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.
Spring is a terrific time to freshen up your stash of bird feeders by crafting a few more from eco-friendly materials. The birds love them, you love them, and the environment loves them!
20 DIY Bird Feeders Made from Eco-Friendly Materials Read More 👉
Fortunately, it’s really not hard to add a zipper to the front of a hoodie, and what you get in return is a comfy, zip-up hoodie that will leave your glasses, headphones, and sensory sensitivities intact.
How to Add a Zipper to a Hoodie Read More 👉
They may be small, inexpensive, and easy to replace, but that doesn’t mean that we need to throw them out every time we remodel a room!
15 Eco-Friendly Ways to Refashion Light Switch Plates and Outlet Covers Read More 👉
A little Mod Podge, a little polyurethane sealant, and my old plastic light switch plate and outlet cover are good as new, with some antique wallpaper street cred, too!
How to Remake Ugly Switch Plates and Outlet Covers with Paper Read More 👉
Good, aesthetically pleasing repair work gives your outerwear longevity, allowing even that fast fashion or thrifted piece a permanent place in your wardrobe.
20 Ways to Repair or Refashion an Old Coat or Jacket Read More 👉
Y’all, what would YOU do with a treasured letterman jacket that you won’t wear but don’t want to get rid of and is actively oozing toxic substances?!?
Can Your Varsity Letterman Jacket Be Saved? Read More 👉
So when these tutorials make you, too, obsessed with suncatchers, and you, too, have a handful of DIY suncatchers crowding every sunny window and sparkling in every corner of your back deck and garden, all I have to say is…
You’re welcome!
20 DIY Suncatchers from Upcycled Materials Read More 👉
Drilling through glass isn’t as hard as it looks, and it’s a specific skill that is honestly pretty amazing to have.
How to Drill through Glass Read More 👉
Below are some of my favorite homemade bath and body recipes. They’re all made from natural ingredients (of course!), and my favorite part is subbing in my favorite essential oils and dried herbs.
25 Homemade Bath and Body Recipes Read More 👉
Homemade soap is easy, fun, and satisfying to make, and you can craft your soap to your exact specifications.
You Should Make Your Own Soap Read More 👉
Whether it’s a 20″x24″ bath mat for your kid’s bathroom, or a couch-sized pom pom rug for your family room, the power to make your new favorite floor covering is in your hands!
Two Dozen Eco-Friendly Rugs, Mats, and Floor Coverings to Make Read More 👉
I cut up several old towels to piece together a cute applique mushroom, quilted it onto a couple other old towels, and now have a brand-new custom bath mat that the kids and I are delighted with.
DIY: Upcycle Old Towels into a New Bath Mat Read More 👉
If you were lucky enough to have guests over for the holidays, now is the perfect time to up your tableware game for NEXT year’s holiday hosting.
The DIY Table: Eco-Friendly Projects for Holiday Linens, Tableware, and Accessories Read More 👉
It’s possible to remove most candle wax from most fabric, even if your candle wax is highly pigmented, and even if your fabric is precious and delicate.
How to Remove Wax from Fabric: Two Methods Read More 👉
Sure, you can toss that boring bottle bottom into the recycling bin… except there are SO MANY awesome ways to upcycle even glass bottle bottoms! Check out my list of my favorite projects that just happen to do really cool things with the least likely parts of glass bottles.
Zero Waste Upcycling: One Dozen Glass Bottle Bottom Crafts Read More 👉
These glass bottle bottom ring holders are quick and easy to make, and don’t require any additional supplies other than several grits of sandpaper.
DIY Upcycled Glass Bottle Bottom Ring Holders Read More 👉
Think outside the (brand-new, laminated cardboard, single-use) gift box when it comes to ideas for eco-friendly gift packaging. Upcycled papers, stash supplies, and cardboard from the recycling bin can all be of service to create gift packaging that’s unique and fits your personality way better than anything you can buy new.
Two Dozen Ideas for Eco-Friendly Gift Packaging Read More 👉
A drawstring bag is a terrific go-to when you’re thinking about sustainable gift packaging. It’s customizable, re-usable, and easy to put to a huge number of alternate uses.
Make an Easy Drawstring Gift Bag with This Free Pattern Read More 👉
Whether you’re rolling beeswax candles with kids or pouring a multi-color, multi-layer jarred candle, homemade candles give you the power to fill your home with exactly the sensory experiences you want, with no mysteries and nothing unexpected.
