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 Clark-Cranford-Westfield ...
and make sure to tell all your friends!
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