Tree Hugging Family » recycled art

Recycled Nursery Rhyme Collage Collection

Jennifer — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:58:40 +0000

I don’t often show art here, mainly because kids are pretty darn good at covering your walls all on their own. However, I LOVE these eco-art pieces, not just because they’re adorable, but because they’re also affordable. These lovely nursery rhyme collages by Rebecca Peragine are available in matted prints, posters or canvases plus various sizes, so you pick the pieces you can best afford, which is awesome.

All of these beautiful nursery rhyme collages are original designs created from scrap papers reproduced for her collection of nursery rhyme prints and posters are printed on high quality 100% recycled paper with soy ink. You can see many more amazing eco-friendly art pieces at Print Pattern Paper.

See a close up of these cute designs in the gallery below!

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Recycled Thanksgiving Crafts

Jennifer — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:00:05 +0000

Here’s a round up of some fun crafts for the kiddos…

Thanksgiving Crafts and Turkey Projects – most use recycled goods
A Waste Not Pilgrim: Thanksgiving Craft
Recycled bird feeder – hey, our bird friends gotta eat too
Cardboard Tube Pilgrims & Indians
Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids 3 Turkey Craft Ideas – recycled items used

November current events at Tree Hugging Family – themes, reviews, news, and more…

[image via Buy Nothing Day]

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Nature Crafts Pretty Enough for Thanksgiving Day

Jennifer — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:00:07 +0000

Many crafts look, well, crafty and homemade, which granted is part of the charm. However, if your goal is a more elegant kind of Thanksgiving decor, that you can still make yourself, try these crafts…

Flower & Spice Table Toppers – these are gorgeous and use minimal supplies. Perfect for your table. PS if you want your table topper to smell more holiday-like, sprinkle with a little clove and cinnamon essential oils.

[image via Family Corner]

Nature Themed Autumn Craft – from Tree Hugging Family’s past.

Beautiful autumn leaf cards – you could make these for place cards on your table.

[image via CraftIdeas.info]

And don’t forget about our posted not so long ago Homemade Recycled Holiday Luminaries – which granted, are in no way made from nature items, but they will look great on your table.

November current events at Tree Hugging Family – themes, reviews, news, and more…

[image via Buy Nothing Day]

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Oodles of Free Recycled Halloween Craft Ideas

Jennifer — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 13:00:21 +0000

All Free Crafts has cool craft ideas all the time, but I didn’t know about their Halloween Crafts. Many are recycled, super cute and spooky, and look like loads of fun.

For example:

Egg Carton Bat…

Plus other Halloween crafts like:

Visit to see all the fun recycled crafts. Also, don’t forget, even if a Halloween craft is not noted as being recycled or earth friendly, you can always take an idea, run with it, and see how you can make it more green.

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes and everything else going on at Tree Hugging Family in October 2008

[image via All Free Crafts]

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Homemade Recycled Holiday Luminaries

Jennifer — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 04:47:27 +0000

With all the holidays coming up, it’s the perfect time to make luminaries. You could buy some; they’re not always expensive. For example, this three piece Chelsea Luminaries set (below) from Improvements is almost half off right now; (and they’re pretty).

Still, even if you can get them on the cheap, why not make them yourself? This is a great way to recycle cans, and a fun project for kids to help with.

Make your own luminaries:

You’ll need:

Empty tin cans of any size
Nails of various sizes – depending on the amount of light you want to shine through, and how delicate you want your design to appear.
A hammer
Candles
Optional items include – paint, vellum paper, glue, and glitter

To make:

Make sure your cans are label free and perfectly clean. If the top edge is sharp or jagged, file it down with a metal file stick.
Fill your cans with water and pop them in the freezer.
While your water freezes decide on a design. Kids can draw a simple design on paper, or you can look for some templates. One thing that works great for luminary templates are those old craft and crochet books you see at thrift stores. There are usually some nice flower, snowflakes, and vintage looking patterns in these books.
Once your water is frozen pull out one can and tape your design onto the can.
Take your nails and hammer dots along your pattern design. The ice keeps the can from bending.
After your design is hammered into your can, allow the ice to melt, and dry your luminary.

