Earth Day is April 22nd and a good reminder for me at least to try and be more conservative about what I throw away, reuse and recycle. Here are some things I've been working on!
| Three Uses for the Newspaper (after you've read it) |
1. Use several layers under your mulch as a weed barrier.
2. Shred and add to your compost pile... counts as "the brown". If you don't have a shredder, simply tear newspaper lengthwise and it will tear in nice long strips.
3. Make your own seed pots: This is really easy! My dad used to do this and he had a fancy little contraption, but I like using a glass better!
Here's how:
- Cut newspaper into strips about 4" wide and 10" long.
- Wrap newspaper around a small glass... like a juice glass.
- Fold the bottom ends in and tape.
- Finished and ready to plant! The great thing is that you can plant the whole thing in the ground and the paper will enrich the soil as it breaks down!
| Two Uses for K-Cups |
1. Also great to use as a seed starter. Has a nice drainage hole in the bottom!
2. A Daisy of course!
2. A Daisy of course!
- Cut the cup into 11 (or so) petals. Round the edges. Repeat with the second cup.
- Glue pipe cleaner into the center and glue the second daisy on top, staggering the petals.
- For the center, you can use anything you want. We used yarn, but string, twine, beads, buttons ... let your imagination work and use what you have around your house! Coil yarn and glue it into the center.
- Finished! Make a bunch and put them in a vase. Add a magnet and put it on your fridge. Add as a package decoration! Hard to believe that this held your coffee this morning!
| Two Uses for T-Shirts |
1. Rags: Cut into small squares and clean!
2. Make into a necklace: Start with a clean T-Shirt that does NOT have side seams. A tube works best.
- Lay T-Shirt out on a flat surface.
- Cut off the bottom hem and measure (beginning right below the armholes) 3/4" lines. Cut the entire width until about 1" from one edge. Make your last cut right below the armholes (that part will become rags after all!)
- When all cuts are made, take the T-Shirt strips and PULL. (I switched colors!) They will coil and make nice little tubes!
- Here it is finished! Embellish it however you'd like. I used a broken necklace and just wrapped it around! You can use leather, yarn, ribbon, etc.
Have a great Earth Day and let us know how you reuse, reduce, and upcycle!
Be sure to tell local businesses and events you found them
on Macaroni Kid Greater Woodbridge ...
and make sure to tell all your friends!
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