Search Results for: earth day

Recycled Juice Can Lid Garland

April 8, 2013 by Carolina 2 Comments

We’re big fans of juice in this house, so we end up collecting a lot of these lids from the ends of the frozen juice concentrate containers. I was able to quickly and easily string these together to make a fun party decoration… that my preschooler immediately commandeered to have as decor in his own room.

Supplies:

Metal juice can lids (I used about a dozen)
Hammer
Nail
Mod Podge
Paper
Scissors
Paintbrush
Ribbon

Use a nail to punch two holes in each can lid – one on each side. (the bandaid is from a different injury… but still craft related)

Turn the lids over and hammer down any sharp bits.

Cut lengths of ribbon, about 6″ each in length, and use these to tie the lids together.

Trace the lid onto the paper. Fold the paper into quarters to cut multiple circles at the same time. Cut about 1/8″ inside the traced line.

Mod Podge the circles onto the middle of the can lids.

Allow to dry and hang up! Your fun new garland is all done!

To celebrate Earth Day, I teamed up with a bunch of friends to share crafts using recycled materials. Check out all of these fun crafts:

Filed Under: 30 minute crafts, easy, fast and cheap, kids, paper Tagged With: 30 minutes, decor, easy, fast, quick

Free Christmas SVG

November 3, 2020 by Carolina 1 Comment

Are you ready for Christmas? What about some Christmas crafting?? I love making handmade gifts, and this free SVG file is perfect for the holidays! Use this free “Its Beginning to smell a lot like Christmas” SVG file to make fun holiday shirts, aprons, and tea towels! If you are looking for the perfect neighbor gift, teacher gift, and hostess gift this year – custom holiday tea towels are where it is at! Find some festive tea towels, cut out some iron on vinyl (make sure that you mirror the design before cutting!), and you’ve got the perfect holiday gift.

You can make a whole stack of tea towels in an afternoon – faster than you could have baked them yourself! But, you can always pair the towel with a plate of cookies, your favorite cookie recipe, or a cookie-scented candle, if you want to go the extra mile.

Get your free SVG file by signing up here:

Check out all these other fabulous (and free!) SVG files:

Christmas Lights Monogram Frame – Country Chic Cottage
Very Merry Christmas – The Kingston Home
Peace on Earth – Brooklyn Berry Designs
The Elf Made Me Do It – Pineapple Paper Co
Hot Cocoa Sign – That’s What Che Said
Naughty, Nice, I Tried – Hello Creative Family
Happy Holly Days – Hey, Let’s Make Stuff
Christmas Countdown – Happiness is Homemade
Gift Box with Bow – 100 Directions
North Pole – Everyday Party Magazine
Merry Christmas Porch Sign – Happy Go Lucky
Rudolph is My Homie – See Lindsay
Christmas Mode On – Artsy Fartsy Mama
Holly Jolly – Crafting in the Rain
Jingle Juice – Mad in Crafts
It’s Beginning to Smell Like Christmas – 30 Minute Crafts
Let it Snow Snowman – Cutting Machine Crafting

Filed Under: Christmas, cricut, easy, silhouette Tagged With: SVG

DIY Photo Book

May 13, 2016 by Carolina Leave a Comment

Looking for something simple to give as a Father’s Day gift? This simple DIY photo book is easy to make, quick to put together, and he’ll be sure to love it. In fact, you’ll want to make several – Grandpa will want one too, but so will Mom, Grandma, and the rest of the family! And they are easy to customize, use whatever 12″x12″ scrapbook paper you like!

This project is part of Craft Lightning Father’s Day. All week long I’ve been sharing fast and fun ideas for Father’s Day Gifts, and so have my friends! Be sure to check out the bottom of this post for their great ideas!

To make this book you’ll need:
1 sheet 12″x12″ scrapbook paper
6-8 page protectors
Binder clips
Scissors or paper cutter
Sewing Machine with a zig-zag stitch
Photos or other mementos to put in the book

Cut the paper and page protectors, you’ll want the page protectors 1/4″ wider and taller than the photos, and the cover pieces 1/4″ larger than that. When cutting the page protectors, you’ll want to keep the bottom right corner of the original page protector, which will leave the top and left side open.

