your dreams before Halloween night!
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Project Show-and-Tell: Vegan Sugar Skulls for el Dia de los Muertos
It turns out that vegan sugar skulls are even easier to make than the conventional kind, since you can use the cornstarch from your cupboard instead of searching for that hard-to-find meringue powder.
Exactly HOW easy are they? If I can make these perfect sugar skulls for my kiddos to decorate on my very first attempt, then so can you!
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Need last-minute Halloween ideas? We can help!
Halloween is this coming Wednesday, so if you’re going to get some last-minute Halloween festivities going, this weekend is the time to get crafty! Need a little last-minute Halloween crafty inspiration? Here are some DIY costume and decoration ideas, including lots of things that you can whip up in a flash!
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Project Show and Tell: A DIY Child’s Witch Hat Made from Recycled Newspaper and Cardboard
See how proud that kiddo looks? She and I made that witch’s hat, the exactly perfect Halloween costume accessory, out of recycled newspaper and cardboard (and a lot of tape!). Considering that everything except for the tape and paint came from our recycling bin, and that this is EXACTLY the tall, polka-dotted hat that she had wanted, I’m declaring it a Halloween win.
Bags and Boxes that You Can Build out of Recycled Materials
Need a gift bag, or a box of exactly a certain size?
Check out my personal collection of my favorite templates and patterns for DIY bags and boxes of all shapes and sizes, along with my suggestions for what recycled or scrap materials would be best to make each from.
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How-to: Make a Message in a Bottle Party Invitation out of Upcycled Materials
A message in a bottle makes a fun invitation for a pirate- or ocean-themed party. You can make this invitation almost entirely out of upcycled materials, and yes–you can mail it!
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5 Eco-Friendly Craft Ideas for the Fourth of July!
The Fourth of July is just a few days away! If you’re hosting a get-together at your home and want to make some eco-friendly decorations, or if you just want to create some crafts with your kiddos, you need to check out these awesome tutorials!
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5 Upcycled Gift Wraps for Dad
Father’s Day is just around the corner. Now that you’ve found that perfect gift for dad, let’s wrap it up! I love upcycling newspaper and brown bags for gift wraps because they’re so readily available around the house. For this Father’s Day, instead of putting a bow on your upcycled gift wrap, let’s spice it up for dad with things he loves.
How-to: Make Upcycled Newspaper Popcorn Holders
A couple days’ worth of newspapers (stored somewhere sanitary) is plenty to make enough paper popcorn cones for everybody at your party, and if you’re feeling especially mitchy-matchy, the finished cones are easy to dye in your preferred colors.
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How-to: Make Your Own Organic Colored Sanding Sugar
Want to decorate your cakes without springing for expensive organic sanding sugar or settling for the cheaper (but still expensive!) conventional sanding sugar? Fortunately, making your own colored sanding sugar takes about ten seconds, and you can use the same high-quality organic sugar and natural food coloring that you already have in your pantry. Here’s how:
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Create a Beautiful Repurposed Tablescape!
If you’re shopping at conventional stores for tablescape supplies, chances are they’re not so eco-friendly. From linens to dishware to candles and centerpieces, there are lots of ways to make a tablescape that reflects your beliefs without sacrificing beauty. Here are some tablescape ideas to get you started…
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Project Show-and-Tell: An Upcycled Smash Book for My Anniversary
Smash books are quicker, easier, and more creatively amenable to recycled components than traditional scrapbooks can be, and frankly I much prefer the look of a smash book to that of your typical carefully engineered scrapbook. If you’d like some more examples, then please feel free to take a look below at my own upcycled smash book–it’s by no means perfect, but the beauty of a smash book is that it isn’t meant to be perfect. Instead, it’s meant to be meaningful, fun, crafted with lots of upcycled materials and stash components, and beloved by its recipient.
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Giveaway: Win a Copy of The Christmas Guide to Upcycling, by Mahe Zehra Husain
Twenty-five people will win a copy of Mahe Zehra Husain’s ebook, The Christmas Guide to Upcycling. Enter now, and one of those winners could be you!
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4 DIY Valentine’s Day Decorations
Between gifts and a night out on the town, Valentine’s day can get pretty pricey, but it doesn’t have to be! Instead of heading out to dinner this year, why not whip up a romantic meal for two and transform your living- or dining-room into a perfect Valentine’s day date spot?
How to Sew a Drawstring Bag (an even easier tute!)
In the year since I crafted my first drawstring bag tutorial, I’ve refined it to correct these fiddly bits and to make the bag even quicker and easier to sew. Read on for the quickest, easiest, drawstring bag tutorial that you’re ever going to find.
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10 DIY Valentine’s Day Gifts for Him
Can you believe that Valentine’s day is coming already? Don’t fret! You still have time to make it a romantic, handmade holiday! Here are 10 ideas for DIY Valentine’s Day gifts for him.
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DIY Valentine’s Day Gift for Him: Neckwarmer with a Hidden Heart
The thing about crafting for dudes is that it’s hard to resist my inner urge to fancy things up with hearts and flowers and whatnot. Plus, since this is a Valentine’s day gift for him, I wanted it to have a little bit of romance! My solution was to tuck a secret little heart inside the neckwarmer, so I can be mushy without treading on this project’s manliness. Here’s how to make your very own!
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Have Yourself a Crafty Little Christmas
Here at CAGW, we are decking the halls with some handmade cheer, wrapping up the last of our handmade gifts, and spending some good old quality time with friends and family. You’re probably doing the same, but just in case you want to get your last-minute Christmas craft on, we’ve got some projects for you!
