: No-Sew Cloth Tissues :

I thought the season for runny noses and coughs was past us, but apparently I was wrong. I swear, there is always a little one at preschool that gets everyone else sick. It is viscious cycle of their little bodies toughening up and building a strong immune system, which is not always fun when they are going through it. Nor is it fun for mommies and daddies who are going through it with their children. The only thing we can do is be as nurturing as possible and try to meet their needs the best we possibly can. So, last night I was looking to make a hankie for Jared, but I came across this article, Make Your Own No-Sew Eco-Friendly T-Shirt Tissues by Fun in the Making, and decided this was exactly what we needed. I followed her tutorial and Jared awoke this morning sniffling and delighted that he had his very own Mommy-made collection of colorful, soft tissues. His eyes lit up when he got to blow his nose for the first time.

I have kept several clothes from my own wardrobe that I was going to get rid of at the time, but I realized I could eventually figure out some good uses for these reusable fabrics. I found a few shirts and a pair of old flannel pajama bottoms. I measured 7 inch squares and came out with about 30 tissues that can easily be washed and quickly line or machine dried. There is no sewing necessary. I stacked the tissues up and placed them next to a recycled container (for discarding the used tissues).

These are great in preventing red, raw skin around the nose. Our skin always prefers natural cloth to disposable products. Your kids will love these and they are a great way to make them feel special and look forward to blowing their little noses. So, instead of sending off all of your garments to the thrift store, think about making some reusable tissues with quickness and ease. Your kids will thank you.

: Nature Wall Hanging Made with Cartons, Boxes, and Knick Knacks :

We live tucked away on the edge of the forest up here in the mountains. Our family loves nature hikes, listening to the array of local birds, smelling the flowers.... So, I thought I would create a cute collection of naturey things we love for the boys to enjoy in their own space. My idea originally was inspired by Giddy Giddy, but as always, I decided to create something quite a bit different. :)

I utilized milk cartons (1/2 gallon and quart sized), a tea box, granola bar boxes, tape, glue, scrap fabric, and various knick knacks mainly from the thrift store.

I cut each box and carton down to about 2 inches tall.

I laid out how I was going to put the wall hanging together.

I picked out different fabric for each little "cubby" and cut each to fit in its corresponding box by placing each box on top and marking the corners. Then, I cut right angles to each corner, as shown above.

I brushed each thoroughly with glue and placed each piece of fabric in its place. We let that dry overnight.

I used packaging tape to adhere all the boxes together. Then, I cut long strip of denim fabric, slightly thicker than the depth of the cubbies. I brushed the sides with glue and placed the fabric around the perimeter of the enitre decoration. I allowed that to dry before snipping the corners of the extra fabric and folding it over, gluing it to the inside edge of each nook. I also cut little denim strips to fit over the edges of the inside nooks. We let that dry. Note - if there are trouble spots that refuse to stay glued together while they are drying then use paper clips to clamp down the edges until they are dry. You could apply Mod Podge to seal everything when all is dry, but I skipped that step this project.

This froggie on toadstool figurine was found at the thrift store a day after I finished the boxes. I love the matching pink and green! And we love frogs and toadstools!

I grabbed this frame at the thrift store, as well. The picture was cut out of an old book. "The Littles" are shown dancing in a circle near the roots of a tree and a little stream. The kids like this image quite a bit.

We like owls in this house and I found this little handmade wall hanging at the thrift store, too. It appears to be from the 1970s... I love vintage.

When I was there, I also found this wood portrayal of bird, the bird figurine shown in the middle next to the egg, the 2 little boxes with the plants on the lids, and the wooden vase. At the dollar store, I found some little flowers to put in the vase. I added one of the boys' knitted gnomes and one of our plants. I hot glued everything on, except for the plant so it could be watered and moved when it gets too tall, their picture frame because it fit snugly in place, and their gnome, in case they want to play with it. Design your own structure, pick your own theme...this project is very flexible and very gratifying in the end. It will end up being a special collection that both you and your children will enjoy now and in the future!

: Milk Jug Flower Pot :

There seems to be a theme here at Busy Hands..we keep making flower pots! 'Tis the season for flowers and pots and Moms...... We have also been on a reusing recycleables kick lately. We utilized half of a milk jug, scrap fabric, glue, a paint brush, a strip of felt, and some Mod Podge.

We cut pieces of fabric and brushed glue all over the sides of the jug. Then, my young one created a fabric collage.

He helped me put on the felt strip around the edges after we brushed the area generously with our glue. Then, we allowed everything to dry completely.

We brushed on a coat of Mod Podge to seal our pot decor and let that dry. He went to the garden and filled the pot with dirt and planted some lettuce seeds for me. Thanks, Jared. :)

Enjoy this project. It is a great way to reuse, create a colorful collage, and give a lovely gift to someone you really love. Happy Mother's Day!

