Decorative Trees Made From Scrap Fabric

Posted Dec 27, 10 -Filed Under Uncategorized, children's crafts (recycled materials), crafts (recycled materials), gifts from recycled materials, holiday crafts: Christmas (recycled stuff), party décor (recycle and upcycle), reuse fabric items, sewing, use for dryer lint, use for fabric scraps, use for natural stuff: vines, sticks... | 5 Comments

When I think winter, I think evergreen trees. Here are some easy to make stylized evergreen trees made out of fabric. They can easily be made by children and given as a charming Christmas gift.

Here are some of the trees done by one of my students from my winter sewing/crafting workshop 2010.

Make the tree stump(s)

Find a tree branch of the desired diameter. Cut tree stumps using a miter saw if you have one.

Keep in mind, if the stumps are too small in diameter, the trees will fall over.

Make the tree top

1. Cut Fabric

Use a plate to mark a circle on your fabric and cut out. Next, cut the circle in half. Each half can make a tree.

2. Sew

Fold the semicircle in half with the good side of the fabric facing in. Use a sewing machine or hand -sew a straight line up the side as shown in the photo. Make your cone wider or narrower by adjusting your sewing line.

3. Turn and Stuff

Cut off the extra fabric. Then, turn the cone right side out and add stuffing.

4. Stitch

Using large stitches sew all the way around the bottom of the cone.

5. Gather

Pull the thread from both ends until the fabric is gathered together and the hole is gone.

6. Tie A knot

Knot the thread.

7. Glue

Add glue to the stump and glue in place.

8. Let Dry

Use a glass or another object to weigh down the tree top until the glue is dry.

9. Done

10. Make More

Make a whole forest of trees!

Jean Pocket Patches: Repairing Knee Holes

Posted Dec 18, 10 -Filed Under Eco-friendly living ideas, reuse jeans | 7 Comments

A cool and easy way to repair knee holes in jeans is to sew on the back pockets of a pair of older jeans. It’s hard to get my daughter to part with her favorite pair of jeans. Sometimes when summer comes we make them into shorts but if not, here is a solution.

You will need a pair of jeans that you can salvage the back pockets from. I like the ones from smaller jeans. You might have some that your child has worn out/ out grown. I used a seam ripper to remove the pockets then I sewing them over the holes of the jeans that we want to keep. I left the pockets open on the tops but you can sew all the way around if you like. When salvaging old pockets, you may want to cut the pockets off instead so that you have two layers that you sew on.

They are approved by fashion conscious people (like my daughter).

Bird Feeder Bird Watching: A Great Place To Start

Posted Dec 12, 10 -Filed Under Nature: plant and animal identification, children's activities (recycled materials), seasonal: fall, seasonal: winter | Leave a Comment

Introduce your kids to bird watching by setting up a birdfeeder within easy view of a window. Children will have an easier time learning to use binoculars by starting with a fixed focus point. Children will focus on the birdfeeder (with the help of an adult if needed) and wait for the birds to come. They will see the birds like never before. Using a bird feeder will bring around many varieties of birds for their enjoyment.

Try buying different seeds to attract different varieties of birds. Provide a notebook where kids can record birds that they see. Show them how they can start their own life list. Buy a bird field guide or research sightings on-line.

Chipping Sparrows

Bird Collides With Window: Hermit Thrush

Posted Dec 11, 10 -Filed Under Nature: plant and animal identification, reuse boxes | 2 Comments

Sadly, this hermit thrush hit a window in our house. My daughter and I looked out for it while it recovered. Happily, in less than a half hour it was able to fly away.

December of 2010.

When this happens we usually put the bird in a box for its protection while recovering. If it is too cold or too hot we bring it inside. If you find a bird unconscious, protect it from predators like cats. Be very quiet around it and don’t try to feed it. Do let it go as soon as it recovers (usually within an hour.)

We have been trying to develop strategies to prevent birds from hitting our windows.

In another post I’ll show you some of our tricks. I like to think that we have reduced the amount of bird collisions that would have otherwise occurred but it is hard to know for sure.

