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.
Would you eat persimmons from a tree that has been irrigated with greywater from the washing machine where you wash poopy cloth diapers?
Can You Irrigate Your Garden with Diaper Water? Greywater Resources Read More 👉
One woman found her peaceful “Knit-in” demonstration abruptly ended by her arrest on July 2.
Knitter Arrested During “Knit-in” against Natural Gas Pipeline Expansion Read More 👉
Check out the plastic bottle greenhouse that kids in Scotland built out of approximately 1,500 2-liter bottles!
Spotted: Plastic Bottle Greenhouse Read More 👉
Need a present for a kid’s birthday party?
Skip the mall, and let your kids make their own gifts to give to their friends. The hands-on problem-solving is good for them, and putting real time and effort into a gift (not just your money) is a good lesson on friendship.
15 Birthday Gifts that a Kid Can Make Read More 👉
Your kid probably wants a sword.
Now, whether YOU want her to have a sword is a totally different question, but your kid? Probably wants a sword.
How-to: Kid-Built Pipe Sword Read More 👉
You’ve got some scrap wood in your garage, yeah?
Hand that wood over to the kids, because they’ve got a stomp catapult to build!
Kid-Built Scrap Wood Stomp Catapult Read More 👉
Frontier Dreams uses the same kite paper and origami folding techniques of traditional Waldorf window stars to make these themed 4th of July ones.
Spotted: 4th of July Waldorf Window Star Read More 👉
The city of Leawood, Kansas, taught one little kid a very important lesson about local government this month:
That it sucks.
Little Kid’s Little Free Library? Not in Leawood, Kansas! Read More 👉
Paint chip crafts are SO cute that it’s hard to remember that crafting with paint chips is not actually “upcycling.”
Crafts that Use Paint Chips? Choose Something Else! Read More 👉
Vintage sheets are my favorite fabric to sew. You can get them on the cheap, they’re super soft after having been washed a billion times, and the novelty prints immediately whisk me back to my own childhood and all the pop culture stuff that I was into that’s still really cool now (says I!).
Pajamas from a Vintage Sheet: The Dr. Seuss Project Read More 👉
Big kids can be harder to sew for.
30 Free Clothing Patterns and Tutorials for Big Kids Read More 👉
If you’d like a lovely outdoor space to relax in, or to let your kids play in, all summer and beyond, check out this scrap fabric teepee from Twig and Toadstool.
Spotted: Scrap Fabric Teepee from Twig and Toadstool Read More 👉
It’s definitely worthwhile to spend the money on a few high-quality packed lunch supplies (my Klean Kanteen is practically an extension of my hand), but you’ll be surprised at how many packed lunch storage solutions you can craft for yourself from eco-friendly supplies, whether they be natural or upcycled.
15 DIY Packed Lunch Storage Solutions Read More 👉
I don’t know where our lunch bags go. Do you?
DIY Re-usable Lunch Bags from Makery, by Kate Smith Read More 👉
Does flame retardant bother you, too? If so, what do you do about your kids’ pajamas?
Spotted: Summer Pajamas from The Mother Huddle Read More 👉
There are a lot of uses for old blue jeans, but rarely for every single part of the jean. If you know what you like to make (quilts for me, purses and skirts for you, perhaps?), then you’ll find that you can make your old blue jean storage much more neat and efficient, as well as space saving, by cutting the jeans up very carefully, just so, and storing them in their parts.
How to Break Down Jeans for Crafting and Storage Read More 👉
The techy, geeky part of me has long also been interested in how technology can help us out with removing stuff from the waste stream–there are only so many scrap fabric patchwork quilts that one human can make in her lifetime, you know?
Digital Design for Green Crafting: Dassault Systems Read More 👉
Store-bought plastic plant pots offend me for some reason.
Broken Coffee Mug Planters (and How to Propagate Rosemary) Read More 👉
Instead of tossing your used sports equipment, keep it useful by turning into one of these creations.
Upcycle Old Sports Gear: 35 Projects from Used Athletic Equipment Read More 👉
Instead of tossing that racket with the broken strings, or making your kid continue to play with a bad racket, buy your kid a new tennis racket that they PROMISE to treat right and let them use the old one to make themselves a butterfly net.
Kid Craft: Tennis Racket Butterfly Net Read More 👉
Animals both big and small, tame and wild, will appreciate these handmade animal houses, all made from eco-friendly upcycled or natural materials.
20 DIY Animal Houses and Habitats Read More 👉
Let your kid make herself her very own bug barn using this simple tutorial.
Kid Craft: Make a DIY Bug Barn from a Mason Jar Read More 👉
But you don’t want that mass-produced, consumer-culture nonsense all over your house, anyway, not when there are so many unique projects that you can undertake, all utilizing upcycled or recycled materials.
The Upcycled House: 20 Home Design Projects Made from Recycled Materials Read More 👉
Save your broken crayons, and use them to make fun, new recycled crayons that will thrill the kids.
How-to: Make Recycled Crayons Read More 👉
Get yourself a selection of unwanted wool sweaters from the thrift store or from the closets of indulgent friends, and then check out my massive collection of wool sweater crafts.
35 Wool Sweater Crafts Read More 👉
The Decorative Egg Cozies project uses scrap fabric and simple applique techniques to create a portable little warmer for the soft-boiled egg, a popular Victorian-era breakfast.
Decorative Egg Cozies from So Jane Read More 👉
Need to get healthy food into a kid? Sometimes you have to get creative!
Spotted: Healthy Food Art from Meet the Dubiens Read More 👉
Pot holders are all well and good, but sometimes you just don’t need one more thing sitting on your counter while you’re trying to cook.
DIY Pot Handle Covers from Wise Craft Read More 👉
You HAVE to have plenty of bookmarks.
20 Upcycled Bookmarks to Make Read More 👉
Whether your handwriting is awesome or ugly, Tolkien’s best is still the most meaningful when written in your own hand.
Tutorial: Make a Favorite Quote Bookmark Read More 👉
Don’t you dare dog-ear that book! That’s what bad people do.
Make Comic Book Bookmarks Read More 👉
Kids love to make their own toys, and when they upcycle those toys from stuff that you’d otherwise put in the trash or the recycling bin, then they’re not only having fun and saving money, but also learning valuable lessons about eco-friendly creativity.
Kids Can Upcycle!: 15 Upcycling Projects for Kids Read More 👉
Does your kid want to go green with the pros?
NBA Asks Kids to Upcycle Read More 👉
Wondering what to do with your honey bear bottles after all the honey’s been squeezed out?
Spotted: Honey Bear Paint Bottles Read More 👉
I eat a lot of grocery store salad throughout the winter, but I don’t stress about those awful plastic salad containers.
How to Grow Microgreens in Plastic Salad Containers Read More 👉
