Play Time! The Bubblerator AKA Bubble Snake Maker

We've had such dreary, miserable weather here the past week or so, and I think everyone's been going spare trying to entertain themselves and/or their kids. So today is a blissful change - the sun is shining, it's warm, I'm even wearing a t-shirt!

I actually had to drag Isy outside with promises of bubbles (strange, seeing as she's usually trying to get outside as soon as humanly possible most days) but she warmed up to it soon enough.

We started off with regular bubbles (always a hit) and then I remembered the Bubblerator AKA Bubble Snake Maker.

I read about this little contraption online somewhere last week (can't for the life of me remember where though) and it's really easy and quick to make - about 3 minutes - and bonus: it's repurposing!

You'll need:


an empty plastic water bottle, or similar, lid removed
a strong rubber band or a hair elastic
a bowl of water
a bowl of dishwashing liquid
a small face washer or teatowel scrap (10cm x 10cm-ish)

1. Cut the bottom off the bottle.

2. Place the washer over the cut end of the bottle and secure with the band.

3. Dip the washer end into the water, then the dishwashing liquid. Blow through the other end and... BUBBLE SNAKES AHOY!

Easy, fun and sudsy!

Repurposing: Craft By Using What You've Got

Sparky and I are still very much in the furnishing and decorating phase of the renovation (not to mention the painting phase...ahem) and we're on the look out for quirky bits and pieces to adorn the walls. Proviso: we don't have a lot of cash to spend on this stuff at the moment, so we've been looking at what we already have and ways to reuse and repurpose it into wall 'art'(?).

I subscribe to frankie, and every issue they include a pretty wall poster by an emerging artist. Last issue was a world map, which I loved. I'm kind of past the whole "stick posters to the wall with Blutac" thing - it just reminds me of my high school days way too much (Jonathan Taylor Thomas, I'm talking about you in particular) but I wanted to see it on the wall somehow.

I dug around in my project box (where I keep odd photo frames, cardboard, paper and fabric offcuts etc) and found some old white frames that I've lost the glass for. Perfect! I cut the map to fit and presto! I already had another white frame decorated with felt offcuts, which coincidentally matched the map colours well, so I think I'll hang these three together somewhere.

From these...

...to these!

I did something similar with more felt offcuts a few weeks ago, and while the photo is craptacular, I'm actually really happy with the result. I showed the mirror repurpose a few weeks ago, and these pieces are just continuing the theme.

Isy helped me with the top right-hand piece, hence the reason it's much more beautiful than the others.

I really love being able to pull things together from scrap and leftovers. Sure, it's not high art. It's probably not even art at all. But I love it nonetheless.

Repurpose Me: Unloved Mirror

Before.

 
Happy Monday everyone! I hope you had wonderful weekends? Ours was fairly packed with friends and family, so it was busy, but in a really especially very nice way. And bonus: I'm finally starting to feel better.

A few months ago, my sister and I co-hosted a garage sale, and while we sold almost everything we wanted to part with, I did mange to come home with a box full of new (old) things. One of them was an outdoor mirror that had certainly seen better days. I considered just hanging it in the garden somewhere, as is, but liked the idea of giving it a new outfit and putting it to use in the house instead.

I've been working on a felt wreath for the house for a month or so, and have hundreds of little triangular felt offcuts that were too good to waste, so I kept them aside until I thought of what I could do with them. (I also used some of them to for little wall hangings a few weeks back).

So armed with my hot glue gun and about an hour, this is what I came up with:

After.

It's certainly cheerful and a vast improvement! Bonus: it fills in a blank spot on our walls (been blank going on 2.5 years now - well done us!) and it cost me zero dollars. Win: win: win.

Repurposing: Art by Repetition

via design*sponge

A few weeks ago, I spotted this amazing piece of art featured on design*sponge. It was made using bus or train tickets (admitedly very cool and colourful tickets from San Fransisco, but tickets nonetheless) and it got me thinking about what I could put together, using otherwise unused multiples.

I have a bajillion plastic bits and bobs in the storeroom, left over from my Trove days, and these white plastic squares were perfect and easy to put together. I just used tiny balls of Blutack to stick them to the kraft paper, so I was able to reposition them if need be.

Obviously, this one and its twin still need to be hung on the living room wall, but I was so taken with the idea of using everyday or unused items in multiples to create a piece of art or a wall hanging, that I had to share. 

Other possibilities are:

- train/ferry/bus tickets
- buttons
- ribbon
- wool/string
- drinking straws
- bottle tops
- corks
- confetti

via Sharon Whelton on Etsy

Apologies for no Meat-Free Monday yesterday. I've been struck with this tummy bug again and the last thing I wanted to consider was food. It'll be back next week though!!

I really hate packaging

Except when it is this pretty.

I bought a couple of Orla Kiely pillowcases (on sale! I would never pay $80 for pillowcases, but $10, why, sure, thank you, Mr Myer!) and while I love them, it was actually the packaging that first caught my eye. I need to come up with some way of reusing this sweet little box.


I had planned on doing something with it over the weekend, as I had planned to do many other things (go out for yum cha, clean out the bathroom cabinet, have a sleep on the grass) but, alas, none of those were to be. I did get to go out for a few hours on Saturday night and catch my brother-in-law's gig in Newtown though. Super fun! And eating a meal out after 8:30pm while having a glass of wine was way novel.

Aside from that, I watched the Royal Wedding, we started the little man on rice cereal yesterday, I listed some stuff for sale on Ebay (more to come this week. I'm trying to keep up on my "Get rid of five things a week" challenge but it's, well, challenging) and I've been brainstorming craft projects and homemade gift ideas for Mother's Day and my nieces and nephews birthdays.

I hope you all had wonderful weekends?