Options:

Homemade luminaries look good plain, but you can also decorate them. You can paint on a light coat of glue and sprinkle your luminary with glitter. You can paint your luminary or cover it with vellum paper. If you paint or cover your can, you’ll need to go back over your design and re-punch out some holes (with just a nail).

Design ideas:

Luminaries are perfect for all the cool weather holidays. You can hammer pumpkins or graveyards for Halloween, leaves for Thanksgiving, and snowflakes for the winter holidays. If you’re having a dinner party you can aim for an elegant design like vines of flowers or tiny stars. If you get good at making luminaries you could even give a set as a gift.

Give this recycled project a try with your kids and have fun.

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in September 2008

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Recycled Autumn Kid Crafts

Jennifer — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:00:46 +0000

With rainy and or cooler weather setting in, now is a good time to stay inside and make some eco crafts. I’ve collected a few that fit the season.

Recycled Blooms: Ok, this may seem like a spring-based craft, but consider making some autumn toned blooms for the Thanksgiving table this year – cheaper than real organic flowers for sure, and your kids will be proud to have their blooms displayed.

[Craft image via Parents Magazine]

Eco-Friendly Halloween Crafts: Instructions are included for Egg Carton Bats, Egg Carton Spider, Milk Jug Pumpkin, Pumpkin Masks, Ghost Windsock, and a Toilet Tissue Roll Bat.

[Craft image via Kiwi Magazine]

It’s a little early to plan for winter holidays but I can’t resist these cute recycled pumpkin pie tin crafts. The point – save your pie tins and recycle them into fancy tree trimmings.

[Craft image via Family Fun Magazine]

Have fun!

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in September 2008

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Great Summer Projects, Crafts, & Nature Activities for Kids…

Jennifer — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 01:39:29 +0000

With summer here, maybe you’re looking for something new to do. We’ve posted lots on fun kid activities, so I thought I’d round up a good bunch of stuff that you and more importantly, your kids, might enjoy. Don’t forget, if all else fails, there’s always a picnic at the park.

Nature based fun:

Messy & colorful fun:

Plant based fun:

Recycled fun:

Yummy fun:

Now you can’t say the kids are bored – there are enough projects here to get you going on the path to summer fun.

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in June 2008

[image via stock.xchng]

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Green Science Fair For a Better Planet

Jennifer — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 19:00:56 +0000

Instructables and Discover magazine have joined forces and right now are running the Green Science Fair For a Better Planet contest and event. I actually meant to post on this sooner (bad me). The contest is complied of every sort of green project you can think of, but each project needs to be instructions, a how to go green, make a green something, or use green ideas for something off the charts odd.

Voting ends tomorrow. So right now you can go vote or even still submit, if you’re quick. There are all kinds of things to see at the event page. I picked out a variety of interesting entries…

Easy Recycled Compost Barrel
Solar Powered Trike
How to Turn Junk Mail and Paper into Very Nice Bowls
Film Canister LED Flashlight
A sort of odd butter pen
Make Your Own Biodiesel Processor
And more.

There are some very cool items entered, and also some that might make you go hmmm? But it’s fun to see everyone being creative.

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in June 2008

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Creative Reuse Art Projects

Jennifer — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 18:08:54 +0000

Recycle Works has an excellent page of creative reuse project links – perfect for kids and adults. Some of what you’ll find includes:

Colorful envelopes made out of old magazine or calender pages.

Bird feeder from a milk carton

One of their links will take you to the KinderArt Art From Recycled Materials page, which is great. You’ll find stuff like…

Another of their links will shoot you over to the Goddess of Garbage a dumpster diving, creative sort, who makes things like candle holders from found objects.

Plenty of reuse projects for the whole summer. Plus at the bottom of the creative reuse project you’ll find some cool reuse links, that will take you to even more reuse ideas.

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in June 2008

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Who Said Plastic Bags Are Good for Nothing?

Jennifer — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:00:25 +0000

Me actually – I don’t like plastic bags. However, if you’re going to have them why not recycle them into lovely flowers.

Learn how at one of the better new green blogs to appear last year – Keetsa. Can you imagine a recycled plastic bag wedding!

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