Showing posts with label recycled. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recycled. Show all posts
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Make Toilet Roll Glasses!
Toilet roll crafts are some of my favorite ones to make. (You can check out our extensive toilet roll craft gallery here.) Right now we're still living out of our suitcases, so good ol' tp rolls are also some of the few craft items that I still have on hand. Recently I saw Krokotak's toilet roll sunglasses tutorial and I knew that I really wanted to make my own version. I've had pineapples and rainbows on my mind lately, so naturally they found their way into this adorable craft.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
DIY Magnetic Transportation Map Game
Our epic move still looms overhead. The movers are coming next week and then we fly off to California a week after that. I keep trying to explain what's happening to Chuck, but I'm not sure he gets it yet. So I came up with this easy craft and activity to help him out. It's a DIY Magnetic Transportation Map Activity where you move different types of transportation across county using magnets!
Chuck really enjoyed helping me to color in the map and different types of transportation using watercolors. He also REALLY enjoyed moving everything around using magnets. It was a bit of trial and error to put this toy together, but at the end we came up with a craft that's easy to make, fun to use, and *hopefully* helpful for Chuck.
Let's get making!
DIY Magnetic Transportation Map Game
(This post contains affiliate links. Thank you so much for your support!)
Chuck really enjoyed helping me to color in the map and different types of transportation using watercolors. He also REALLY enjoyed moving everything around using magnets. It was a bit of trial and error to put this toy together, but at the end we came up with a craft that's easy to make, fun to use, and *hopefully* helpful for Chuck.
Let's get making!
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
DIY Cardboard Cactus Construction Set
Full crafty admission: Yesterday I was taking Chuck to the park and saw a lovely clean box in the back of our building. Not sure how this happened, but suddenly I found myself mumbling, "It's mine, my precious, my own" repeatedly until Chuck reminded me that he wanted to go play. Then, of course, I snapped out of my gollum state. But you can bet your sweet Aunt Petunia that when we came back home, I grabbed that box and skedaddled back to our apartment. Why? Well, I wanted to make a Cardboard Cactus Construction Set, of course. Why? (You might ask again.) Well, because cardboard is cool and cacti are cool... which makes this cardboard construction set cool to the uber cool power.
DIY Cardboard Cactus Construction Set
Monday, May 12, 2014
Toilet Roll Helicopter Craft
Chuck loves his vehicles. Thus far we've built a toilet roll airplane, a cardboard roll space shuttle, a shampoo bottle boat, styrofoam gliders, and a tin can car. (Wow. That's a lot of transportation crafts!) Since we live near the river, helicopters fly over our building on a daily basis. So we recently added this toilet roll helicopter to our collection of recycled transportation crafts. (Can you tell that he's modeled after Harold the Helicopter from Thomas?)
Toilet Roll Helicopter Craft
(*Note: This post includes affiliate links which means that I earn a small commission for every purchase made at no extra cost to you. Thank you so much for your support.)
Thursday, May 8, 2014
6 Fun Flower Activities for Kids
I've had flowers on my mind lately. But can you blame me?
Spring is here and the world is bursting with color! Plus, Mother's day
is coming up and I imagine mothers all over receiving flowers as
gifts. So that's why I put together this list of 6 fun flower
activities that you can do with your kids. You can turn flowers into works of art, use them to decorate stationary, or place them in a sensory bin! Let's get started!
6 Fun Flower Activities
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Build a toy car that moves
I love painting things with Chuck, but sometimes I yearn to make things that actually move or do things. So when a mommy friend suggested that we build cardboard toy cars that actually move, wowzers, I had to say yes. She found the directions in an old kids' science book (that I don't remember the name of... sorry). And that's how we spent an awesome play date with five kids- eating pizza and then building and racing some cardboard racing cars.
1. The cars really move. Really. You just twist the tin can and then let go. Bam. The rubber bands store the potential energy and then once released, they turn the can... and your car moves by itself!
2. You don't need any expensive materials. In fact, you probably have most of the items already at home.
Have I whet your appetite enough? Ok. Let's build! Vroooom!
Kid Science: Let's Build a Car that Moves!
