In honor of Earth Day, here are some links from the archives of our Earth Day craft and activity ideas that feature recycled materials. Enjoy! Bird Feeders from Recyclables Bird Watching Kit Frugal Fun with Music Spring Storage Boxes Spring Basket Frugal Fun with Stilts Matching Game with Juice Lids Baby Food Jar Lanterns Putting […]
Beads from Old Magazines
April 21, 2009 by
We were inspired by upcoming Earth Day to make beads from old magazines! I first saw this idea in The Complete Tightwad Gazette — a terrific resource. To make your own magazine beads, you will need: glue mixed with some water, toothpick (or straw, or bamboo skewer), old magazines, and a paint brush. We wanted […]
Jar Matching
April 14, 2009 by
It still amazes me how much of our inspiration comes from our recycling bin. For Emily, this is like an endless supply of free craft materials! For this matching activity, you will need jars of various sizes with different sized lids. We used jars from apple sauce, salsa, yeast, baby food, and artichoke hearts. Wash […]
Spring Storage Boxes
April 9, 2009 by
Looking for some great frugal storage solutions? You may be able to find just what you need by looking in your recycling bin! Emily needed some storage for her books on CD and other music CD’s. This little baby food box was sturdy and just the right size and shape. It was easy to spruce […]
$5 Friday — Rainy Day Fun
April 3, 2009 by
This is what we woke up to this morning… When it is raining and you don’t know what to do with the kids, a wise person once told me “Never underestimate the power of the indoor fort”. I could not agree more. It is part hide-out, part reading nook, and part playhouse all rolled into […]
Putting Recyclables to Good Use
March 7, 2009 by
As mentioned in an earlier post, we were recently featured on Newswatch 16 for a segment called “Power to Save” which is all about saving money, saving the environment, energy, resources, etc. I have posted about our Invention Kit before and mentioned it briefly during NBC’s 10 Show, but this segment goes into detail about […]
Frugal Fun with Stilts
March 6, 2009 by
I was trying to come up with ideas to reuse some empty baby formula canisters, and with the help of the power drill, Mark and I made these adorable stilts for Emily. These are great for practicing balance. The small canisters were the perfect size for her. Emily wobbled a bit the first couple of […]
Bird Feeders…. From Recyclables!
March 5, 2009 by
Yesterday, Newswatch 16 was here to film for a segment called “Power to Save”, which will air later this evening. While they were here, we made bird feeders from recyclables. It occured to me that with the help of a simple power drill, you could turn just about any recyclable into a bird feeder. We […]
Shamrock Lanterns
March 4, 2009 by
Last night Emily helped make some Shamrock lanterns from empty baby food jars, tissue paper, glue (mixed with water), and some thin gauged wire. The white tissue paper almost looks like frosted glass. To make your own lanterns, cut pieces of tissue paper into squares. Mix the glue with water for a 50/50 mixture. Invite […]
Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
March 2, 2009 by
Some of my readers requested crafts that use up empty oatmeal canisters, so I thought this was a great way to incorporate them into a craft and a Dr. Seuss theme day. To make your own Cat-in-the-Hat hat, you will need an empty oatmeal canister, a paper plate, and some paints (we used Crayola Washable […]
Frugal Fun with Music
February 20, 2009 by
This afternoon we made musical instruments from recyclables. This was a big hit and Emily is still making lots of new sounds with her drum, guitar, and shaker. We made the drum with an empty oatmeal canister. If you saw this post, you would understand why we have a lot of these! This version of […]
Spring Baskets
February 11, 2009 by
This was such a simple, easy project and it made Emily and I feel a little closer to Spring. This afternoon we worked on Spring baskets made from strawberry cartons, ribbon, and pipe cleaners — all found in our Invention Kit. We filled them with some tissue paper and a bunch of Hershey’s kisses — […]
Valentine Book Making
February 3, 2009 by
Emily and I made these adorable little books from empty cereal boxes and deeply discounted craft supplies from Big Lots. The decorative paper, brads, and a complete Valentine rubber stamp set cost less than $5 combined. We will probably make several crafts from these materials combined with items from our Invention Kit. What better time […]
Top 5 Things to Buy Used
January 15, 2009 by
Photo by DIY City Mag I am a huge fan of shopping at thrift stores, consignment shops, and yard sales for used items. Not only is this a great money-saving strategy, it is also better for the environment. Buying used requires less resources to produce, and helps keep waste out of landfills. Here is […]
Fun with Juice Lids — Size Matching Game
January 15, 2009 by
Emily had fun playing this matching game this afternoon. To make your own size matching game, you will need: several lids from frozen juice concentrate white paper double sided tape or glue dots stickers of similar objects in different sizes Trace the juice lids on the white paper and cut out to attach using double […]
Frugal Last Minute Gift Idea for Kids — Winter Lacing Cards
December 15, 2008 by
Every day this week I will be featuring frugal last minute gift ideas for kids. These projects are very frugal and can be made with items you probably already have in your home. You won’t want to miss any of these great projects, so if you are not already a follower of the Frugal Family […]
Frugal Last Minute Gift Idea for Kids — Bird Watching Kit
December 12, 2008 by
Every day next week I will be posting a series of projects to make last minute gift ideas for kids. You won’t want to miss any of these! These projects are frugal, and can be made with items you would already have in your house. Here is a little preview of what to expect. Today’s […]