Do you have any good ideas to prevent bird collisions?

Reuse Brown Paper Packing Material

Posted Dec 11, 10 -Filed Under Eco-friendly living ideas, reuse paper, brown packing | Leave a Comment

Save the brown paper used as packing material in the boxes you get in the mail. You could recycle it but it would be even better to reuse that paper in other ways.

This is what I’m talking about.

I roll it up and put it away until needed.

Besides an amusement for my cat, it can be reused in so many crafty ways.

One example is as a protective table cloth when doing craft projects.

Here students are painting bread dough ornaments made during one of my workshops.

December Fun In The Making Workshops Are Forming Now

Posted Dec 7, 10 -Filed Under Uncategorized, workshops and classes | Leave a Comment

Schedule your workshop now before it’s too late.

Tea Cup Mouse workshop –one day ($20). Christmas “green” sewing and craft workshop –one day ($20). Christmas “green” sewing and craft workshop –two day ($40). Here are some dates to consider:(Available dates: Dec.4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 29, 30)

So far: 4th & 5th -Christmas workshop (2 day)- full class.

Dec. 30th -Tea Cup Mouse workshop – space still available

*Join a workshop or schedule another.Students take home their projects at the end of the workshop. These projects are fun for holiday decoration and often make great gifts! Workshop times: 9 -2 or 12- 5 (depending on the time you schedule your workshop). This includes time for a lunch break or snack break. Students bring their own lunch or snack.

Tea Cup Mouse workshop –one day

Students will make an adorable Tea Cup Mouse.

Skills include machine or hand sewing and embroidering.

Bring: salvaged fabric for making the mouse body and a tea cup. If you can’t find something suitable to repurpose into a mouse, let me know so I can help.

Those who have time will work on accessories (like quilts, blankets, cloths) for their mouse.

Time permitting; students will make plastic peace dove ornaments out of recycled materials. These dove ornaments can also be made into a mobile or hung on windows to discourage bird collisions.

It will be a lot of fun!

Christmas “green” sewing and craft workshop –two day

Students will make:

On day one-

Little Birdie bread dough ornaments

Simple Stick star ornaments

Evergreen tree decoration made from fabric and includes a tree branch slice for a “stump”. (bring scrap fabric with a Christmas print, some shade of green, or any print you like!)

At the end of the day, students will help decorate a class tree with ornaments made from recycled materials.

On day two-

Little Birdie bread dough ornaments (paint)

Punched “tin” ornaments

Fabric peace dove or blue bird or cardinal ornament(s) (Student donations of scrap silk, wool, or other fabric pieces, beads, sequins, or buttons will be combined with the fabric and notions provided by the teacher and past workshops.

Hot Chocolate will be served while completing projects and finishing trimming the tree.

Christmas “green” sewing and craft workshop –one day

Students will make:

Evergreen tree decoration made from fabric and includes a tree branch slice for a “stump”. (bring scrap fabric with a Christmas print, some shade of green, or any print you like!)

Punched tin can lanterns or ornaments

Plastic Peace Dove Ornaments made out of recycled materials. These beautifully simple dove ornaments can also be made into a mobile or hung on windows to discourage bird collisions. (Please donate white plastic yogurt, cool whip, cream cheese or other similar container lids.

Hot Chocolate served while trimming the student’s class tree.

I’d be flattered if you recommended these workshops to a friend.

For additional information about classes including some project picture, go to FunInTheMaking.net/classes.

  • Translate

    EnglishFrenchGermanItalianPortugueseRussianSpanish

  • Sponsors

  • Support Fun In The Making

    Like what you see? Consider donating a dollar. If you get project ideas throughout the year consider giving $10.

  • Got Questions?

    Are you having any trouble understanding some of the instructions? Feel free to send me a quick e-mail at HesterJane@FunInTheMaking.net. I’ll do my best to answer your questions. Do you have any suggestions regarding a specific post? Maybe you have a better way and would like to share it with the other creative people visiting this site? -Hester Jane