Showing posts with label home decor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home decor. Show all posts

5.26.2015

New Eco-Crafting eBook!


Do you toss your empty toilet paper rolls? What do you do with all those plastic grocery bags? 

Eco-Crafting: 20 Simple & Green Craft Projects is packed with easy to follow tutorials that will help you turn trash to treasure. From making a wreath with grocery bags to upcycling an old pie pan into home decor, you’ll find the perfect craft project for you! 

Avoid the recycling bin and discover what you can do with different types of cardboard. Many of the tutorials are so easy, your kids can help and together, you’ll make the world a greener place.
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That's from my new eBook! Two years after I self-published the collaborative EcoScrapbooking: Crafty Ideas for Eco-Conscious Scrapbookers, I finally put together my top eco-friendly craft projects into one handy, downloadable book.

Eco-Crafting is now available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read it for free! Not a current subscriber? Download Kindle to any device and buy the crafty eBook for on $2.49! You'll learn how to make 20 different eco-friendly craft projects and I'll earn a little pocket change.

Now that I know how to publish on Amazon, I can't wait to start my next eBook! ~Danielle

Related:


4.24.2015

Earth Day Project: Camo Rain Boot Flower Pots

Earth Day Week 2015 ends today with my final project. It's one we've all seen on the internet: flower pots made from rain boots.


These belonged to my youngest daughter. When she was about four years old, we went to an Army surplus store for a pair of work boots for my husband and when she spotted the camo rain boots, she HAD to have them! Now, you must understand, she's a girly girl and to our surprise, she wasn't about to leave that store without them. Since she needed rain boots anyway...well, I think you know the rest of the story. 

Anywho, I've been wanting to do this project for a long time and now that it's spring, why not do it today? Although I had to pull out my winter coat this morning (I was outside enjoying the 70+ degree weather last weekend), I'm beyond happy for a new season and looking forward to a fabulous summer! Planting flowers brings me one step closer to that.

Here's how I made flower pots from camo rain boots:


Supplies:

rain boots
2 geraniums
organic potting soil
shovel
drill

Directions: Drill 5-7 small holes into the bottom of the rain boots for drainage. Add soil and geraniums. (Yes, that's my daughter's shovel. Since we moved last fall, I have no idea where my shovel is.) 

Who doesn't love a quick and simple project that also includes some upcycling?

Hope you enjoyed EcoScrapbook's Earth Day Week and remember to make Earth Day every day! ~Danielle

Missed an Earth Day project this week? Check them out below:


And swing by my other blog, Greater Toledo's Mama Meow, for 10 eco-friendly websites for kids. (Note: Local information is at the top of the post, so you'll have to scroll down to find them.)

mama meow wheresthecat.com toledo childrens blog

4.20.2015

Earth Day Project: Plastic Bag Wreath

Welcome to Earth Day Week at EcoScrapbook! Each day this week, I'll be sharing my latest eco-friendly projects. First up, a wreath made from plastic grocery bags:


Supplies:

25 plastic grocery bags
9" embroidery hoop
burlap ribbon
paper flowers
painted wood letter
hot glue gun
jewelry wire
wire cutters
scissors

1. Cut off the front of each grocery bag and set aside to recycle later. 

2. Stack each blank side of grocery bags on top of each other and cut off the edges.


3. Cut 10 10" strips to make 250 plastic strips.


4. Fold each strip in half and secure to embroidery circle with a knot.


Repeat until circle is covered.


5. Attach burlap ribbon to wreath making a loop at top and stapling it closed.



6. Make a bow by folding burlap ribbon around itself three times as shown:


7. Twist wire around center, insert into loop and secure together with wire. Cut off excess wire. The wire will be used to hang wreath on door.


8. Spread out the burlap to finish the bow and trim edges.


9. Wrap burlap ribbon around bottom right of wreath and staple closed. 


10. Attach painted wood letter and paper flowers with hot glue gun.


And now I have a beautiful eco-friendly door wreath just in time for Earth Day! ~Danielle

Related:




12.10.2014

Catching Up After the Big Move

Where have I been? Life has been pretty hectic for me the past several months and I haven't been crafting or scrapbooking as much as I like. 