: Bookmarks = A Carton + Fabric :

There is a huge rave about the new Kindle, but I personally still prefer reading books. I like to hold the actual book itself and turn the pages and trace back by looking in the table of contents or the index..... I like books! But often times, I find myself refering to many books at one time and I can't always remember where I left off. So, I found this bookmark tutorial on Punkin Patterns, but I then decided to make it a little different, as I usually do.

Essentially, I used a rice milk carton and scrap fabric to sew up these bookmarks. I was able yield 6 long rectangles from one small carton and I cut pieces of fabric just a bit bigger than the rectangles themselves. I pinned everything in place and sewed a zigzag stitch around the perimeter. I trimmed the excess fabric and that is it. Note - my sewing was horrible this time around. Again, I am an amatuer and apparently lack common sense :) . I couldn't figure out why the bookmarks weren't moving through the feed, so I figured I just suck at sewing and manually tried to pull it through. Only until I was all done and getting ready to do a straight stitch did I realize I needed to make sure the teeth were up, so as to pull your fabric through. I then remembered that around Christmas time I was attempting to sew buttons, which is why the teeth were down. I have one word for myself....Duh. Yet still, I think it is a project worth sharing.

These also make a great Mother's Day gift, so get started soon, or simply enjoy these functional beauties for your own reading delight.

: Toilet Paper Roll Centerpiece :

Though Earth Day was last week, Earth day truly should be every day. Recycling and finding creative ways to reuse materials is always an eco-friendly choice. I actually got this toilet paper roll centerpiece idea a couple weeks ago and I cannot trace back to where it originated. I will keep searching. Either way, it was fun for my kids to make and they now have a decoration they can be proud of.

We just used 8 toilet paper rolls, a paper plate, glue, and some acrylic paint (doesn't really matter what type of paint you use). I cut the rolls at an angle at varying heights. Meanwhile, Jared painted the plate black. Then he chose different colors and painted each roll. I told him it would be a good idea to paint the insides rather than just the outsides of the rolls, but he insisted on leaving them as they are. You could certainly paint the insides to add to the colorful effect of the centerpiece. After everything was dry (it didn't take very long), he glued them to the plate in sequence and let that dry.

This centerpiece reminds me of a colorful choir..people clad in bright cloaks as they all sing in unison. Ask your child what it looks like to them. Use your imagination, as well, and enjoy making this project with your little ones.

: Scrap Fabric Dish Mat :

This project wasn't made for or with the kids, but it is still very cute and simple, and I had to share. I love reusing old stuff to create new things. The other day, I found this kitchen towel mat tutorial on Toad's Treasures and decided to create one of my own.

Seeing that you can go to Toad's Treasures for the tutorial, I will skip the materials and directions this time around. I will just show you a photo progression of the project. Visuals always help me better than just wordy directions.

I hope you enjoyed this visual tutorial, in addition to the actual tutorial. Get sewing. Use your scrap fabric. Use an old dish towel. Get creative. Get Inspired.

: 3 Little Birds ~ Made With Recycled Clothes :

Still an amatuer user of the sewing machine, I attempted to make cute little stuffed birds for the the kids. We were focusing quite a bit on birds and I thought it would be spring-like to have these toys around.

Materials

Old jeans or corduroy

Scrap fabric

Thread

Sewing Machine

Needle

Stuffing

Embroidery thread

Directions

1. 
   
   Draw your pattern, cut it out and trace it on your fabric twice, flipping it once so you get one left and one right side of your bird.
2. 
   
   Make a pattern for your wings and do the same as you did for the body. Do this for the beak, as well.
3. 
   
   Pin your beaks and wings onto the bodies. Sew them on with your sewing machine.
4. 
   
   Then, put the 2 sides of the bird bodies together inside out. Starting from the breast of the bird, sew up and around until you reach about 2 inches from where you began.
5. 
   
   Stuff the bird from the opening at its belly and sew it up when you are finished stuffing.
6. 
   
   Use your dark embroidery thread to make eyes. And now you are finished.

This project is great for young stitchers ages 7 and up, and for parents who want to create a simple handmade gift for their little ones.

: Cozy Cardboard Cottage :

Celebrate Earth Day by making a carboard box cottage with your child. I got this idea from Sweet Fancy who created a quaint gift box out of hers. We decided to make ours a bit different.

My preschooler and I used a small cardboard box, packaging tape, scissors, scraps of fabric, and a gluestick. We guided eachother as to what we would include and he had the final say as to how it would be done. He wanted a window with shutters above, a dog house, grass all the way around, a red door similar to Sweet Fancy's, spring-inspired curtains, a dog house, and a bicycle, although we compromised and decided on a ball this time around. He also picked out the fabric and helped with gluing.