Stack the pieces with the bottom cover on the bottom, right-side-down, then the page protectors, with the open side on the left, then the cover, right-side up. Clip in place to secure.

Use the zig-zag stitch on your sewing machine to stitch down the side of the book. Keep your stitching less than 1/4″ in, so that the photos will still fit.

You can tie the threads on the top and bottom, add a little glue to secure, or just leave them – the seam should be pretty secure without additional knots or glue.

Now you can add photos of your favorite days with dad! Just slip them through the hole in the top of each page.

Check out these other awesome Father’s Day Craft ideas!

How great is this Personalized Father’s Day Journal from Create and Babble?

Happy Go Lucky made this yummy-looking homemade BBQ sauce.

Over at Crafting in the Rain you’ll find the Cricut files to make this tool-inspired card.

Katie at a Sweet Berry has a great idea for a shrink film keychain.

How adorable is this toolbox-inspired Father’s Day Catch all from Stuff n such?

I can’t think of a dad that wouldn’t love this stamped leather keychain that Artistic Endeavor shows you.

Dads are superheros on earth – remind them with this fun framed printable from One Artsy Mama.

The Silly Pearl has a great gift for dads of cats – this great faux leather printed keychain.

Danielle from Busy Mom’s Helper shared this fun Star Wars bottle gift.

And an opportunity for Dad to play “The Dad Card.”

Angie from The Country shared this great buffalo plaid mason jar.

She also has this great recipe for BBQ rub.

Save

Filed Under: 10 minute crafts, craft lightning, easy, fast and cheap, paper, quick, scrapbooking Tagged With: book, father's day, photo

Simple Crinkle Blanket

March 20, 2015 by Carolina Leave a Comment

Today is the last day of Craft Lightning Recycled, and I’m super excited to share this Simple Crinkle Blanket with you… because the inside is made of something that would otherwise be garbage. You’d never think to hang on to a potato chip bag, would you? Well, now you’ll think twice, because that’s exactly what I used to make the crinkly center of this fun crinkle blanket!

Craft Lightning week is a week where my Co-host Angie from the Country Chic Cottage and I, along with a guest host, share 15 minute or less crafts. This week our guest host has been Carissa from Creative Green Living. She has so many fun upcycled, recycled, and other green crafts on her site – check her out! And be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this post for even more fun and fast craft ideas from our blogging friends, who are also in on the fun this week!

To make this fun crinkly blanket you’ll need:
Fabric – I went with this fun print from Fabric Editions on one side, and Shannon Cuddle on the other
Cheetos Bag, washed and dried – any bag that makes a crinkly sound will work, but Cheetos are a favorite around here
Sewing Machine
Pins
Ruler and Rotary Cutter

DISCLOSURE: Having any plastic or mylar bag around a small child could be a choking or suffocation hazard. Be smart about the age child you give this to. Be smart about supervising that child. Poking or cutting holes in the bag might minimize the risk, but any risk is something you should consider before making this project.

Start by cutting your fabric. You’ll want to open the bag into one layer, and cut the fabric and bag the same size. You need two pieces of fabric – I love Shannon Fabrics’ Cuddle because it is snuggly, and the bright Fabric Editions print went so well with it. Make the pieces as large as the chip bag will allow… or smaller if you like small.

Layer. Cuddle on bottom (fuzzy side up), print goes next (right side down), then the chip bag (up or down, doesn’t matter). Pin the layers together.

Stitch all the way around with a 1/2″ seam allowance, leaving a 4-6″ gap for turning. Clip corners.

Turn right side out through the hole. Pin the hole closed.

Top stitch 1/4″ away from the edge, all the way around.

Blanket complete! I dare you NOT to crinkle it. So. much. fun!

And check out these fun and fast recycled projects from other bloggers around the web:

Amy from One Artsy Momma made this fun Balloon Car that any kid would love playing with.

Bree at BumbleBree converted an old basket and knob into a clever food cover, perfect for any picnic!

