Seattle Family Calendar
Subscribe
Pretty plastics
Karen Barbe’s homemade plastic buttons are positively gorgeous!
Simply made with craft foam and miscellaneous plastic pieces found around the house, these buttons are sure to be a hit with your little ones. Be sure to take a closer look at the badge made from the Presidente Brie packaging as well — so awesome! Barbe warns that she tried using a silicone adhesive for the pin backing, but had much more luck with double-sided adhesive tape. Check out her full post for more helpful tips.
Bubble up!
The author of Acorn Pies gives us the scoop on how she and her children made homemade bubble solution and experimented with various common household items as bubble blowers — and they came up with some super-fun ideas!
Check out their recipe for making homemade bubbles and see how they used reusable objects such as a Mason jar lid and a plastic soda bottle for bubble blowing. You could also go on a home “treasure hunt” with your tot for other cool objects that could be used in fun bubble blowing adventures.
Earth Day mobiles
Plum Pudding always has the best ideas for turning her recycle items into beautiful crafts — and these homemade mobiles are no exception!
Made using cardboard roll flowers, container lids, homemade clay beads, buttons and rulers, these DIY upcycled mobiles will look great hanging up in your child’s bedroom. Plus, this project also provides an excellent opportunity for talking about the importance of reusing and recycling! Check out the full post for a complete tutorial and great tips on fun items to use.
Recycling 101
We love No Time for Flash Cards’ idea for making this homemade recycling think and sort game! Super easy to make, this learning activity provides an excellent opportunity for teaching younger kids about recycling.
Simply cut well-known images out of magazine — they used water bottles, a milk container, potato chips, a toothbrush, Kleenex and more — and tape them onto card stock to make your very own recycling flash cards. Once your child becomes a little savvier, you could even include a compost container to sort!
Earth Day exploration
If you plan on spending some time exploring outside on Earth Day, consider making a couple of pairs of these neat cardboard tube binoculars featured on Crafts By Amanda.
Sure to be a hit for outdoor fun all spring and summer, these DIY binoculars are simply made using felt, glue, cardboard, twine, craft foam and rubber bands. Check out the excellent tutorial for the full scoop — bird watching, here we come!
Recycled paper poppies
That Artist Woman features tips for making these beautiful homemade poppies and they are absolutely darling! Truly white, black and “red” all over, these poppies are easily made using leftover newspaper, paint, twigs and actual poppy seeds for the centers.
In the full walkthrough, author Gail explains that the classifieds are best because they have limited pictures, and that hair picks are a good tool for adding texture to the paint. Check out Gail’s other ideas for paper creations like sunflowers, leaves and fish — reading the Sunday paper has never been more fun!
Earth Day stamps
Got some extra corks taking up space in your kitchen drawer? Put them to good use by making cork stamps, like these lovely ones featured on Lil Blue Boo.
Though you’ll want to do the carving yourself, your little ones will love stamping away with their cute, upcycled corks. These cork stamps can be used again and again throughout the year for various art projects and simply recycle them when you’re all finished.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published a few years ago and was updated most recently for 2021.