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How-to: Pretty Packaged Mason Jars for Gift Giving
If you give a lot of homemade gifts, you’re probably well aware of the versatility of the Mason jar. Perfect for everything from spice mixes to cranberry granola, party mix to cake in a jar, Mason jars get passed around between me and my crafty friends and family like the holiday version of hot potato.
The only thing about Mason jars is that..well…they look all the same. Sure, they’re lovely enough, but so uniform! Fortunately, with a little fabric, some thread, and a bit of upcycled cardboard, you can package your Mason jar gifts for the holidays, personalizing them by gift or recipient or just making them look nicely festive.
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How-to: Painted Popcorn Garland
Popcorn garlands are a kid-friendly, easy, and fun holiday craft that the whole family can make together. Edible, natural popcorn is a great environmental choice, especially since you can simply take it outside to compost or leave for the birds and squirrels to enjoy after the holiday, and if you’re looking for a food craft to do, then popcorn is also a great choice for everyone’s tummies, since you won’t have to worry about all that candy, meant for gingerbread houses or sugar cookies, that somehow ends up in your mouth!
Of course, since I’m from the South, a plain white popcorn garland isn’t nearly gaudy enough for me, so read on and I’ll show you not only how to easily make a great popcorn garland, but also how to easily paint it to match (or NOT match!) your holiday decor.
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8 Awesome Wood Slice Craft Projects
Free craft supplies that reduce landfill waste? Don’t mind if I do! Here are some wood slice craft projects I found to use up the wood slices I snagged at the local hardware store.
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How-to: Beeswax and Fabric Scrap Ornaments
Beeswax ornaments are quite quick and simple to make. They’ll be loved by anyone who has a tree (or a sunny window!) to decorate, and you’ll love that they only require just a bit of beeswax and a narrow scrap of fabric for each ornament.
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5 Christmas Tree Projects From Recycled Materials
As you could tell from my How To: Make a Mini Christmas Tree post, I love making little Christmas trees to decorate around the house. The bad thing about other DIY mini Christmas tree projects is that they aren’t necessarily eco-friendly! However, I found five incredible eco-friendly projects that would be perfect around the house, on the Christmas dinner table, or even to give as a gift at a holiday party! Take a peek at these awesome tutorials and be inspired!
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Five Sustainable Wrapping Solutions for Eco-Friendly Gifts
You don’t have to wrap your presents with the comics section or a brown paper bag to be eco-friendly (although you can!). Sure, those are classics and they always look good, but you can give your wrapped gifts variety while still keeping them green. Check out these five sustainable wrapping solutions for presents that are as low-waste as they are thoughtful.
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How To Make a Mini Christmas Tree
Over the past few weeks I’ve seen several really cute mini Christmas trees. You know, the little ones that are just for decoration, cost an arm and a leg, and are far from eco-friendly? Yeah, those. Enter: a bottle I saved from the trash.
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Five Apple Crafts to Make with Your Surplus Apple Harvest
From clove apples to apple votive candles, there are some really cool things that you can do with your surplus apples, and the beauty of these projects is that when you tire of them, the apples that you used can generally go right into your compost. So check out these five projects for inspiration to use with your own surplus apples.
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Five Upcycled Autumn Buntings and Garlands
If you’d like to make decorations that you can leave up from now through Thanksgiving, check out these five tutorials for fall garlands and autumn buntings that make use of upcycled materials.
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DIY Halloween is Greener, Kinder
Here in the U.S., we’re predicted to spend over $7 billion on Halloween this year. That’s billion. And most of what we’re buying is not so great for the planet. This year, use your crafty prowess to have a greener, kinder Halloween.
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How-to: Preserve Autumn Leaves with Melted Beeswax
Take the ephemeral beauty of autumn leaves and make it last forever when you preserve leaves with the one simple, natural ingredient that is pure beeswax.
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Halloween Craft Roundup
Halloween doesn’t have to be wasteful. With a little bit of imagination and planning, you can have an eco-friendly Halloween. Let’s explore what Halloween decor and costumes we can make to make Halloween greener.
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How-to: Make a Witch’s Hat
A witch is one of the simplest and the easiest characters to be on Halloween. Put on a black outfit and a pointy hat, and you are reading to party. But buying one of those cheap plastic or polyester ones that last a short time is very wasteful. Here is how to make a witch’s hat that will last year after year.
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How-to: Sew a Stuffed Fabric Alphabet from Upcycled, Recycled, or Natural Fabrics
As a children’s toy, a holiday decoration, or a wonderful present (a child’s name? A couple’s first monogram? How fun!), stuffed fabric letters are a way to show your personality and use up just about any kind of fabric in your stash. Neatly sewing up those letters with holes in them can be very tricky, however, but let me show you how, and you’ll be off and running.
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Halloween Craft: Mummified Glass Jar Candle Holder
Make these upcycled glass jar mummy candle holders (lanterns) for Halloween. Group them as a family or put individual pieces on front steps or line them up on the walkway. No matter how you choose to use them, they’ll be sure to bring smiles to your trick or treaters.
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How-to: Pillowcase Trick-or-Treat Tote
A pillowcase tote for Trick-or-Treating is easy to make and it’s a no waste way to upcycle a pillowcase. Here’s how to make this easy peasy Trick-or-Treat tote.
How To: Solar Jack-O-Lantern
You can make this eco-friendly solar Jack-O-Lantern for less than the price of a real pumpkin. And it’s reusable! Here is how.
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