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Archive for the ‘Crafts’ Category

Soap and Washcloth Christmas Craft

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

Get crafty and recycle by using up an old wash cloth and a wrapped bar of soap to make a reindeer!

Here is an easy Christmas craft that you can make using recycled products from around the house!  This is also a great craft that can be used for kids Christmas parties, in the classroom, or at home with mom and dad.  Parents can take the reins with the hot glue gun with small children while the kids pick and choose items to decorate the reindeer with glee!

What you Need:

  • A glue gun
  • Googly eyes
  • Little craft bows and beads
  • Brown Pipe Cleaners
  • An old wash cloth, preferably brown
  • A bar of soap
  • Lots of imagination!
 

"Bar of Soap Reindeer."

Reindeer made easy with 1,2,3 steps!

 

"Brown Washcloth."

Step One: Cut brown wash cloth in half to wrap around a bar wrapped bar of soap. Fold over and hot glue in place.

 

"Brown Pipe Cleaner."

Step Two: Tie brown pipe cleaners around each ear to make antlers

"Package of Googly Eyes."

Step Three: I spy googly eyes to give my reindeer the gift of sight!

"Assortment of Doo Dads."

Step Four: Hot glue craft bows, doo dads, and beads to decorate your reindeer with style!

"Soap and Washcloth Craft."

Step Five: One very cute little reindeer gift or house decoration!

 

Blogger Laurali Star can be found on her blog, Charming Laurali Star, and on her site, The Damsel in the Attic, where she sells handmade and vintage clothing and accessories.  Another fab way to help reduce, reuse, and recycle!  Check it out!

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.

Handmade and Recycled Christmas Cards

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011
"Handmade Christmas Cards."

Make your Christmas cards with a lot of love!

It’s that time of the year again…one way to take the stress off of giving cards is to have your children get involved in the creation process!  Warm up the oven, throw some cookies in, and sit down at the table to make some special memories. This is easy and fun for the whole family!

All You Need:

  • Glitter
  • Old Christmas Cards
  • Glue Sticks
  • Stickers
  • Washable markers and crayons
  • Magazine clippings
  • Poster board
  • Paints
  • Sewing buttons
  • Laminate
  • Scissors
  • Old and New Photographs
  • Christmas Spirit!
"Snowflake Ribbon Decoration."

Ribbon will embellish any card with a personal touch

One of my favorite things to do is take out old Christmas cards that I received the previous year, cut out the front picture or maybe even use the inside script, then paste it to a square, star, or heart-shaped piece of poster board.  Then add in the details with features such as, a snowman sticker, a ribbon at the top, or Merry Christmas written in glittery silver and gold!  The sky’s the limit on creativity!

"Christmas Cards."

Recycle old Christmas Cards for a Green Christmas!

"Christmas art made by kids."

Your little picasso will love painting that snowman for Grandmother

Old and new photographs can also make a greeting card more personalized for family members that live far away!  Take out your glue stick and paste it on the front then laminate for that sheer effect.  Then decorate your card with all the bells and whistles.

"Holiday Card Making."

Making cards as a family promotes family unity

This is a great family tradition that your kids will look forward to year after year.  Turn on a little Christmas music and dance while you work to spark your creativity!  Not much of a dancer?  There’s always those cookies that are baking in the oven to sweeten the mood.  The important thing is your together, your doing something for others, and your in the Christmas spirit!  All that’s left is to slip them into the mailbox as a treat for friends and family.

"Mailbox."

Let your kids place them in the mail to get a feel for giving!

 

Blogger Laurali Star can be found on her blog, Charming Laurali Star, and on her site, The Damsel in the Attic, where she sells handmade and vintage clothing and accessories.  Another fab way to help reduce, reuse, and recycle!  Check it out!

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.

Funny Food Art

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011
Ingredients

Bill sets out healthy foods on display to begin making butterfly food art

Butterfly Food Art

The end result: Beautiful and nutritious butterfly snacks!

I had the chance to chat up Bill and Claire Wurtzel on the phone recently and discovered a whole new world of happy as we discussed how to add healthy food choices to your child’s classroom menu, how to make fun food art, and the great love story of Bill and Claire!  All you need:

  • Imagination
  • An array of healthy foods set out on display
  • A willingness to teach and do
  • An Open-Heart and Mind

The Love Story:

Bill and Claire

It turns out, love can be duplicated at breakfast!

Congratulations to Bill and Claire for celebrating their recent 5oth anniversary!  They are a warm and kind couple with a good cause that they want to share with the world.  Funny Food originated in the kitchen at their home in Manhattan, N.Y.C.  On Sunday mornings, Bill would make breakfast for Claire then create art couture from toast, fruits, eggs, and nuts all in hopes of getting a good laugh out of his wife.  About five years ago Claire prompted Bill to take pictures and the New York Times published them on March 2nd, 2011.  From love story to food story, Bill and Claire now have an up-coming Funny Food Book which will become available April 2012.