Over at Ann Butler Designs, you’ll see how she gave some thrift store plates a makeover.

Lisa at Stuff n Such whipped up the cutest i-Pad stand from recycled materials.

I made milk carton easter baskets as a child, but I don’t remember them being as cute as these milk carton easter baskets by Fawnda at Fireflies and Jellybeans.

Carissa from Creative Green Living made these fun upcycled plant markers.

Angie from The Country Chic Cottage made these adorable bottlecap bunnies:

Angie also made this Metallic Gold Arrow – did you know that you could make decor this cute from recycled items?

And Carrisa shows you how to make a no-sew market bag from a shirt.

Filed Under: 15 minute crafts, craft lightning, easy, fast and cheap, kids, quick Tagged With: baby, blanket, quilt, recycled, upcycled

Dutch Wooden Shoe made from Paper

July 12, 2014 by Carolina 8 Comments

When I told my mom that I was making Dutch-themed crafts for a crafting series, she told me about this paper wooden shoe she made in preschool when she was young. I loved it! I never had the chance to make these as a child, growing up mostly in the US, but I can see children making these at the beginning of December to celebrate Sinterklaas in school.

Sinterklaas is a Dutch holiday, most related to Christmas. It starts in November with a parade, as Sinterklaas comes to The Netherlands on his white horse, by ship. Children mind their manners as they wait for December 5th. Songs are sung by the fireplace, carrots are left out for the horse, and each member of the household leaves a shoe on the hearth in anticipation of a treat.

If you have been good, Sinterlaas might leave a chocolate letter, some Marzipan, and even a small toy. Treats like Pepernoten and Kruidnoten are often left by the Sint as well. However, if you have been bad, the Sint leaves a bundle of sticks in your shoe – the Dutch equivalent of a stocking full of coal, but with a corporal twist.

To make your wooden shoe from paper, all you need is:

Yellow paper (yellow is the traditional color, but you could use another color if you like)
Scissors
Tape or staples

Start by folding your paper in half.

Then in quarters.

Now fold one corner in.

Fold the paper in thirds the opposite direction – the diagonal fold will help, because both spots where the diagonal fold meets a horizontal fold represents a third of the page.

Cut away the top two squares, and cut slits into the bottom, splitting the bottom three squares.

Use the slits to make the back of the shoe, then tape into place.

Fold together the front of the shoe, then tape or staple in place.

Stuff with fake grass or straw, and you have a wooden shoe… made from paper!

Make sure to check out all the other awesome bloggers sharing their countries for the World Cup Series!

Filed Under: 10 minute crafts, easy, fast and cheap, kids, paper, quick Tagged With: dutch, shoes

Patriotic Mason Jar Glasses

June 27, 2013 by Carolina 2 Comments

Serving drinks in a mason jar isn’t new or earth-shattering, but having glass paint to customize your mason jar is pretty new! I decorated some mason jars with a little patriotic flair as part of the Cook and Craft series I’m doing with my friend Brandie from Home Cooking Memories. She whipped up a delicious Raspberry Tea Float to serve in the patriotic mason jar glasses. Doesn’t it just look yummy! Sure, you could serve lemonade or plain ol’ iced tea in these decorated mason jar glasses… but Raspberry Tea Floats? Yum!!

Decorating the mason jars is simple. You need:

Mason Jars with metal rings (you don’t need the flat lid)
Ribbon
Hot Glue
Alcohol (the rubbing kind, but if you want to grab some Vodka to spike your lemonade, go for it!)
Glass Paint
Paintbrush

Start by tying the ribbon around the metal ring of the mason jar. You can double-knot and trim the ends like I did with the red ribbon, or tie a bow like I did with the blue. Secure with a dab of hot glue.

Clean off the surface of your mason jar with the rubbing alcohol, and start painting on your stars. Glass paint doesn’t go on perfectly smooth, so embrace the imperfections. They add character.

Follow the instructions on your paint to cure it. Let set for several days and/or bake in an oven to make it dishwasher safe. Then serve your favorite drink in them… which just might be Brandie’s Raspberry Tea Float!