Author Archives: Kat

About Kat

I started this blog to share with you all the results of years of turning trash into treasures. Hopefully I'll spark some new creative thoughts and if that happens I hope that you'll share your discoveries and together we’ll build a blog that will singlehandedly reduce global warming and save the world! Okay, maybe that’s a grand goal but we should be able to at least downsize our own trash output.

Egg Carton Flowers

Posted on by
Reply

I love this project. It’s simple, seasonal, easy for kids to do and uses lots of recyclable items.

Gather an egg carton; fabric, ribbon and/or lace scraps; tissue paper, pipe cleaners or straws.

Cut out each individual egg cup in a zig-zag or free form wavy pattern. These will be the outside of each flower. Paint inside and outside of each cup any color that you like. You can choose a color that matches your flower or make them green to represent leaves.

Poke small hole at bottom of each egg cup. Insert pipe cleaner “stem” through hole and twist a small loop to hold it inside the cup.

Roll up fabric strips, ribbon and/or lace scraps so that they fit inside of each egg cup. Attach to inside of egg cups with hot glue gun. If children are doing this portion of the project use a cool-temp hot glue gun.

Arrange flowers inside a plastic bottle. Wrap with tissue paper. Tie paper at neck of bottle with fabric strip, ribbon or lace.

Flower Arranging For Grownups



Google

Easter Basket from Recycled Container

Posted on by
Reply

This craft makes for a cute Easter Basket for your kids to give to grandparents, neighbors, teachers, etc.

Use an Exacto or craft knife to cut away the top from a square tissue box, cut a round oatmeal box in half (if you keep the lid on then you’ll have 2 Easter baskets, or cut a milk carton in half (toss the top half, keep the bottom half for your basket).

Paint the box a pretty pastel “Easter” color or cover with colored construction paper or tissue paper. Add a pipe cleaner handle and call it done or add a face to make your Easter basket even cuter.

Add eyes, nose and mouth using markers, paint pens, buttons or sequins. Raid your craft box for unusual items to use. Make whiskers by cutting paper into thin strips and gluing to basket.

Cut two ears cut from pink paper. Cut two inner ears from white paper just a little smaller than pink paper ears. Glue one white inner ear to one pink outer ear so that you end up with 2 sets of ears. Glue ears to inside of basket so that they face outward.



Google

Easter Candy Surplus

Posted on by
Reply

There aren’t many candy-oriented holidays after Easter but leftover candy can still be incorporated into desserts throughout the rest of the year.

Marshmallow-based candies go stale the quickest so if you have a choice, use these candies first. Drop one or more into a cup of hot chocolate and/or coffee or do a mocha java with a marshmallow bunny!

Chocolates can be frozen whole, chopped or sliced to be used up to six months later. After that they tend to get a soapy taste.

Chop or break chocolate into small pieces and use instead of chips to make chocolate chip cookies.

Melt chocolate down to make chocolate coated fruit, chocolate-covered popcorn or pretzels. One of my favorite things is to stir cereal into melted chocolate. Let set to a semi-soft consistency and cut into squares, allowing to completely harden before eating.