Today's craft is awesome for 2 reasons:1. The cars really move. Really. You just twist the tin can and then let go. Bam. The rubber bands store the potential energy and then once released, they turn the can... and your car moves by itself!
2. You don't need any expensive materials. In fact, you probably have most of the items already at home.
Have I whet your appetite enough? Ok. Let's build! Vroooom!
Friday, March 28, 2014
Toilet Paper Roll Flowers and Cacti
I've said it once, and I'll say it again. I've got a black, black thumb. And this saddens me because deep down, my heart is really green. I love looking at plants, I love eating plants, and goodness one year I was even a tree for Halloween! But I'm a plant killer. So this makes today's toilet paper roll craft perfect for me. These cardboard roll plants are pretty to look at, and impossible to kill.
Yup. Aren't they pretty? If you're interested in making yourself some everlasting recyclable plants, keep on reading!
Make Toilet Paper Roll Flowers and Cacti
Yup. Aren't they pretty? If you're interested in making yourself some everlasting recyclable plants, keep on reading!
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Cardboard Space Shuttle Craft (template included)
A couple of weeks ago we visited our nearby Science Center and Chuck fell in love with a small space shuttle toy. Of course, the wheels in my head began whirring and I knew that we could easily transform a paper towel roll into our very own rocket ship. So after a couple days of planning, cutting, and painting, we are now the proud owners of two cardboard roll space shuttles:
Want a ride to the moon on your very own cardboard roll space shuttle? Then keep reading to see how we made them (template included)!
Cardboard Space Shuttle Craft
Want a ride to the moon on your very own cardboard roll space shuttle? Then keep reading to see how we made them (template included)!
Thursday, March 13, 2014
DIY Tin Wall Art
The weather last weekend was glorious and I'm mentally already in Spring mode. Doesn't matter that today was freezing cold... nope, no siree. The sun is shining, it's March, so yes, Spring is here (in my mind at least.) And to celebrate the sunnier, warmer weather, I'm over at Handmade Charlotte today sharing how I made this lovely spring themed DIY Tin Wall Art.
Tin Wall Art sounds pretty fancy-shmancy. I actually made it using materials that I already had at home! Adults and kids can easily turn a simple disposable aluminum baking pan into a piece of lovely and personalized artwork. So grab your Sharpies and baking pan, and head on over to Handmade Charlotte to see how to make yourself some lovely DIY Tin Wall Art!
Tin Wall Art sounds pretty fancy-shmancy. I actually made it using materials that I already had at home! Adults and kids can easily turn a simple disposable aluminum baking pan into a piece of lovely and personalized artwork. So grab your Sharpies and baking pan, and head on over to Handmade Charlotte to see how to make yourself some lovely DIY Tin Wall Art!
Thursday, March 6, 2014
4 Easy Kids' Crafts
Today Chuck's sick and we're stuck at home. Boo! I was going to skip posting today and instead just upload our everyday craft photos onto my Instagram account. But the photos were so cute... so I gave in and I'm uploading a collage here too, just in case you're looking for some crafty inspiration.
4 Really Easy (Practically no prep) Kids' crafts
Keep reading to see how we made each craft:
Monday, March 3, 2014
Leprechaun Hat Headband DIY
I'm not Irish. (Surprise!) But I appreciate St. Patrick's Day because it gives me the opportunity to wear green and cute Leprechaun gear. So today's craft is a DIY Leprechaun hat headband that was made from... wait for it.... toilet paper rolls and cereal boxes!
Yup! Today we're making our very own Leprechaun hat!
Keep reading to see how we made this little Leprechaun hat headband!Friday, February 28, 2014
Plastic Bottle Sumo Wrestler Bowling Pins
About a year ago I had the great opportunity to be a guest craft poster at Sugar and Dots (Now Hello M{ess}). My first craft on her blog was this set of cute and quirky sumo wrestler bowling pins. It's still one of my most popular (and favorite) craft posts, so today I thought I'd re-share my sumo wrestler pins over here.