Healthy Food Workshops:

School Workshops 10-4

Bill and Claire have a message that they hope reach First Lady Michelle Obama in their quest for combating childhood diabetes and obesity as as getting children to eat a well-balanced breakfast.  Together they have visited New York City schools that have high rates of childhood obesity promoting interactive, hands on learning for kids.  They hold workshops in which they display nutritious breakfast from the different foods groups.  Claire, an educator, speaks up about nutrition while Bill models breakfast in his quirky, funny food way.  I was so inspired by my talk with them that I hope to transpire their ideas to Pinellas County Schools in Florida.  Want to make a difference?  Download copies and print copies to pass out at your next PTA meeting.

Plum Art

Bill Wurtzel's Anthroplum created for Green Halloween!

Mr. Appleman sits at the table for dinner

Let kids get creative by setting out a tray of pre-cut nutritious food shapes for art creation!

Mr. Pitaface

Take a pita and crack a smile! Who says you can't play with your food?

Egg Head

Take a pita, crack a smile, throw some eggs on top of her head for a funny hairstyle!

Penguin Breakfast

Take eggs and yolk and a lot of imagination to make a peggquin scene!

Angry Toast

Make sure your toast is gluten-free or whole-wheat for a healthy alternative

Bill’s Background:

Bill Wurtzel is a renowned guitarist and art director.  He improvises breakfast like a jazz solo!  Check out his musical abilities at Bill Wurtzel.


Pear Bassist

Bill places his love of jazz in this musically inclined Bosc Player!

"Bass Playing Griddle!"

Panjo

Granddaughter Daniela:

The proud grandparents mentioned their little granddaughter Daniela a few times and since she lives right next door, its the perfect time for Bebop to make her breakfast too!  She gets in on the breakfast action by creating her own works of art.  Check it out and then prep your counter for foodie fun with your own kids!

"Yellow Dolly."

Bebop Bill made this for Granddaughter Daniela for a healthy dessert

"4 year old Daniela Weiss."

4 year old Granddaughter Daniela Weis making her own art!

"Daniela's Foodie Art."

4 year old Daniela's fruity doll art!

"Daniela Weiss."

Yummy, healthy food art kids just love to design

"Daniela and Bebop."

You do the cutting, let your kids create the art!

"Hallowegg."

Daniela made this scary face for Green Halloween! Good job!

"Bones."

This Cantaloupe Skeleton was made especially for Green Halloween by Bill!

Look for Bill Wurtzel as we feature him in up-coming posts on Green Halloween!

Blogger Laurali Star can be found on her blog, Charming Laurali Star, and on her site, The Damsel in the Attic, where she sells handmade and vintage clothing and accessories.  Another fab way to help reduce, reuse, and recycle!  Check it out!

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.

Halloween-Themed Plants

Saturday, October 29th, 2011

by Corey

Plants, like trees, are our “breathing buddies.”

They help clean the air, creating a healthier home (and outdoor) environment.

But around Halloween, they can help set a boo-tiful mood. Try a festive centerpiece, decorative Halloween “tree”, Halloween garden, or simply enjoy learning some of their ghoulishly fun names.

Look for foliage in colors such as black, red, deep purples, orange, yellow and of course, green. Find shapes (inspect foliage, stems and roots) that are twisted, gnarled, spiky or otherwise creepy.

Try incorporating:

  • Purple Ghost
  • Sister Ghost
  • Red Spider
  • Bloodgood
  • Witches Broom
  • Skeleton Key
  • Devil’s Nettle
  • Bleeding Heart
  • Blood Lilly
  • Witch Hazel
  • Liverwort
  • Eyeball Plant
  • Spider Plant
  • Miss Willmott’s Ghost
  • Bloody Butcher

Learn more about medicinal plants and those thought to contain magical powers. Plant a garden to make your own “witches brews” for spells, potions and ointments. Make b-witching brooms from elements growing (or once growing) in your garden or yard.

Experiment with making dyes to die for with the root of the Wildflower Bloodroot, which has red sap.

Or, keep vampires out with a garden of garlic and witches at bay with flowers the color of the sun.

For more spooktacular plant ideas, click here, here or here.

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.

 

4 Easy Tips to Green Halloween

Sunday, October 23rd, 2011

Guest Post



1. Save money and reduce waste: Swap your costumes! Although National Costume Swap Day™ is over, there’s still plenty of costume swaps happening around the country all the way through to Halloween (check out the national event calendar, here). Of course, if there’s no swap in your area (and you’re not up for hosting one), check out an online swap such as thredUP.com.

2. Instead of candy, give trick-or-treaters a small treasure, preferably one made of natural materials. Or hand out items such as non-toxic tattoos, stickers printed on recycled paper or modeling doh (handmade is great!). An extensive list of other non-food ideas can be found here.

3. Use a reusable bag for trick or treating, instead of a disposable one.

4. Invest in décor that you can be reused every year. Or have your kids create Halloween décor by using recyclable items from around your home.

by Daily Thred editors Michele Adams and Gia Russo.  Michele and Gia are lifestyle experts and former Martha Stewart Living editors. They have been featured in over 100 publications sharing their collective expertise on organization, budgeting, eco-friendly living and parenting.

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.