On the side of the house we made somewhat of an English garden with very full rosebushes (also to cover the ugly packaging sticker on that side). In the backyard, he decided on a garden and told me we needed a brown strip of ground for what was going to be the vegetable garden and ended up being the flower patch. We added windows and designed a yellow kiddie pool similar to the one we have.

Have fun and get creative reusing a packaging box. By the way, you will need a little more cardboard to make the roof because the existing long flaps will not be long enough. You can paint it, use construction paper or use fabric as we did. We like the fabric because it creates a rich, lively feeling and it has a better quality when touched. By all means, add your own personal touches when decorating your house. Fun to make and satisfying to look at again and again.

: Egg Carton Counting :

Earth Day is here! There are so many ways to take care of our environment, including the reuse of household recyclables. For instance, egg cartons have countless possibilities when it comes to transforming them into other things. We will continue to use egg cartons for crafts and activities. We have already created starters for seeds with cartons that were leftover from Easter. Today, Jared used an egg carton as a counting board with individual pouches for each number.

Materials

One dozen-sized egg carton

Lentils or other dried legumes

Paper

Pen

Scissors

Tweezers

Directions

1. Simply write numbers 1 through 12 on your paper (I used an index card because it is thicker), then cut them out to fit into each slot of the carton.
2. Fill a small container with your lentils (use lima beans if lentils are too difficult).
3. Demonstrate to your child how to pick up each lentil with the tweezers and set it in each slot. Also, explain to them that the object is to put as many lentils in each slot as the corresponding number calls for.

Other Comments

This activity is wonderful for your preschooler's fine motor skills and coordination, therein. It also reinforces math/counting skills by associating the written number with actual objects counted to that number, and it gives a 3-dimensional look at numeric sequence. So, don't throw away that egg carton. Create an easy, frugal counting activity for your young child.

: Transforming Egg Cartons Into Seed Starters :

'Tis time to start gardening! There is nothing like the gratitude children get when they plant seeds and can watch them grow into plants that can further gratify by producing tasty, colorful food. This project from Growing Up Creative is great for Earth Day. It is biodegradable, it prevents the unnecessary purchase of supplies, and it is fun for the kids.

 My 2-year-old practiced scooping soil into each nook of his egg carton, while my preschooler carefully distributed soil to his own. He chose several different seeds from which to choose, including romanesco broccoli and 6 different types of heirloom tomatoes. He planted them and covered them with more soil, and we kept track by him drawing grids of his egg carton that are now hanging just above them. Lastly, we watered each little pod and covered it with a cutout from a plastic bag. Within a week we will be seeing some progress.

: Cactus Collection :

Last week, we took a trip to our local nursery. I looked around for standard houseplants, but everything was so much more expensive than I remember it being 2 years ago. So, as we were reluctantly browsing, we came across the Cacti family. I fell in love with the succulent selections available and the decent prices. My preschooler helped decide which varieties were the most attractive and lively. Each one is unique in its own way, which is extremely intriguing to each of my boys, and to me, for that matter.

We have yet to find a thrifty treasure in which to plant these beauties. 

 

I couldn't believe these cacti when I saw them. There were about 20 of them grouped together in these 2 colors, yellow, and magenta. It was half a rainbow of psychodelic cacti. Apparently, they are grafted together. It is called a gymnocalycium mihanovichii (Hibotan).

This aeonium "catlin hybrid" was just so lovely. It reminds me of a lotus.

This one is our golden ball. It is nearly soft and furry to the touch.

This one feels so unearthy, as if I have travelled to another planet to gaze at their vegetation. This aloinopsis schoonesii seems so finger-like and porous. We love it.

In addition to touching the cacti and looking at them, Jared (my preschooler) wanted to draw a few of them in his botany journal to further the cacti experience. Who knew that cacti could be so intriguing.

: Recycled Magazine Holder :

This easy recycled magazine holder project is a great craft to do for Earth Day or any day, for that matter. It is so simple and there are numerous methods of decoration. My older 2 boys simple utilized cereal boxes cut at an angle. My oldest decided to create a collage of things he likes and my younger one created a reptile/amphibian collage to go along with our current theme. Fun and environmentally-friendly!

: Peanut Butter Cup Crayons :

My middle child and I made new "peanut butter cup crayons" from thrashed remnants of crayons that would have ended up getting thrown out. So, instead, Jared and I sorted like colors and created a melting pot of vibrant varieties of color...well, actually a double boiler. I poured each mixture into muffin papers to cool and harden. He and his brothers were very intrigued by this activity and quite pleased to be coloring with these easy-to-handle artsy concoctions.