I'm a writer, crafter, Zombie Preparedness Planner, and homeschooling momma of two kids who will hopefully someday transition into using their genius for good, not the evil machinations and mess-making in which they currently indulge. I'm interested in recycling and nature crafts, food security, STEM education, and the DIY lifestyle, however it's manifested--making myself some underwear out of T-shirts? Done it. Teaching myself guitar? Doing it right now. Visit my blog Craft Knife for a peek at our very weird handmade homeschool life, and my etsy shop Pumpkin+Bear for a truly odd number of rainbow-themed beeswax pretties.
Here at Crafting a Green World, we tend to think that every single post that we write is our Best. Post. EVER!
We’re enthusiastic like that.
Best of Crafting Green: Our Top Ten Posts from 2014 Read More 👉
How much waste did you contribute to your local landfill this holiday season?
Holiday Waste: What to Recycle, and What to Upcycle Read More 👉
It can be hard to help kids think up fun activities to occupy them, especially when it sometimes seems as if all they want to do is play video games or watch cartoons.
Crafty Book Review: 150+ Screen-Free Activities for Kids Read More 👉
Not only are chia seeds great for you, and easy to incorporate into tons of healthy, delicious recipes, but their ability to sprout and grow in the blink of an eye, in less than ideal circumstances, makes them a lot of fun for you and the kids to play with, too.
Spotted: Coconut Chia Seed Pudding, and 8 other Uses for Chia Seeds Read More 👉
This quilt is light but warm, it’s nice and versatile, and it definitely includes the maximum number of T-shirts that you can possibly squeeze onto a T-shirt quilt.
How-to: Make a Double-Sided T-Shirt Quilt Read More 👉
Don’t like chocolate? Don’t be silly.
Spotted: Chocolate Bark, and 6 other Crafty Recipes Read More 👉
Check out these altered container projects.
Spotted: Cross Stitch Cookie Tin, and 10 other Altered Containers Read More 👉
These melted crayon ornaments are so easy to make that the kids can do most of the work while you’re frantically cleaning the house for company.
How-to: Easy Melted Crayon Ornaments Read More 👉
You can make gifts look beautiful even without store-bought plastic ribbons and bows. Make these handmade bows instead!
Spotted: Magazine Bows from How about Orange, and 13 other Handmade Bows Read More 👉
My two favorite things about technology are 1) its ability to empower everyone, especially kids, to learn what they want to learn and do what they want to do, and 2) its potential for presenting information and encouraging people, especially kids, in ways that interest and engage them.
Kids Level up Their Eco Skills at DIY.org Read More 👉
Got some beat-up books?
You’ve got free craft supplies!
Spotted: Book Page Star from House Revivals (and 11 other Book Page Projects) Read More 👉
Balsa wood is a pretty genius crafting supply. But is it good for the planet? The answer is complicated.
Is Balsa Wood Eco-Friendly? Read More 👉
Some very, very clever people have taken pottery back to its uber-DIY roots and come up with the hacks that you need to do your own pottery, in your own space, on your own time.
Spotted: Ceiling Fan Pottery Wheel + 7 More DIY Pottery Solutions Read More 👉
When your kid wears store-bought pants and shirts, you simply tell them, “Look for the tag, Sweetie. The tag goes in the back.” But homemade pants don’t HAVE tags in the back!
How to Make Clothing Tags Using the Epson Ribbon Printer Read More 👉
Kids love to make their own toys, and you’ll not find any crafting supply that’s cheaper, more plentiful, or more versatile than the lowly toilet paper tube.
40 Toilet Paper Tube Toys Your Kids Can Make Read More 👉
Raid your recycle bin for newspaper and cardboard and make these colorful papier mache star ornaments with your kids.
Christmas Craft: Make Papier Mache Star Ornaments Read More 👉
Even though *I* may not super love this 4M Recycled Paper Bead Maker, because I can make better beads by hand, my eight-year-old kiddo DOES love it. Super hard.
Crafty Review: 4M Recycled Paper Beads Kit Read More 👉
This craft project is so easy that an eight-year-old kid could do it.
Heck, this craft project is so easy that an eight-year-old-kid INVENTED it
Kid Craft: Make Toilet Paper Tube Toy Binoculars Read More 👉
What do you say–would YOU be brave enough to cut into a wedding dress?
Incandescent light bulbs may be going the way of the dinosaur, but there are still plenty of them around. Next time you come across one (hopefully as you’re switching it out for an LED!), here are great crafts to help you divert it from the waste stream.
Upcycle that Burned-out Bulb! 14 DIY Light Bulb Crafts Read More 👉
Here’s how to turn an incandescent light bulb into a hollow light bulb Christmas ornament.
How-to: Light Bulb Christmas Ornament Read More 👉
If you’re looking for a totally mess-free, eco-friendly craft project, then origami may just be it–no glue, no glitter, no paint, AND you can use upcycled and vintage papers! Try these easy origami projects that anyone can do.
The 16 Best Easy Origami Projects for Noobs Read More 👉
Before you can craft a project with a hollowed out incandescent light bulb, you first have to hollow the dang thing out!
How to Hollow an Incandescent Light Bulb Read More 👉
Detox baths aren’t the only place where you can gently sneak some of those healing herbs and oils into a kid’s system.
Spotted: Kids’ Detox Bath from The Paleo Mama + 7 Other Kid-Friendly Herbal Recipes Read More 👉
There are so many great things that you can make with old drawers!
20 DIY Drawer Projects Read More 👉
An organized, tidy craft storage system is the difference between a person who is uncommonly artistic and crafty and a person who is basically an extreme hoarder in need of a televised intervention.
My Antique Drawer Craft Storage System Read More 👉
Glass bottles, whether they held your spaghetti sauce yesterday (here’s how to get the label off) or a Coca-Cola fifty years ago (here’s how to make it look shiny and new!), make excellent craft supplies
30 Glass Bottle Crafts Read More 👉
Do you ever see old glass bottles, maybe at a flea market, maybe scrounged from an old dump site (we have one of those back in our woods, sigh…), and think, “That bottle would be so great… IF it wasn’t covered in 50 years’ worth of grime?”
How to Clean Old Glass Bottles Read More 👉
Sometimes an artist needs some inspiration.
Book Review: Living in a Fairytale World, by Mister Finch Read More 👉
These are what you’re going to use for gift tags this year, and for menu cards, and for labels for your potluck dishes, and for party favors.
Spotted: Wood Slice Chalkboards from Little House Blog, and 11 other Wood Slice Projects Read More 👉
Craft an elegram and save the elephants!
Craft Elegrams to Raise Funds for The Nature Conservancy Read More 👉
You don’t need a sewing machine to turn your kid into a vampire, assassin, young Jedi, ranger, or any other hooded creatures this Halloween. All you need is a wrap used for babywearing, and you’ll have this no-sew hood configured in no time.
Make a No-Sew Hood from a Babywearing Wrap Read More 👉
Want a totally eco-friendly way to modify wood, or cork, or leather without paint, without dye, without glue?
Dude, get yourself a wood burner!
Tools to Use: Wood Burner (Plus Six Projects to Use it on!) Read More 👉
These particular Halloween luminaries here?
They are stunning. Stellar. The most beautiful that I’ve ever seen.
Spotted: Halloween Luminaries from Adventure in a Box, and 12 More Luminaries to Make Read More 👉
Who doesn’t love having a spookily-lit Jack-o-lantern shining on their front porch?
Spotted: Solar Light Jack-o-Lantern, and 8 other Halloween Crafts Read More 👉
