Fun To Make Autumn Leaf Mobile
Posted Nov 23, 08 -Filed Under children's activities (recycled materials), crafts (recycled materials), home décor (recycle and upcycle), seasonal: fall, use for natural stuff: vines, sticks..., use for wire scraps | Leave a Comment
Fall is such a pleasant time for me. I really enjoy the cooler temperatures and the changing colors of the foliage. When a gust of wind comes along and the leaves rain down, I smile. I guess that is why I like these mobiles so much. It is like being outside even when I have to be inside.
Try using the leaf stem called the petiole (if long enough) to tie the leaf to the branch.
Salvaged copper wire can be used to hang your mobile or use whatever you have on hand.
How to: Spend a pleasant afternoon collecting your favorite leaves. Take a walk perhaps with your son or daughter and search for the best specimens. Your theme could be one kind of tree or a variety of trees and colors. Also, find a small branch from which you will hang your leaves.
During your walk you could introduce a few vocabulary words and a bit of science. Mention deciduous plants are the plants that drop their leaves in preparation of the coming winter. Evergreen plants like pine trees and hollies stay green throughout the winter: they lose leaves too but not all at once. Abscission is the process by which leaves are shed.
When you get home, and if the leaf isn’t completely dried out, you can use the leaf’s petiole (the stem part) to tie the leaf to the branch. Alternatively, glue the leaves directly onto the branch. Clamp with a cloths pin until the glue dries.
These ginkgo leaves are so beautiful. On that day the ground was painted yellow from fallen ginkgo leaves. The shadows are beautiful too.
Another option is to hang the leaves from pieces of string, thread or fishing line. You might be able to salvage some fishing line. I’ve found some in the past near fishing spots and saved it for projects. Plus, I feel good about picking up litter.
I wish I had made this ginkgo leaf mobile with thread instead of this string because the thread would be almost invisible.
Window Sill Herb Garden Gift: Made In Clementine Box
Posted Nov 19, 08 -Filed Under crafts (recycled materials), garden (gardening info and eco-friendly project ideas), gifts from recycled materials, reuse containers, ice cream, reuse clementine box | Leave a Comment
A window sill garden would make a great Christmas gift. And while you are at it, make one for yourself too.
The black “tray” used under this plant was fast food waste. Plan ahead and reuse your trash!
Plant Your Own Herb Garden Kit: Made With Recycled Materials
How to:
Include in the window sill kit everything needed to grow this herb garden: one Clementine box, six- 1 pint ice-cream containers with lids, potting soil, and seed packets.
Poke a drainage hole in the middle of the bottom of ice-cream containers. Fill with potting soil. Decorate the lids with pictures of herbs cut from last year’s seed catalogs or use the inside of a cereal box and write your own label. I used a circle cutter (found at craft stores) but you could cut the rim off an extra cover for a stencil that you can then trace. Line the Clementine box with plastic or reuse plastic cups from your recycle bin. Often times companies offer mixed seed packets but if making several herb gardens, you could repackage seeds: giving each kit a few of each kind of seed. A pretty ribbon adds to the presentation.
Note: You will need to put a spacer in the bottom of your Clementine box. Use whatever you can find to raise up the bottom of the box about an inch. Salvaged peanuts and a piece of scrap cardboard will do the trick. The spacer is needed to lift the containers because the covers are on. Once the lids are removed, the spacer can also be removed; the containers will now fit.
A Gift Tray of Seedlings
How to:
Alternatively you can pot some small herbs either store bought or share from your garden; just skip the lids.
Empty Boxes Make Great Building Blocks For Kid Fort Building
Posted Nov 15, 08 -Filed Under children's activities (recycled materials), reuse boxes | Leave a Comment
My daughter couldn’t wait to build herself this hide-away stocked with books, pillows and a flashlight. She even constructed a roof out of flattened boxes.
This photo shows part of a multi-room playhouse.
Give a kid a pile of boxes and he or she will be busy for hours and it doesn’t cost anything.
Such play allows children the opportunity to be engineers, architects, and builders. Boxes stack up to become walls, holes left become windows (or peep holes)… I love seeing all the creative ideas they come up with, such as strings that pull the door closed from the inside and then lock, built-in kitchen cabinets, box tables, and so much more… Today they may choose to build a multi-room palace and tomorrow a cozy reading nook fort. The possibilities are endless.
Are you expecting kids over for the holidays and don’t have any toys or you have toys but want something different to do? If so, introduce them to box blocks.
How to:
Collect the boxes prior to their arrival. Have a few things on hand like scissors and markers. There is nothing more to it!
Store the boxes stacked against the wall in an unused corner or in the garage.
Reuse or recycle boxes when done playing with them.
How To String A Better Clothes Line: Don’t Let Your Cloths Get Rained On
Posted Nov 6, 08 -Filed Under eco-friendly living ideas | 4 Comments
Using a clothes line can save you a lot on energy bills. Better than that, using the sun to dry your clothes doesn’t produce any pollution.
We’ve come up with a clothes line situation that works well for us. First off it is close by: right out my door. Second, it is located under an overhang of the roof so my cloths never get re-wet by an unexpected rain. Third, it is located out on the side of my house so it is not in immediate view of visitors.
A carport might also be a good location for a clothes line if there is plenty of air circulation.
How to:
A. Screw an eyehook(s) into the wall: one for each line you intend to string. Remember to place the clothes lines high enough so you can walk under them without hitting your head.
B. Use a carabiner because it has one side that has a spring-hinge (that opens) making it easy to take down and re-hang the clothes line. (optional)
C. Tie a clothes line to the carabiner.
D. Attach an eyehook to the opposite wall at the same height and matching location on the wall. Lace the clothes line through.
E. Pull the line tight and tie off the clothes line(s) on a cleat.
*All supplies can be found at your local hardware store. Pick out hardware that will be resistant to rust.