Meat-free Monday coming up a little later. x

Quickie Craft: Wool-Wrapping

Do you ever get the unshakeable urge, the deep desire to just create? You don't know what or why, but you just need to make something. Anything. Now. Scones, a painting, a pathway, a short story, pom poms, a skirt. Whatever, just make it snappy.

Next time that urge strikes, keep this quick, cute craft in the back of your mind: wool-wrapping. I've seen bits and pieces about the interwebs and thought I'd give it a whirl while Isy and I were having crafty time. It's quick, easy, repurposeful and, provided you have some wool lying about somewhere, it's free!

You need:


a stick (pick one up off the ground or your backyard - just make sure it's not home to any little insects) twiggy is good.
some wool (bright colours look cute, but white or grey is surprisingly sophisticated)

1. Start at one end and wrap the wool around your stick, tucking the end of the wool in to the first few rounds, to secure it.
2. Keep wrapping till you reach the other end. Tie a knot in the wool and trim.

The end. (See? Super easy. Tutorial really unnecessary!)

a vaseful of these will look sweet and colourful.

Play Time! The Useful Box.

Strainers are way fun, but a useful box is better

I'm guessing most people grew up watching Play School. I know I did. And in fact, I remember pulling out my first tooth watching Play School. I was trying to pull my green flanelette nightie over my knees, using my teeth (as you do) when POP! out came my tooth. I freaked out. And somewhere in the back of my mind, I have always associated Big Ted and Jemima with my teeth ever since.

Weird anecdotes aside, I've started to put together a Useful Box for Isla, when we get our craft on. It's a great way to recycle bits and pieces from around the house, and it means we can replicate lots of the crafts they make on Play School. (Almost all the crafts on Play School are made with toilet rolls, masking tape, crepe paper and paddle pop sticks. Totes inventive!) Not all of it is recycled, but some are party leftovers and others are from cheapy shops, like The Reject Shop.

So far I've got:

• egg cartons
• toilet rolls
• glad wrap/foil rolls and boxes
• pasta boxes
• ribbon and fabric scraps
• pegs
• wool
• pipe cleaners
• googley eyes
• mini pom poms
• paddle pop sticks
• plastic cups
• paper plates
• stickers
• newspaper
• tissue paper
• old magazines
• butchers twine
• balloons
• felt
• rubber bands (from our newspapers)
• crepe paper

It's a work in progress, but I love that I can look at our recycling or "rubbish" and find fun, creative uses for a lot of it. Plus I totally love making things out of crepe paper!

If you're looking for a humongous list of creative play time activities for your little ones, nieces, nephews or neighbours' kids, or if you're just keen on making puppets out of toilet rolls, check out the Play School activities listed here. Many a winters day will be had...

Repurpose Me: Framed Chalkboard Tutorial

When I saw this bear print at our combined garage sale a while back I managed to look past the freaky-looking bear and saw the big, solid timber frame around it. I knew I could do something with it so took it off my sister's hands.

It's only been this week that I had time to actually do anything with the frame, and I'm pretty chuffed with the results. So chuffed that I think I might have to do it again sometime!

So here's a quick how-to to turn a fugly print into a sweet little chalkboard.

You need:

- an old framed print, glass removed (you won't need the glass for this project)
- a can of spray paint in any colour (I used High Gloss Cherry Red in the Squirts range from White Knight - I bought it at Bunnings for about $7)
- a can of chalkboard spray paint (White Knight too)
- an old sheet or a plastic drop sheet
- newspaper (I didn't use it and it was annoying)
 

One creepy bear print.

Seriously...

1. Remove the print from your frame and give the wood a quick wipe over with a clean cloth to remove any dust or dirt. If it's particularly dirty you may need to wipe it with warm, soapy water and give it a thorough dry after.

2. Lay your drop sheet down and newspaper down and put your frame on top. Be careful not to spray near anything precious or white. Time for the first coat of spray paint. I followed these tips and was really happy with the result:

• shake the can of spray paint really, really, really well. for longer than they suggest on the can. this stops any flat or super shiny spots and gives even colour coverage.
• start your spraying off the piece and finish off the piece. this stops any big chunky splotches of spray paint where you first begin
• keep the can about 15-20cm away from the piece you're painting
• keep your paint strokes even
• apply a light, misting coat first and then follow up straight after with a fuller coat (though not too heavy, otherwise it will drip and look splotchy)

3. Check the results of your first coat, get really excited and grab other objects to coat in paint.

After the first coat

I grabbed a heap of frames from our bedroom cause I got so excited!

4. Leave these all to dry for at least 30 minutes before applying a second full coat.

5. Meanwhile, take the print and turn it over, exposing the bare board at the back. (If your print is constructed differently, you may need to use a sheet of thick cardboard here). Give it a wipe over with a clean cloth.

6. I totally forgot to get a shot of this, but, using the same tips as above, spray the board with a misting coat of chalkboard paint, followed immediately by a good, full coat. The can suggested two coats, but I found I only needed one to get really good coverage.

7. Let the frame and the board completely dry (I left mine overnight) and then, with the help of your trusty assistant, put them back together with the chalkboard facing out and the print at the back. You know, in case you ever want to use the print again. Not likely in this case.

Best assistant going round.

Marvel.

8. I think different brands of chalkboard paint vary here, but the White Knight suggested conditioning the board before using it, which means covering the entire surface with chalk and then rubbing it off. I did this, not too sure if it helped anything or not. Also, try to avoid using dirty chalk like I did, as it left some ugly scratches in the paint.

Finite!

For about an hour's work all up, and only a few dollars (I only used half of the can of red paint and maybe one-tenth of the blackboard paint) this was a fun little repurposing project!

I'll be back later with some happy-making!