Dear Parents, Friends and Family ...Can you help us?

Recently I had a friend ask me. "How do you find all these cool supplies to make things with?" You must spend a fortune on craft paper etc." Then I told her "Actually a lot of the materials I use are recycled or recycled items  from friends and family." "Really?", was the response I got "All of this is recycled?"

Yes, you can make some of the most beautiful thngs from recycled materials. No need to spend a fortune on expensive craft paper, you don't even need to waste ink printing pictures ! You can start yourself by recycling boxes, magazines, scrap paper, you can create a post on craigslist looking for recycled items , or even check out your local Freecycle and make a post there asking for specific items.

If you are looking for a prefect craft especially with Earth day coming up why not try this. Get some scrap paper together and glue some recycled items on it or have your child draw some cool recycled items on the paper. Then write a letter to friends and family asking them to help you out by collecting recycled items for you .

Here is a Sample letter:

Dear Friends,

Could you please help me? I would love to have a collection of recycled materials to use to make collages and sculptures. Do you think you could save me the following items so I could make crafts with them?
Thanks so much!

Pie tins
paper bags
pine cones
buttons
sandpaper
ribbon
newspapers
sponges
seashells
yarn
wood scraps
eggshells
crayon pieces
coffee cans
computer paper
cornhusks
clothespins
egg cartons
material scraps
candles


You can basically add whatever you like to the list. This is also a lot of fun to do with preschoolers. You can create a special box at home and before throwing things out see if it is something that can be reused first and have them start adding things to the box. You will be surprised at how fast you can fill the box!

Here is a Sculpture we made out of some stones and an old pie tin:

The Breath of Spring -- Recycled paper baskets

Have you felt the Breath of Spring enter your home today like the smell of laundry fresh from the line or a beautiful breeze hinted with the scent of lilac?

The breath of Spring is in the air,
The Daffodils a bloom,
With Crimson tulips bright and fair
It's Springtime's sweet perfume.

The rolling fields of verdant green,
Full rich with promise lie
Caressed by sunlight's golden sheen
Beneath a sapphire sky.

The fairy wand upon the trees
has opened to the sun
The wee brown buds, kissed by the breeze,
A miracle each one.

The little birds that joyfully sing
Their hymn until the dawn
Are bidding welcome to the spring...
And lo, the winters gone.

By Mary M. Forman


Today we made recycled paper baskets to decorate our home for Spring. The kids love filling them with many things. Here is a simple tutorial on how to make them. Enjoy!

Step 1: Make sure you have a square piece of paper. Fold your paper in half like this. Then open it up and fold it in half the other way.

Step 2: Open up your paper and fold all the corners so they meet at the center point. Unfold the paper.

Step 3:

 Fold each corner to the crease lines made by the folds in step 2. Then unfold the paper.

Step 4: One by one, fold the corners so they meet the crease lines on the opposite side of the square like so. Unfold the paper.

Step 5: Your paper should look the following pictures with all squares on it.

Step 6: Now cut along the thick lines , two squares in like the following pictures.

Step 7: Fold the sides down , the two opposite sides of the ones cut and a box will form. Then fold over the two cut sides into the middle of the box.  Tape or glue to secure your box. You can cut a strip of paper for a handle if you wish....

Here are some pictures of our boxes we made today:

 What are some ways you decorate your home for Spring?  Do you have any favorite tutorials you use ?