Recycling ideas: Unique fashion for women

Unique fashion for women

tunic shirts

Under the cut - a lot of ideas on how to beat a similar texture, making of knitted T-shirts or other clothing or scarves:

Recycling ideas: Unique fashion for women

Photo: http://www.secondstreet.ru

Recycling plastic bottles: making Christmas tree and bells tutorial

 
Recycling plastic bottles: making Christmas tree and bells tutorial

 


 
Source: http://www.flickr.com

Recycling ideas: sheep plush out of mitts and gloves

Recycling ideas: sheep plush out of mitts and gloves

So you’re wondering what to do with an unused faux-wool car wash mitt, an old pair of black fleece mitts, and an old pair of black chenille gloves (you’re not alone,  it’s been a confounding daily ponderable for me, too).  Well, with these items, you can make a new friend.


That’s right, I made this lovable little sheep using the above variety of mitts and gloves.  I picked up the car wash mitt from Dollarama a while back, saving it from a life of grimy slavery.  Perhaps my American readers can rescue a similar mitt from the Dollar Tree.  The advantage of living through blistering cold Canadian winters is I have a stash of old mittens and gloves to append to the car wash mitt.

To recreate this little fellow:
1. Sever the thumb off one of the fleece mitts.
2. On the second fleece mitt, cut along the side opposite the thumb.  Stop once you reach the length equal to where the thumb is joined.
3. On that same mitt, cut the cuff.
4. Sew the thumb on the open side of the second mitt (both turned inside out).  Sew the mitt shut.
5. Cut a slit along the middle of the mitt, the length of the car wash mitt cuff.  Turn right side out.
6. Cut together in one piece the index and middle fingers of the chenille gloves (pairs of legs).  On one of the gloves, sever the thumb (tail).
7. Turn the car wash mitt inside out.  Rip small openings in the seams for the legs and the tail.
8. Fill the legs and tail with the remaining unused fingers of the gloves.  Feed through the designated openings and sew onto the open seams of the car mitt.
9. Turn the car wash mitt right side out.  Fill with your choice of material.  I suggest the leftover pieces of mitts and scraps of an old sweater.
10.  Fill the head.  Wrap the opening around the cuff and sew together.  Add eyes.  My own eyes were set on the big googlies.
I know I won’t miss the mitts and gloves, now that I have something else to love.

Recycling paper for kids: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom-ABC Kid’s Craft

 

Recycling paper for kids: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom-ABC Kid’s Craft

I LOVE Children’s books.  I collect them and get excited about buying them just like most ladies feel about shoes.  I never feel guily about buying them either.  One of my favoirte ABC’s children’s books is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. & John Archambault.  I teach preschool and it was our theme for the year.  I can’t think of a more catchy, fun book for kids-they LOVE it!  My own kiddos have it memorized and I love to hear them read it.  This book makes learning the ABC’s fun!

I even have a huge Coconut tree painted on my wall in honor of the book and we add letters to it as we learn each one.
Today I’d love to start a little “Book Nook” if you will.  I would love to share my favorite children’s books with you and fun activities to go with them…so here is the first one and stay tuned for more in the future. 
After you read this story to your little ones, sing the song, and talk about the book…here are a few fun activities to do!
Mini “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” Trees:
Supplies you will need:
-Toilet Paper Rolls (these are great for so many kid crafts-If you’d like a taller tree, use a paper towel roll:)
-Brown and green cardstock or construction paper
-glue
-Letter stickers or Foam sticker letters
-Scissors
-Palm pattern
To make the mini trees:
First: Cut your brown paper to the length of the toilet paper roll and glue around the roll
Second:  Cut out the palm tree leaves and glue on the top of the rolls (standing up)  3 per tree.  You may have to help your little one with these steps.
Third:  Add LETTER stickers or foam letter stickers to your tree!  The kids love this part!



Now your kiddo has their very own Chicka Chicka Boom Boom tree to display!
And now for a fun “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” snack idea to celebrate the book!
What you need:
-Green apple slices for the palms
-Whopper candy for the Coconuts
-Graham Crackers or Chocolate Wafters for the tree trunk
-Alphabit Cereal for the letters
Have your child build their tree and add letters to their “Tasty Tree” like the story did.  They can walk the letters up as you read the story!  Very fun treat idea to celebrate the book!

Recycling paper for kids: Cardboard Tube Bunny Rabbit Family

Ahh bunnies! They’re so cute, and cuddly, and colorful… ? Well, these are anyway! It doesn’t have to be Easter to make some cute bunnies, but their pretty colors remind me of jelly beans! Using cardboard tubes from paper towels or bathroom tissue, you can make this fun and bright family of bunny rabbits with your kids!

Some people are uncomfortable using bathroom tissue rolls, especially those in a day care setting. Paper towel cardboard tubes are the same diameter, just longer, and work equally well. You can simplify your bunnies depending on the age group of your children. To simplify some of these steps, skip the apron on mama bunny and the buttons on daddy, and you can also use pink felt triangles (or construction paper) for the noses. Wiggle eyes will work too instead of marker. I do use a hot glue gun in this project, so please supervise children closely or use a quick drying glue such as Beacon’s instant grab glue.

Cardboard Tube Bunny Rabbit Family
printable version

3 cardboard toilet paper tubes
1 cardboard paper towel tube
7 miniature pink and/or orange pom-poms
felt in various colors for bow ties and hair bows
hot glue gun
black Sharpie marker
scissors
white, orange and green felt for apron (optional)
2 buttons (optional)

Paint (I used the following Folk Art colors, you can use whatever type of acrylic craft paint you prefer):

Pink Melon (dark pink)
Medium Orange (bright orange)
Pink Balloon (light pink)
Medium Blue (bright light blue)
Daffodil Yellow (bright yellow)
Purple Lilac (light purple)
Lime Green (bright light green)

Cut the cardboard tubes as follows. You will end up with 5 baby bodies, 2 adult bodies and 14 ears.

Paper towel tube – Cut a 4.5″ piece for dad, a 4″ piece for mom and five 1/2″ ears.
Toilet tube #1 – Cut two 1.5″ bodies and two 1/2″ ears.
Toilet tube #2 - Cut two 1.5″ bodies and two 1/2″ ears.
Toilet tube #3 – Cut one 1.5″ body and five 1/2″ ears.

Paint each tube, inside and out, and a set of ears to go with each body.

Run a line of hot glue inside the ear and squeeze it closed to flatten it.

Use scissors to trim tops of ears to make them pointy.

Hot glue the ears to the top inside of the cardboard tube body.

Use pink paint to paint a line on each ear.

Glue on mini pom-pom noses and cut bows from felt and attach. For girls, attach bows up by the ears and for boys at the bottom front of the body.

Use Sharpie to add eyes and whiskers.

If you like, cut a simple apron from white felt for the mom. Cut out a small carrot from orange and green felt and glue to the apron. Glue apron in place. Glue 2 buttons to the front of the dad.