Crafty Recycling

Are you having cabin fever yet? 

We live in difficult times because of the Coronavirus and staying at home is the most responsible thing to do. Last week, I shared some easy crafts to keep us productive. Need more ideas? Below are a few more. 

If you scrounge around your home, you'll most likely find the basic materials. Now is the time to be creative and resourceful!

1. Scavenger Hunt

This is a fun activity to do with young children.

Take an empty paper bag and attach a list of items that you can find around your home. Give one bag to each child and tell them they need to go a-hunting. You can offer a prize, too.

When they find the item, they have to put it in the bag and cross it off the list. It's also a sneaky way to get them to clean up their mess...TADA!

2.  Tea Box to Gift Box 

Recycle empty boxes like this tea box. Tap out the box and wipe the inside with a dry cloth.  

Paint it. Decorate it (with stickers, magazine cut-outs or markers). Then add a handle made from cardboard...TADA! 

Make it with your daughter and she'll have a "pretend grown-up" bag that she can stuff with little toys. Or use it as a gift box to be filled and given away when we can finally be out and about.

3. Shipping Box to Storage Box

This idea lets us re-purpose those boxes from on-line shopping. 

A box with a flip-top lid is ideal, but if all you have is the regular one that opens in the middle, that works, too. 

Cover the box with magazine pages attached using regular glue. Then add more paper cut-outs to add color and character. You can also use gift wrapping paper if that's what you have.

Use the box to store anything from cards and letters, stationery or accessories...TADA! 

4. An Organizer for Rings

A little tidying up is another way to keep us occupied during this time of community quarantine.

This easy craft might come in hand-y (pardon the pun)! Trace your hand on a piece of sturdy cardboard and cut around it.

Find a sturdy base such as several cardboard sheets stacked together and attached with hot glue. Or a thick wood coaster/trivet that you're no longer using. Then attach the cardboard hand to the base with more hot glue. Let the glue dry for several minutes. Paint it and allow to dry for several hours.

Use it to keep your rings neat and easy to find...TADA!

5. Paper Flowers 

If you have these gift wrapping tissue saved from recently opened presents, dry cleaning, or packaging (from your on-line shopping), turn them into paper flowers...TADA! You'll find the detailed instructions here. 

If you don't have wire (for the stem), use those take-out chopsticks or drinking straws in your junk drawer. Since we can't go out to buy flowers, let's make the flowers ourselves! We don't want our vases to be sad and empty, right?

6. D.I.Y. Shoe Bag

Here's something you can find in your closet:

Maybe you've got an old t-shirt that's ready to retire.

Give it new life as a shoe bag...TADA! Sew the three edges together, keep the top open, and attach some cord to make a draw-string opening. You don't need a sewing machine as long as you have needle and thread. You'll find the tutorial here. And when life goes back to normal and we'll all be able to travel again, this shoe bag is ready.

I know it's tough, but time at home is a gift. Use it to rest. Be with your family (or keep in touch if you're living far away or exercising social distancing). And do some crafty recycling. 

Be safe everyone!

A Round-up of Easy Crafts While We Are Social Distancing

How are your feeling? This Coronavirus has undoubtedly thrown the entire world a curve ball, leaving us vulnerable. We are encouraged to stay home to avoid getting or spreading the virus.

To keep you occupied and productive, I'd like to share a list of crafty ideas.

I've combed through my archives and chose the easy ones using materials that many of us already have at home. Do these crafts alone, with your kids, and even roommates. They help to distract from anxiety, keep the kids busy, and in the end, you'll have created a little piece of art to use or share.  

1. Paper Flowers

This is a Japanese Kusudama flower fashioned from pages of an old book, but you're welcome to use whatever paper you have available. The repetitive folding can be very relaxing and the flowers that you make can be used as decorations or tokens for your favorite gals for Mother's Day. You can find the instructions here.  

2. Pompoms

If you have some yarn handy, why not make a few pompoms? This tutorial makes use of empty ribbon spools but you can use cardboard or a fork. Use your pompom to embellish a beanie, create a bag charm, or use it to make your gifts pretty.

3. Ribbon Embroidery

If you have fabric (ex. cloth napkins, old t-shirt, etc.), needle, thread and ribbon, try your hand at ribbon embroidery. Frame it and display it, or use it to make greeting cards.

4. Stencil-decorated T-shirts

You might have some plain t-shirts in your closet. Give them new life with paint, a paintbrush, and stencils! Here is where you'll find the instructions. The same technique can be applied to bags, pouches, and folders. 

5. Tie Dye T-shirts

This project requires more specific materials like white t-shirts, rubber bands, gloves, a basin, and fabric dye or a tie dye kit. In case you have these on hand, you can make t-shirts for the family. You can find the tutorial here. 

6. Bookmarks

One of the things we can do while we're at home is to read. Get through that "To Be Read" pile or re-read your favorite books. And why not make a few bookmarks? These are made from recycled cardboard, stickers, washi tape, and string. 

7. Recycle Your Broken Crayons

Do you have broken crayons? Well, broken crayons can still color! If you melt them in the oven and use a mold, you can produce these colorful crayons in unique shapes.