For the first time ever, I didn't complete a Layout a Day Challenge. 14 pages. That's it. I was off to a good start the first few days and then went straight digi by creating layouts on my phone using PicsArt in the brief moments I could spare.

My main excuse is my family moved in late September.


It almost didn't seem like it was going to happen, but we finally moved! We're in a nicer neighborhood and in a bigger house. We were lucky. To prove it, I found these two four-leaf clovers in our front yard as I was moving in boxes:


Unfortunately, during the weekend of our big move, our beloved Bane was not so lucky. Three weeks prior to our move, we were happy to bring home a rescue dog. Things were going well until we took them both to a boarding facility so they would be safe and out of the way while we moved. Short story, both 80 pound dogs were put in a small kennel area overnight (and unsupervised) and our new dog attacked Bane.


That was Bane when we brought him home after his first surgery. We then decided it would be best to give our new dog back to the shelter we got her from. It was heartbreaking. 

After a second surgery and plenty of love, by his first birthday, Bane was pretty much healed and back to his happy-self.


He enjoys his new big backyard and runs around like a maniac! It's so wonderful to see him play with the girls like nothing ever happened.


In the mean time, and back to the good stuff... I did manage to get a little crafty by updating a knife block:


I'm going for a retro feel in the kitchen and added vintage milk glass from my husband's grandmother. Here are a few pieces:


My husband got creative by upcycling a door and wood from our kitchen remodel to build a bar in the basement.


Fancy! He even picked out his own fabric to cover the storage area underneath the bar.


We're pretty excited to have a fireplace, too! And I'm more than happy to have a mantel to decorate.



Then there's the first floor bathroom. Either you'll love it or hate it. I'm choosing to embrace the bathroom. I plan on updating it with paint (where I can) and add new curtains. The hubby already replaced the old toilet with one that's more efficient:


Yes, that's a lot of pink tile! Just like the sink and the former toilet, the bathtub is also blue. At least the upstairs bathroom looks like this:


There's plenty more work to do around the house, but for now, I'm happy

And I'm also proud to share my latest adventure, Greater Toledo's Mama Meow, a place for local kids to go to find out what's happening around the area. It's still in it's infancy, but I have big hopes for Mama Meow. Check it out! The official launch will be in January! ~Danielle

11.19.2014

How to Make Your Thanksgiving Eco-Friendly


When I think of Thanksgiving, family comes to mind and I'm thankful to have such a wonderful support system in my life. I also think of turkey and all the food that comes with it when we gather together for a feast. I think of fall colors (not the snow and frigid weather outside my window right now) and realize Christmas is right around the corner.

As an eco-friendly crafter, I created three projects with Thanksgiving in mind. I have Halloween decorations, but not many Thanksgiving items to put out in the fall. The projects below will last the entire season.

Twine Bottle



I've been collecting empty bottles since there are so many ways to upcycle them. This particular bottle is from the Mexican soda Jarritos. It has a cool texture and I didn't want to cover the entire bottle with twine. Find out how you can make it on the Glue Dots Blog.

Fall Votive Candle


Who doesn't love burlap and chevron right now? When shopping for projects, you'll want to look for natural fiber items like jute twine and burlap. And I've always promoted eco-friendly and recycled cardstock like the kraft paper shown above. The supply list and directions can be found here.

Thankful Spool Centerpiece



This is a perfect addition to the projects above and includes the same type of embellishments in the supply list. Visit the Glue Dots Blog to find out how I made it.

Now that we've greened-up our Thanksgiving decorations, how else can we make a day of thanks also a day to be eco-conscious?

