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Sun-upcycled crayons

I had this activity on our to-try list last year, but Massachusetts never got very hot. This summer has been plenty hot, so I thought we’d give it a try. We cut the tops off of some plastic cups, added pieces of crayons, put everything in some left over aluminum foil. We covered it with [...]

Apron from a shirt and a sheet

My sister C came to visit us a couple months ago, and (knowing of my love of making things out of old clothing) she brought me a few old clothes to repurpose. This apron (which is currently making its way across the US to her home) is the product of this shirt:

And part of a [...]

Child-designed gift wrap

Emma and Johnny worked together to decorate this gift for their friend Amelia. Johnny had the green stamp pad and Emma had the red one. Emma also picked a red marker, while Johnny used a blue one. Emma drew a picture of her friend, as well as a horse. She always adds a little heart [...]

Juice pops

Spring and summer are popsicle season at our house, and I like making my own with juice as a healthier (and often cheaper) alternative to the store-bought kind. I got these Back to Basics Flute Pops at Target (even though I could only find them listed online at Kmart), and they make the best juice [...]

Homemade noodles

One of the things I remember loving most as a child was chicken noodle soup made by my grandmother – complete with homemade noodles. I was feeling brave and nostalgic, so I gave it a try. It was pretty easy, and they taste every bit as delicious as I remember!

INGREDIENTS:

4 eggs

two cups [...]

Quick and easy preschool skirt

MATERIALS:

old adult-size t-shirt

elastic for waistband

sewing machine

matching thread

scissors

STEPS:

Take an old (adult) t-shirt. Cut off the bottom half at the length you want (including extra allowance for inserting the elastic).

Measure the elastic around your child’s waist.

Add elastic (see this post if you need instructions on how to do this).

Give to your (hopefully ecstatic) preschooler. This is Emma’s [...]

Repurposing clothing without sewing: shirt to leggings

Take an old shirt:

Chop off the arms:

 

Relive late 80s/early 90s fashion by letting your child wear them as leggings.

Fashion Bear

The current rage in felt dress-up bear fashions, as determined by Emma.

I made this felt dress-up bear for Emma well over a year ago, and it’s one of the most popular toys in the house. Well worth the two or three dollars I’ve spent on felt for the bear, clothing, and [...]

Repurposing cast-off jeans part two: From pants to handbag

Emma came up with this idea after watching me make my denim door draft stopper.

MATERIALS:

cast-off jeans
scissors
thread
sewing machine

STEPS:

1) Cut off part of the pant leg – long enough to create the depth of the handbag you want plus seam allowances on either end. Choose which end of [...]

Repurposing cast-off jeans part one: Door draft blocker

I decided we needed something a little heavier duty than my oven draft solution for the front door. I’m pleased with the end result: the legs of one pair of old jeans sewn together and stuffed loosely with other cast-off clothing. It keeps the cold air out, stays in place, and doesn’t show dirt.

Come [...]