Homemade Candles are the Way To Go Read More 👉
If you can sew at all, then, I highly recommend that you spend a couple of afternoons DIYing yourself a dress form to your specific measurements. It’s a little weird to have an exact model of your torso just standing there, yes, but I have found the ability to custom fit patterns to be quite remarkable.
You Should Make Yourself a Dress Form Read More 👉
Cardboard is one of my favorite crafting supplies because it’s so accessible and so versatile. It’s easy to cut with a craft knife or a sturdy pair of scissors, it holds great with hot glue or duct tape, it takes paint like a champ, and it’s got great structure to support all kinds of weird, costume-y elements and accessories.
20 DIY Cardboard Halloween Costumes Read More 👉
The solution for displaying your favorite treasures is that cardboard box hanging out in your recycling bin!
DIY Wall-Mounted Cardboard Box Shelves Read More 👉
Let the Halloween crafting begin! Whether you’re a newbie or an advanced sewer, sewn Halloween projects are a terrific way to decorate for the holiday. Pillows, stuffies, and buntings are fun and festive, and they’re easy to store between seasons.
20 Frightful and Festive Things to Sew for Halloween Read More 👉
Whether you’ve got a deck of playing cards that are past their prime or just a partial deck of survivors, I’ve got plenty of ideas for upcycling them! Playing cards are one of my favorite craft supplies to alter, and once you find your perfect project among the tutorials below, I think you’re going to like altered playing card crafts just as much as I do!
20 Altered Playing Card Crafts Read More 👉
Homemade Christmas tree ornaments are my favorite holiday decoration. Every year, my kids and I add more handmade ornaments to our collection and I cull a couple more store-bought ornaments. My ultimate goal is to have a Christmas tree so bedazzled that you can barely see its branches, with nary a store-bought ornament in sight.
Crafty Christmas: Make Altered Playing Card Ornaments Read More 👉
Don’t let a wicker basket’s unfortunate appearance blind you to how versatile it can be for containing and organizing your clutter in an attractive way. Read on for a selection of easy tutorials that remake, remodel, and otherwise transform any ugly wicker basket into the perfect home accessory.
The Upcycled Home: Eighteen Wicker Basket Makeovers Read More 👉
Painting a wicker basket is a super quick project that makes a big change in the overall look of your room. And when you get tired of your current color scheme, repainting that basket is just as quick and easy!
How to Transform Wicker Baskets with Paint Read More 👉
It can be tricky to think of ways to paint or dye silk fabric, if you’ve mostly worked with cotton, linen, or other plant-fiber fabrics before. You probably already know that silk takes dye differently, but how differently? Can you paint it? Transfer images to it? Dye it multiple colors?
14 Techniques to Paint and Dye Silk Fabric Read More 👉
The materials and techniques that you use to dye cotton are necessarily different than what you use to dye silk.
Yes, You Can Tie-Dye Silk! Read More 👉
Fortunately, that mate-less sock doesn’t have to live the rest of its life alone in my Socks Sans Partners basket, only to eventually be tossed out, years later, when I’ve finally admitted the truth to myself. There are SO many cute ways to upcycle orphaned socks.
Two Dozen Ways to Upcycle Socks That Have Lost Their Mates Read More 👉
A well-made sock can stand up to a lot of wear, and when a hole does finally work its way through, then you can darn that sock to make it even better than it was when it was new.
How to Darn a Sock Read More 👉
I love how depending on the technique and level of detail, a DIY greeting card can be quick and easy or methodical and precise, and look super awesome either way. I love how easy it is to incorporate upcycled or natural materials or found objects.
16 DIY Greeting Cards Made from Upcycled Materials Read More 👉
A scratch-off card is a really fun way to present all kinds of experience gifts or fun activities. Everybody loves a scratch-off, and it adds an element of surprise that makes an already great gift even better.
Make a Homemade Scratch-Off Card for an Experience Gift Read More 👉
There are huge environmental and economic benefits to covering your windows with curtains. You conserve energy when you insulate even energy-efficient windows with another layer or two, and if your windows are older, the energy conservation is even more extreme. With that energy conservation comes concrete savings on your energy bills. It’s a win-win situation!
15 DIY Curtains and Window Coverings for an Eco-Friendly Makeover Read More 👉