8. Make Your Own Oven-Baked Clay

This is a simple recipe for Salt Dough. You can use it to form a jewelry dish, and many other things like jewelry, ornaments, and more ornaments.   

9. Make Your Own Jewelry

This was made from an old necklace. By painting the beads a new shade, I gave it a more modern look!

10. Make Your Own Gift Bags

This one uses a plain brown paper bag and markers. Hopefully, life gets back to normal soon and we can gather, go to parties again, and give presents inside these homemade gift bags. 

11. Sketch and Paint

Find inspiration at home or on-line. Use the materials in your drawer: pencils, markers, crayons, paint, a Sharpie, a notebook. Sketch something daily to calm you down. Use colors to express your frustrations. Draw the little things we take for granted but are now very grateful for.

12.  Pressed Flowers

Go to your garden or backyard and pick some flowers and leaves. Press them in between books and use them for greeting cards, gift tags, and pendants. 

13. Blackout Poetry

Try blackout poetry: take an old book or page from a magazine, find words or phrases that appeal to you and block out the rest of the text with a black marker. The words that remain reveals your poem. More samples here. 

14. Brush Calligraphy

With just pen and paper, you can master brush lettering and calligraphy. Practice your penmanship using a mantra like "This, too, shall pass" or "We will overcome". Write down a favorite song or prayer that helps you keep positive.

15. Put Together a Happiness Box

Fill a box with little treasures. They don't have to be expensive but they must have great value to you -- the ones tied with good memories, the ones that make you feel safe, make you feel giddy, make you feel confident. Fill it with more things in the years to come. Whenever you open the box, you'll feel a surge of happiness and hopefulness.

The quote, "Making time to make things is good for the soul" is from the book "Craftfulness (Mend Yourself By Making Things)". Let this period of community quarantine and social distancing become our permission to try something new, revisit old hobbies, or begin a project we've always wanted to start...this way, we can turn blah to TADA!

These Heroes Wear Masks

Wherever you are in the world, you have to agree that we live in very anxious times. The spread of the Coronavirus is affecting all of us.

While we practice social distancing and bravely weather out this pandemic, I made this sketch and note of appreciation:

THANK YOU to all those in the front lines facing this crisis head on:

• The doctors, nurses, and medical practitioners risking their own health to administer tests and care for the sick 
• Local governments who are finding solutions to prevent the spread of the virus in their communities
• The medical experts providing the facts and reminding us what we can do to keep safe
• The airport staff checking passenger temperatures and implementing quarantine
• All those who are working on test kits so that more will be available for distribution
• All those studying this virus that we may have a vaccine for it in the near future
• Public health/maintenance workers who sanitize the spaces we use daily and more so the zones that have been infected  
• Volunteers doing their share like distributing food and looking out for the elderly

Not all superheroes wear masks, but in this instance, they do. I would give you a high five, a fist bump, a handshake...but we're not allowed to do that for safety's sake. Just know that your tireless efforts are seen and acknowledged.

Earrings Made from Cord

Howdy! I'm on a mission to save these strips of cording:

These were the handles of a paper bag.

Roll them into a coil and sew them with a needle and matching thread to keep the coil from unraveling.

Add some bright handmade tassels and gold jewelry findings.

Attach them together with hand stitching and we have these fun and flirty tassel earrings...TADA!

Here's another version:

This is navy cord, also taken from a paper bag.

Wind it into itself and sew the rows to each other with needle and thread.

I looked through my collection to find some complimentary beads.

Then I sewed them on the cord coil.

Here's what my new pair of earrings looks like...TADA!

I also rescued some gold cord.

Here are the materials I used to turn blah to...

TADA! Another pair of dangling earrings that were created from materials I already had at home.

I hope this has inspired you to do some crafty recycling yourself. Thanks for your visit!

Hot Glue Alphabet

Hello and happy start of a new month!

Did you know that March is "National Craft Month"? Woohoo! But to anyone who loves to craft, every month is craft month!

As a crafter, I have a tendency to hoard materials. And sometimes I forget that I have them.

Take this silicone mold for example.  I bought it many years ago and haven't used it. Eeep!

Use it to shape clay, salt dough, and even fondant. But the instructions suggest using hot glue sticks. Yes, the ones we use for a glue gun!

I found these glitter glue sticks at the dollar store. I thought they would be perfect to try out the silicone mold. 

I used the glue gun that I already had.

Once the glue stick was melted, I generously filled in the letters and let the glue harden for a few minutes. 

Because the mold is made of silicone, it's heat-resistant and the letters are easy to pop out. 

Here are some of the words I spelled:

LOVE

 HI

YAY

And here are some of the crafty applications:

I'm using the letters to dress up an envelope crafted from an old map.

The letters and the twine embellish the envelope.

Instant gift wrapping...TADA!

This time, I'm making my own stationery using scrapbooking supplies.

Here's what the card looks like.

A darling little card that's ready to cross the oceans to cheer up a friend...TADA! 

We can also attach the letters to toothpicks using hot glue (apply the glue to the toothpick, then carefully place the letter on the glue and allow to dry). 

Use it to top cakes and cupcakes. Spell out names or greetings, too.

It instantly dresses up a homemade dessert...TADA!

I hope you enjoyed these ideas. Have a great day!