keeping cool

Unseasonally hot weather has me eating my son's reuse popsicles. I make them for myself with organic concord grape juice (naturally sweet but not too sweet frozen) and no stick. I leave a cup out while I eat and then take a metal spoon and mash it up. Depending on how long i left it out, sometime it is like sorbet other times a nice cool slurpy. My daughter loves begging tastes of it too. Though sometimes her tastes take most.

Up-cycled Jeanskirt

Up-cycle that great pair of jeans that never fit right. I have a stack of jeans that I can’t bear to throw away. Most of them shrank the first time I washed them (including that $200 organic pair…) The others are from my larger days. Here is a great stylish way to wear them again.

Materials:
Old jeans
Scissors
Matching thread (match the existing topstitch or the jean color)
Sewing machine
Seam ripper

Directions:

Cut leg at ½ the inseam or higher (depending on length you want the skirt). Remember to leave at least 1 ¼” for hem. Also keep in mind too small pants will sit higher on the waist than the pants did.

Carefully open inseam.

Open rise (crotch seam) ½ way up in back and to 1” below zipper in front.
Open inseam of cut off piece also.
Lay open overlap rise and pin cut off piece between legs, one in front and one in back.
Try skirt on to be sure you can sit and walk. Move legs farther apart if you can not.
Stitch in place.
Turn up and up and secure hem.

Berry picking bucket

The berries are in at the farmer’s market! That means its u-pick time. This recycled bucket is perfect for picking berries. I sling it over my wrist so I can hold branches with one hand and pick with the other. Fill it part way and then dump into the over sized container provided by the berry patch. Simple, efficient and easy

Materials:
Clean takeout food container
Ribbon (I use ribbon from presents I have received)

Directions:
Wrap ribbon around top of food container
Tie tightlyCut length for handle
Tie each end to other ribbon

Can also stitch ends down for stiffer ribbon

Thank you cards

I finally got my thank you cards done. They should be quick and easy but I tried to sandwich them in 1 hour naptime along with my other chores and work. So they ended up taking several weeks.
One week to select and print photo. One week to cut paper. One week to glue… Really 5 minutes at a time.
Now all I have to do is write a quick note in each and send them off!

Materials:
8 ½” x 11” cardstock
2 – 4x6 photos
Paper grocery sack
Scissors
Glue stick

Directions:
Card:
Slice ¾” off one end of each photo (measure 4” x 5 ¼”)
Cut cardstock in half lengthwise
Fold in half widthwise (measure 4 ¼” x 5 ½”)
Glue photo in bottom corner of cardstock along folded edge

Envelope:
Slice open grocery bag along seams.
Follow this link for envelope. Only use grocery sack with blank side out.

Stepping Stones

I am a little late with this one. These are the stones we made for Father’s Day. We usually make them for Mother’s Day but this year we were too busy adjusting to our new daughter. They are a lot of fun and can use up items that would otherwise go to the dump, like broken pottery, bottle tops and the bubble blowing sticks. We also sometime put leaves in them for a fossil like effect.

I started doing this project with my son when he was 2 years old. We make a couple every year. I try to get him to do a hand print every year so he can compare them later. I hope to cover the whole front yard and maybe a path around the north end of the house someday.

Materials:
Moulds – you can buy some or use plastic serving plates or other found items, just be sure you can twist them slightly to pop out the finished stepping stone
Cement – enough to fill your moulds 1 ½ to 2 inches thick. I found the 25lb. box made 4 stepping stones
Water
Bucket - exclusively use for cement
Old paint stirrer
Stuff to decorate top – flat marbles, tiles, thrift store or broken china, tiny dinosaurs, old party favors, toy meal toys…
Hammer

Directions:
Place tiles or china in a bag. Child can use hammer to lightly tap until cracked into about 1 inch pieces.
Adult mix the cement with water in the bucket as manufacture recommended.
Pour into mould
Spread out evenly with paint stirrer
Child can arrange decorations on top and gently press in. Be careful with sharp edges. When my son was young we used mostly flat marbles and store bought mosaic tiles. Last year, we had him were garden gloves. This year we used a plastic fork for him to stir the box of broken pottery to pick his perfect item.
Be sure the item is at least halfway submerged but not touching the bottom of the mould. If items fall out later you can glue them back with cement adhesive if desired.
Leave room for a hand print. Cover cement with single layer of plastic (to keep cement off little hands and out of eyes and mouth). A produce bag cut open works nicely. Press hand until clear depression appears. Remove hand. Remove plastic.
Decorate around between fingers and around hand print if desired.

Leave stones flat overnight to dry (some cements dry in hours – follow manufacture recommendations – ranges from 2 hours to 2 days to dry)
When completely dry, turn stone over. Gently flex mould until stone pops out.
For walking path, bury stone so only surface shows.

Banana toast dippers

I was surprised by how well my son ate these. He has extremely sensitive taste buds and usually won’t eat something the first time he tries it. But these he gobbled down. It's also a fun play date activity that gets busy (picky) boys to eat before they melt down.

Materials:
1 large ripe banana
Two heaping scoops of Organic whole vanilla yogurt
2 eggs
Two tablespoons of water
Sprinkle of cinnamon
6 slices whole grain bread
Olive oil for frying

(can substitute the yogurt and water for ¼ cup whole milk and a dash of vanilla)

Various dipping items like syrup, honey, jam, applesauce, yogurt, whip cream…

Directions:
Blend yogurt and banana in food processor until smooth
Pour into large shallow bowl
Add eggs water and cinnamon
Whisk until well blended
Dip both sides of bread in egg mixture
Fry in well oiled pan over medium heat until both sides are browned and egg is thoroughly cooked
Slice ¾” widthwise strips

Serve with fresh fruit and various dipping items.

My son loved trying combinations and kept eating and asking us to try his inventions.
Sorry, he ate it so fast I didn’t get any pictures.

Up-cycled cereal box - box

I am still playing with this box I saw on craftstylish. I thought it would be a great birthday party booty bag. I could have the children decorate the boxes at the beginning of the party. While the children were doing something else, I could put them together with a surprise inside for each child.

My prototype is made from a cereal box. We recycle a couple in a week in our house. I thought it would be nice to up-cycle them instead. My next birthday party isn’t until October (though he is already planning it!) I think I will have time to make enough…

I used the pattern provided on craftsylish and sized it up on a copy machine. I sized the top up 25% and the bottom %20 so they would fit together. I got one box from a medium/large sized cereal box.