Keep reading to see how these cute guys were made:
Plastic Bottle Sumo Wrestler Bowling Pins
Ack! Too cute.... |
Keep reading to see how these cute guys were made:
Friday, January 31, 2014
Two Heart themed Valentine's Crafts- Heart Glasses and Painted Heart Rocks
Note: This post is sponsored by Plaid, but the opinions are 100% mine.
Did you know that the heart is my favorite shape? (Is it weird that I have a favorite shape?) I know that triangles and hexagons are super trendy right now, but I'm an old-fashioned romantic. Hearts will always have a special place in my... well heart. (Tee hee hee.) So when Plaid sent me a box of Apple Barrel Craft Paint to create a Valentine's Day School Craft, I knew that it had to be heart related.
So I came up with these Cereal box Heart Glasses and Heart Painted Rocks. Both crafts are super colorful and fun to make.
Keep reading to see directions and template!
Did you know that the heart is my favorite shape? (Is it weird that I have a favorite shape?) I know that triangles and hexagons are super trendy right now, but I'm an old-fashioned romantic. Hearts will always have a special place in my... well heart. (Tee hee hee.) So when Plaid sent me a box of Apple Barrel Craft Paint to create a Valentine's Day School Craft, I knew that it had to be heart related.
So I came up with these Cereal box Heart Glasses and Heart Painted Rocks. Both crafts are super colorful and fun to make.
Cereal box Heart Glasses
Keep reading to see directions and template!
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Two Bird Feeder Crafts: Toilet Paper Roll Feeders and Ice Feeders
Earlier this week my posts focused on sending some lovin' to the special people in your life (Click here, here and here.) Well, that's all well and good. But what about sending love to others? How about the birds? With the freezing cold weather outside, our feathered friends are bound to need some loving too. So why not try out these two bird feeder crafts? Chuck and I made some toilet paper roll bird feeders and some heart shaped ice feeders. Both were really easy to make and currently dangling on a tree outside our building.
To see how I made the toilet paper roll feeders and ice feeders, keep reading!
Here's an up-close shot of our Toilet Paper Roll Feeder:
To see how I made the toilet paper roll feeders and ice feeders, keep reading!
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Make a Cardboard Bridge for Trains and Cars
We bought an Ikea train set awhile back and Chuck loves it. The only problem is that our poor Thomas train is too big and doesn't fit under the train set's tunnel. So I poked through my trusty cardboard stash and made him a cardboard mountain bridge.
Cardboard Bridge for Trains and Cars
Aha! Problem solved.Now all the trains can fit underneath the mountain while his cars drive over the train track. Yay!
Wanna make a bridge too? Well then keep on reading!
Monday, January 13, 2014
6 ways to entertain a toddler at home
Looking for some easy ways to entertain your toddler in the winter?
So... how about that polar votex? Boy, oh boy, that was some crazy weather. With the snow, ice, and freezing cold winds, Chuck and I hunkered down at home.After a couple of hours of reading the same books over and over again, and playing with the same toys over and over again, and listening to the soundtrack of "Planes" for the trillionth time, I finally cracked.
Redrum, redrum?
Thankfully, we didn't make it to that point. But, we definitely bounced off the walls a bit. To maintain some sense of sanity, we had to do something to make the time at home more enjoyable. So here are a couple of fun activities that kept us sane and smiling...
1. Yarn family portrait craft
Chuck loves using scissors and the glue sticks, so this activity was a hit. First he helped me cut tons of short, white yarn strands. Then, I doodled a bald family on a piece of paper. Then, he helped me glue hair onto all of their heads. The result is this cute and funny family portrait.Keep reading to see more ways we entertained ourselves at home...
Monday, January 6, 2014
Make Toilet Roll Airplanes (template included)
Make Toilet Paper Roll Airplanes
Initially, I titled this post "Bad Mamas make toilet roll airplanes" because I wanted to admit something to you.I'm a baaaad mama.
Yup, you read that right. I'm a bad mama... a really bad mama... why? Well, the other day we were playing around with Chuck and we started humming different songs for him to guess. At first we hummed his favorite song ("Life is a Highway" from the movie Cars) and he guessed it! Intrigued, we kept humming other songs from Cars 1, Cars 2, and Planes (his faves.) He couldn't name the songs specifically, but he could identify the movie that each song came from.
