Green Craft: Upcycled Bows

Happy Earth day everyone!  In honor of the holiday, I thought I would republish one of my green crafts from the archives.  Enjoy.

Supplies:
Food packaging lined with foil - For this craft the package should be constructed with two sheets sealed on all four sides.
Double stick tape - I used tape that's pre-cut for scrapbooking.
Scissors

*Click on pictures to get a larger view.

Starting with a food package, cut strips horizontally. Next, turn all the strips inside out.

The strips naturally coiled into a figure 8 shape. The left "8" I taped the center together to make two loops. The right "8" has not been taped, it's just to show you how the strips naturally form. Next, take one loop and push it down in the center to make a bow shape and tape (refer to right picture).

Now push down the other loop just like you did in the last step and tape. Make three of these and one basic loop (refer to right picture).

Take two of the bows you made and tape them together in an "x" shape. Next tape another bow vertically down the center of the bows.

Last, tape your basic loop in the center.

Kid Craft: Double-Decker Bus

Any guesses what I made this little double-decker bus out of?  Look close.  It's a candy Tic Tac container!   I found the empty Tic Tac container while cleaning and inspiration hit  > Olympics > London >  Double-decker bus > Tic Tac container > Mini double-decker bus.  Makes perfect sense, right?

Supplies:

Tic Tac container (pictured left) - Peel off all labels and clean with soap and water to get rid of glue residue.

Paint (Red, Black, and White) - I used acrylic painters pens

Painters Tape

1. Take apart the lid and base.  Place tape on box anywhere you want windows or doors.  For inspiration, I recommend an image search for "double-decker buses".  Cover both pieces with red paint and let dry.

2.  Once the red paint is dry, peel away all tape.  If paint leaks through tape, just scrape it off with a toothpick. 

3.  Paint details such as wheels, license plates, etc.

Place lid back on to create a door at the back of the bus.  Now you just need some tiny people to fill it with.  I'm still working on that.  I'm considering paper people or worry people. Maybe I'll just let my kids figure that part out.
  

Craft: Cardboard Puppet Theater

Have you ever had the intention of making something simple but somewhere along the line your project gets completely out of control? For example. . . . I don't know. . . you plan on making a puppet theater out of a large box. Just something simple. You plan on cutting a hole in it and decide the kids can decorate the rest.

Back side of theater

You start out simple, and begin to cut out a hole for the puppets. But then you realize if you only cut part of the cardboard, you can bend it back into a stage. And since you're making a stage, you might as well make some curtains. Which means you'll need something to hold the curtains up. You find a dowel and cut it to size. You plan on gluing it in, but then you think, what if the kids want to change the curtains? You then add some extra grommets to the side of the box so the dowel can be removed.

You then realize that the curtains don't stay to the side on their own. Well you can't have a puppet show with closing curtains! You decide to add a curtain tie back. The gold string reminds you of the gold fringe on theater curtains and you think that would be a very nice detail. You search every inch of your craft room for fringe only to remember you donated it to the Goodwill. You vow never to get rid of any craft supplies again.

While looking at your theater with its stage and curtains, you realize it could use a coat of paint. But then you think, why not add a little detail.

Next thing you know, you're googling "vintage theaters" for reference. You stumble upon a few you like and from those images sketch out some details. Then you begin to paint. But what colors to use? Oh, the choices. You settle on peach gold and turquoise. The box begins to look a little flat so you decide it needs texture. You get out some gold dresden stars and glue them to the box. Things are turning out nicely.

The kids begin to start asking questions, "Can I decorate it? When can we play with it?". You feel slightly guilty. You suggest they make puppets.

You begin to get more adventurous. The sides of the stage look like they're missing something so you draw two balconies. You want that architectural relief look but how to get it? You dig into your stamp collection and find just the right image. Perfect!

You think you're done but feel like something is missing. You have a light bulb moment. You're literally thinking light bulbs. Your stage needs a lighting system. First you think Christmas lights but you don't want anything that needs to be plugged in. You need something basic like a flashlight. You cut a hole on the top of your theater for the flash light.

Tada! You now have a spotlight that can move with its performers.

You sit back and enjoy your work. You then hand it over to your kids and silently say a short prayer. It's something along the lines of "please keep this theater in one piece, at least for today".

How to Make an Upcycled Craft Kit

Can you keep a secret?

You can? Good.

I like to collect trash for my kids to play with!

There are so many unique packaging items that make perfect crafting supplies. We use them all the time in our projects. In fact, we use them so much that I have a special box to keep them in. This got me thinking. . . .what if I made an upcycled craft kit?

These kits would be fun to make as a gifts for play groups. They're also good for rainy days or winter break. Below I share how I put my kit together. There's no wrong or right way to do this, make them however you want and get creative!

Supplies:
Plastic milk jug
Hole punch
Button
Rubber band
Wire
X-ACTO knife

You can skip these steps if you have a container with a large lid.

The first thing you will need to do is make an opening to fit the craft supplies in. With an exacto knife cut plastic jug (refer to blue dots in picture).

Punch two holes above the jug's flap and attach a button with wire. I placed a piece of tape over the back of the wire (in inside of jug) to prevent little hands from getting scratched.

Next, punch two holes at top of flap. Cut rubber band into one string. Thread through both holes to make a loop. Tie knots on back of flap. Now you have a larger closure for your container. All you need to do now is fill it with craft supplies!

