How to - Origami

projects for

Everyone has old clothes, Christmas decorations and empty jars kicking around. Instead of filling up landfill sites with unnecessary waste, you can turn your old stuff into beautiful and functional items around your house. In this article, we’ve got some tips for transforming your used goods into a craft project that everyone will admire.

Simple bookmarks can now cost as much as $10 at a bookstore! You can make them yourself by recycling greeting cards you have received. All you need is old cards, some poster board or cardboard, some felt tip markers, and glue. Cut a strip from the poster board or thin cardboard about 8″ x 2″. Cut strips from the greeting card with the same dimensions and glue them to the cardboard on both sides. If the bookmark is a gift, you can write a message on it. To make the bookmark more durable, cover it with clear contact paper or laminate it. For added decoration, use a hole puncher to make a hole at the top of the bookmark and thread a piece of bright yarn or ribbon through it. You can use the same process to make beautiful gift tags. Just make the strips shorter!

Your old artificial Christmas tree can be turned into fantastic, special projects that will add beauty to your home. We usually associate wreaths with the holidays but by adding some beautiful dried flowers and colorful ribbon, you can recycle your old tree into a decorative piece of art that you can display in your home all year. Using tin snips, remove the branches from the center pole. Take a wire coat hanger and bend it into a circular shape but leave the hook intact. The branches will wrap around the coat hanger easily and you can make it as thick as you want.

To cover the wire hook, just wrap it with cloth ribbon and tuck the end into the boughs or tie them in a neat bow. Once you have secured the branches, you can decorate it any way you wish. You can use hot glue to attach tiny stuffed animals to the boughs for a fun wreath for a child’s room. Or, you can weave silk flowers or artificial berries through the branches for a beautiful hanging in your kitchen or bathroom.

Old clothes can provide a lot of inspiration if you’re looking for a craft project for your kids. As a bonus, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on expensive craft supplies. For fun and eco-friendly crafts for kids, try making bean bag buddies. Start by raiding your sock drawer for singletons and old timers! Fill one up to the heel with dried beans or split peas and tie it with yarn or ribbon. Using a permanent marker, get your kids to draw on happy faces. For older children who are especially artistic, use a needle and yarn to stitch a face on, and voila! You will have a fun and ecologically sound toy that your kids can enjoy. If everyone makes one, you can have a whole family of bean bag buddies!

Being environmentally friendly can be fun as well as responsible. The next time you’re cleaning up the basement or garage, study items before you throw them out and imagine the new projects you could start. Can that old towel be made into rags for your car? Perhaps an old lamp shade can be transformed into a plant holder. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on a craft project to keep you busy. In fact, everything you need is probably right around the house.

Technorati Tags: craft project, framed art, new projects, projects for, special projects, the craft