And then I started humming "ABC" to him, thinking that it would be a breeze for him to guess. I got through the entire song and then my son... my dear, sweet, transportation-loving child, looked up at me and said "Me no know mama."
What?! "Me no know?" He knows songs from movie soundtracks... but can't recognize ABC? We sing ABC to him at least twice a day when we brush his teeth. Oof. Double oof.
I guess we're not as entertaining as talking vehicles...
So... this reeeeeeaaaaally long intro was just my way of saying that my son loves cars, planes, trucks, trains... erm... basically anything that moves. So I thought I'd try to foster his love with a toilet paper airplane craft. These planes were inspired by the characters Dusty Crophopper and Skipper from the movie "Planes."
(This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.)
Keep reading to see how we made these planes ( plane template included!)...
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Four Winter Toddler Crafts and Activities
Looking for some easy toddler winter crafts and activities?
I'm officially over winter. Buh-bye shortened days! Buh-bye cold weather! Buy-bye staying inside! Oh, how I wish it were already spring. But, until warmer, sunnier days come, Chuck and I are going to persevere and have fun indoors. Here are four crafts and activities that have kept us busy, happy, and sane for the past couple of weeks.1. Cereal Box Gingerbread Men
I cut out a whole bunch of gingerbread men from my empty cereal box stash. (Yes, I'm a proud cardboard hoarder!) Then, I brought them to the library and let the kids decorate them with googly eyes and foam stickers. The older 2-year olds had fun making funny men and the babies just watched their moms do the craft.
Chuck's attention span: He probably spent about 5-10 minutes on this activity before he lost interest.
2. Hand and Foot Reindeer Wreath
Here are the different components of the wreath:
Chuck's attention span: He probably spent about 10 minutes on this activity before he lost interest.
3. Homemade Play Dough
I followed this craft clay recipe and we had tons of fun rolling, cutting, and shaping our clay. Unfortunately, our ornaments cracked when they dried. Boo. But, we had such fun manipulating the stuff that I kept leftovers in a sealed bag in the fridge. It didn't dry out and we got to play with it another day. (Right now the "play dough" is still in our fridge... so we'll try it out again this week.)
He used a blunt plastic knife, measuring spoons, measuring cup, and an olive jar (our makeshift rolling pin) to play with the dough.
Chuck's attention span: This activity was a hit! We spent about 30-45 minutes on two separate days playing with our "play dough."
4. Water Bead Play
Here's what the water beads initially looked like ...
After a couple of hours, our beads grew and Chuck had a blast scooping them from container to container.
Warning: Yes, they can be a choking hazard. I repeatedly told him that the beads weren't food and I made sure to watch him while he played. Once we were done with the beads, I threw them away in the garbage can. (You can't pour them down the drain because they can clog your pipes.)
Chuck's attention span: This activity was a hit! He spent about an hour just scooping the beads from container to container.
So, for all you mamas out there who are also stuck at home with young ones... stay strong! We can make it through winter! Hopefully one of these ideas will help keep you sane this week.
Happy crafting, friends!
Friday, December 13, 2013
Make a felt and cardboard gingerbread house
Today's craft was inspired by gingerbread houses. It's a little cardboard and felt "gingerbread" house with felt "candy" decorations. Pretty neat, right? All the decorations can be easily placed on and taken of, so you can decorate and re-decorate to your heart's content.
If you'd like to make your own, keep on reading!
DIY Felt and Cardboard Gingerbread House Toy
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
Monday, December 9, 2013
Make Homeamde Felt Milk Jug Cap Ornaments
Each year I try to make a couple of handmade ornaments for our tree. Last year, Chuck and I made these hand and feet salt dough ornaments. I would have made him a new set this year... but his feet are so big that the ornaments would end up being the size of small plates.
So instead, this year I turned a bunch of milk jug caps (gifted to me by a craft-loving aunt- thanks!) to make these mini felt ornaments. Each one has a different design and they came out so colorful and cute.... I just want to eat them up. But don't worry, I won't because they're made of felt...and glue...and plastic...
Can you guess which one is Chuck's favorite? Keep on reading to find out...
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