Above are few things I put into the remake kit: squeeze bottle cap (makes a great hinge), fruit pouch caps (good for wheels), pizza table, plastic spool, mesh bag, and sock packaging.

Along with the recyclable items, I recommend adding some tools and supplies for embellishments. Here's a list of a few ideas.

Tools
Scissors
White Glue
Glue Dots
Markers
Paint Pens

Craft Supplies
Googly eyes
Pom Poms
Rhinestones
Popsicle sticks
Pipe cleaners

Rubber bands
Buttons

Stickers

And if you want, here's a label you can put on your kit. Just click on it, right click, copy, paste and print.

When your kit gets low, just add more trash to it.

Kid Craft: Superhero Stuffed Animals

Just for fun, I decided to make some superhero eye masks and capes for my children's stuffed animals. My inspiration came from a how-to kid cape post I saw on Ohdeedoh. Just like in the Ohdeedoh post, I used old t-shirts to make the capes. They were simple to make and it only took about 5 minutes to whip up a set. After my kids saw the first set I made, a whole line of stuffed animals were waiting to be turned into cape crusaders.

Click on image for a larger view.

For the eye mask: if it's too loose, just cut the back of the mask down the center and tie around the head. I also found it was easier to cut out the eyes when the mask was on the stuffed animal to get it positioned just right.

For the cape: Look for old t-shirts that have interesting prints on them. Center the image in the center of the cape to cut. In the picture below you can see how I did this for the smaller stuffed animal. Other option, have your child decorate the capes with fabric markers.

Kid Craft: Moving Ballerina Toy

If you haven't noticed, my favorite crafts are the ones easy to make and require basic craft supplies. Of course I appreciate craftsmanship and projects that require time and planning. However, sometimes it's nice to sit down for even 10 minutes and have an end product to show for it. Such is the case with this little tin box with a moving ballerina. Make one for a child or have a child make one for themselves. Simple directions below.

Supplies:
Candy tin - An Altoids box would work well too
Toothpick
Extra strength small magnet - can be found at the hardware store
Paperclip
Paper + colored pencils or markers to draw
Scissors
Glue

Cut toothpick to fit on one side of tin. A regular pair of scissors will cut a toothpick, you don't need anything fancy. I used some E-6000 glue to adhere the toothpick.

Fold the center of the paperclip up. Cut part of the paperclip off (refer to picture). I also coiled the bottom of the paper clip which isn't shown in this picture but can be seen in the top picture.

Create a small drawing along with a mirror image of it. Glue onto paperclip. Click on images for a larger view.

Place an extra strength magnet on the bottom and move around to move your ballerina.

When not in use, place all pieces in box and close shut. Decorate the box anyway you want. I also made an alien version. I colored the inside of the box with a sharpie to look like outer-space. There's lots of possibilities with this craft so have fun.

Make gifs

Craft: Tea Tin Pails

To recycle or keep for a craft, that is the question. Actually, THAT'S always the question for me. This time it was a tea tin. I thought to myself, "you have lots of tea tins, you haven't done much with them, do you really need this? Do you need this?!!!". And at that moment the idea of a tea tin pail popped into my head. Craft idea to the rescue! Tea tin saved.

Supplies:
Tea tin - easy to find at thrift stores
Strip of leather - I used an old belt
2 Brads
Small Hole punch
Hammer and one nail

Here's the tea tin I started with. It doesn't matter what shape or size it is.

Punch a hole large enough for a brad to fit through it on both top sides of the tin.

To make a hole in the leather, hammer a nail into the leather and then remove nail. Repeat on opposite site. Attach leather handle with brads.

Here's what the brad will look like from the inside.

Done!

Kid Craft: Mother's Day Pendants

Move over macaroni necklace, there's a new piece of jewelry to make for Mother's Day. Not that I have anything against the macaroni necklace, I've made a few in my day. But if you're looking for a more updated mother's day kid craft, this is it. Much like the macaroni necklace, this pendant is also made out of humble supplies. The metal base is actually the end of a crescent roll container!

I recommend this craft for children 5 and up. It definitely requires adult supervision and depending on the age, you may need to do some of the steps. That said, try to make it the child's project as much as possible. Let them pick out the images and accents for the pendant. Don't forget to have fun!

Supplies:
Aleene's Paper Glaze - you could also use Diamond Glaze or Mod Podge Dimensional Magic
Metal lids from crescent roll containers - pictured above
Jewelry Bails - easy to find at the craft store
Decorative paper - scrapbook paper, magazine clippings, clip art
Embellishments - rhinestones, beads, buttons, etc. . .
Cardboard - from a cereal box or other packaging
E6000 Glue
Decoupage glue
Paint brush
Scissors
Place metal lid on cardboard. Trace onto cardboard. Cut out. Glue inside metal lid.

Create and glue a mini collage on top of cardboard. Cover with a light coat of decoupage. Let dry.

Once dry, add a light coat of paper glaze on top. Spread out with tip of container or a paint brush. Remove any bubbles by poking them with a pin. Let dry overnight.

If you add too much paper glaze it will dry cloudy and not clear (pictured above). This was one of my prototypes for this project.

Glue jewelry bail on back of pendant with E6000 glue. Let dry overnight. This step should be done by an adult.

Eiffel Tower image from The Graphics Fairy

There are a lot of possibilities with these pendants. Make magnets, pins, cards and whatever else you can think of with them. They're not just for Mother's Day.