Green Thanksgiving Tips
  1. Support local farmers' markets and stores when shopping for your meal. If the budget allows, choose organic foods.
  2. Use recipes that allow you to make your food from scratch. I recently made a green bean casserole I found on Pinterest. Instead of canned soup, I made a homemade cream sauce and the result was delicious.
  3. Eat dinner by candlelight (see projects above).
  4. Ditch the paper plates and disposable napkins and cups. This is the perfect time to bring out those cloth napkins you rarely use. You can also invest in a nice place setting to use for years to come or find an assortment of pieces at a secondhand store.
  5. Avoid the aerosol sprays and scent your home by simmering a pot of cinnamon sticks.
  6. Recycle packaging, cans or bottles used to make your meal.
  7. Compost scraps of vegetables and other leftovers.
  8. Plant a thankful tree with your family.
Have another green Thanksgiving idea? Share it in the comments! ~Danielle

Related:



6.06.2014

It's a Blog Hop with Glue Dots & Marion Smith Designs

After an incredibly long and cold winter, I'm happy to see green grass and the flowers in full bloom. To celebrate the season, Glue Dots and Marion Smith Designs have teamed up for a blog hop, as well as introduce the new Glue Dots blog!

Upon receiving Junque & Jems and the Never Grow Up paper collection from Marion Smith Designs, I was inspired to create an upcycled diorama with my stash of Glue Dots.



Let's have a look:

Upcycled Diorama

Supplies:

Glue Dots® (assorted)
Glue Dots Desktop Dispenser
Marion Smith Designs paper
Marion Smith Design embellishments
cardstock (green, blue)
aluminum roasting pan
butterfly punch
EK Success fence
small flower pot
floral foam
moss
miniature beehive
fishing line
wire

The new Glue Dots Desktop Dispenser made it easy to attach punched butterflies to the paper tree I created:



and the floral embellishments to wire for the flower pot:



After attaching the background and paper tree to the roasting pan, I added clouds with Pop Up Glue Dots®, doubling up for more dimension:


and hung a couple with fishing wire:


Then I pulled out the XXL Glue Dots® to secure the rolled moss to the bottom of the diorama:


I also used an XXL Glue Dot® to keep the flower pot in place before using Glue Dots Glue Lines® to attach a popsicle stick to the back of the cut-out girl:


This allows her to stay standing and move around within the scene.


What a doll! I wish you can stay and play for a bit, but it's time to continue the blog hop and have a chance to win some goodies!

You're here--> Danielle Hunter
Marion Smith Designs Blog: Day 1 & Day 2


Find Marion Smith items at Scrapbook.com and BlueMoonScrapbooking.com


Glue Dots® products are available online at Jo-Ann.com or at your local Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores.

Are you ready for a chance to win?


Be sure to stop by the new Glue Dots blogvisit our group of designers and say hello to all the designers from the Marion Smith team. Good luck! A winner will be announced on June 13th! ~Danielle

2.05.2014

Valentine's Day Craft Projects

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and I've been filling up on gourmet chocolates! To celebrate the holiday of love, I've gathered together three of my favorite Valentine's Day craft projects (free of extra calories).



Supplies: Craft Glue Dots®, toilet paper rolls, tag stencil (2 3/8" x 9/16") + small hole punch OR tag punch, brown ink, small bird stamp, small letter stamps, white cardstock, red cardstock, heart punch (1"), brown buttons, white floss, hemp rope, birdseed ornaments (click here for directions).



Supplies: Glue Dots® (Micro, Lines, Ultra-Thin), Maya Road coaster book, Fancy Pants cardstock, BoBunny journal pages, Basic Grey stickers, Prima flower, StazOn black ink, small hole punch, square photos, white cardstock, paper trimmer.



Supplies: 3 Valentine's Day chocolate box lids (small, medium, large), Glue Dots® (Lines, XXL), drill, fishing line, ribbon (2 1/2" wide), scissors, Maya Road star pins.

Hope your Valentine's Day is sweet! ~Danielle

Related:

Trinket Box Video Tutorial
Repurposed Pie Pan
Toilet Paper Roll Chandelier