catbird – Page 19 – Wineberry Woods

19Apr 2023 by catbird

Recycled Bottle Chandelier

Craft Project, Earth Day, Play, Recycled Materials

I generally refuse to buy plastic bottles and try to never buy water in plastic bottle, but every now and then it's unavoidable. Because I know that I'll end up with some every now and then (and will have tons after a clean up!) I am always on the lookout for interesting ways to reuse them. This chandelier is one of my very favorites! It's simple, easy to make and looks stunning. It's also a great project for a group if you have a class, coop or family gathering or some sort. Everyone can decorate a bottle or two and then they all come together to make something greater than the sum its parts. painted bottles ready to be hung the bicycle wheel frame Recycled Bottle Chandelier You can use…

16Apr 2023 by catbird

A “Cake” for the Earth

Earth Day, Garden, Play

I cannot claim credit for this project, it was my son's idea several years ago. When I asked him what he wanted to do to celebrate Earth Day he said he wanted to make a cake for the trees. (He is very cake focused.. lol) We decided that the type of cake a tree would like would be made out of compost and things that trees like with a little decoration. He was and continues to be a champion mud pie maker, so we just adapted his usual process slightly by using compost. You can add coffee grounds, eggshells, comfrey leaves (or any leaf that will decompose and me nutritious) or even scraps from your compost bin. Arrange the layers of your cake in a bowl or tin and make…

16Apr 2023 by catbird

Recycling Bin Drawing Machines

Craft Project, Earth Day, Learning, Play, Recycled Materials

This is a great clean out the recycling bin type of project- you can use just about anything. The only thing you really need are dollar store electric toothbrushes, and if you plan ahead you could use an old electric toothbrush that really was destined for the trash. The toothbrushes are a simple way to get a motor for your drawing machine. If you are working with older children, you can also build more complex motors from electrical components, but the toothbrush does the job nicely. So what is a drawing machine and why would you want to build one? In contemporary art, a drawing machine is defined as any sort of apparatus that assists or replaces a human in drawing. Artists have lots of reason for making drawing machines,…

14Apr 2023 by catbird

Tube Knitting with Plarn

Craft Project, Earth Day, Learning, Nature Art, Play, Recycled Materials

What you ask is plarn? It's a combination of the words yarn and plastic, so it's essentially "yarn" made from discarded plastic grocery bags. Those plastic grocery bags are a scourge on the environment, they always seem to find their way into woods and waterways, where they are often mistaken for food by wildlife. One of the things we like to do to celebrate Earth Day is to make use of materials that are traditionally discarded and/or littering natural areas. This can be from trash collected during clean ups (my first first public sculpture when I was in high school were giant trees made from trash collected during a big clean up!) or trash from your home and school that you can divert from the landfill and make something useful…

14Apr 2023 by catbird

Plogging Hike

Earth Day, Hike Ideas, Learning, Play, Recycled Materials

I swear all of my Earth Day posts aren't going to have funny words in them... but here's another one! Plogging is a combination of jogging and picking up litter, it was originally coined in Sweden (merging the Swedish verbs plocka upp (pick up) and jogga (jog). In our case its really more hiking than jogging, but I 'm not sure piking has the same ring to it. Sadly this is a tremendously easy hike to do-- there is litter nearly everywhere we hike. The only trick is to remember to bring a bag to collect litter in, and possibly some gloves so no one is touching trash directly. I didn't used to be squeamish about it, but covid and the proliferation of discarded face masks in public parks has…

05Apr 2023 by catbird

A Basket for Bunnies Made from Trees

Craft Project, Foraging, Nature Collection, Play, Spring Equinox, Spring Portfolio

When I was researching spring holidays for my spring book I was particularly intrigued by a German custom wherein children build a nest in a field or garden in which a hare would lay colored eggs for them. This idea came to the America's with German settlers and seems to be the precursor of the modern Easter basket and the rational for rabbits laying eggs. Eggs and hares were both of course ancient symbols of spring and fertility that predate Easter. All of that to say... I love the idea of making secret outdoor nests for a magical hare to leave gifts in!! I started making a proper basket, but I wanted to simplify it so that it was do-able for kids (and frankly adults...) What I ended up with…

29Mar 2023 by catbird

Fast Dyed Natural Easter Eggs

Craft Project, Nature Art, Play, Spring Equinox

I love to make natural dyes and I love to naturally dye easter eggs. When my kids were super little they didn't mind waiting overnight for the eggs to change color, but as they've gotten older and heard the siren song of the grocery store kits, they have lost interest in the natural dye process and requested the tablets more and more. (They usually humor me a little bit anyway...) I stumbled on this method by accident really, when I was making my conventional naturally dyed eggs post I was muttering to myself about how much better turmeric dye bath with alcohol is. I happened to have some already prepared so I tested it out of curiosity. It worked so much better than the water based dye- the color was…

27Mar 2023 by catbird

Worm Parfaits for the Worm Moon

Full Moon, Recipes, Winter, Worm Moon

One of the common names for the March full name is the Worm Moon. It's a muddy month, and nearly always when we start to see worm castings all over the ground as the worms start to move around again after a cold winter. Worms really don't get much love despite being incredibly helpful. They make soil, they improve out gardens and just quietly carry on with their business. Vermicomposting is a fun project to do with kids, but sometimes you want a fancy worm treat. Cue these delicious worm parfaits! Worm Moon Parfaits This is one of those desserts that looks far fancier than it is-- it's a glorified dirt pudding, but its' beautiful and never fails to impress. You have a lot of leeway with ingredients, you can…

26Mar 2023 by catbird

Pond Viewer

Craft Project, Earth Day, Learning, Recycled Materials, Spring Equinox

This is a super simple project that makes exploring a pond (or vernal pool) even more exciting. My seven year old could not put this down on the way to the pond-- he was so excited. It uses repurposed materials which is always a nice bonus. It will help you see underwater a little more clearly! Recycled Pond Viewer This just uses a handful of materials that you probably already have and take a few minutes to put together! You don't want to substitute cling film for the freezer bag-- it won't hold up to the water pressure. To use the viewer push it below the water level and try and stay as still as possible. Eventually creatures will feel comfortable swimming under your viewer! Materials: half gallon milk or…

22Mar 2023 by catbird

Recycled Can Garden Markers

Craft Project, Earth Day, Garden, Recycled Materials, Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice

Here is a fun and easy way to make plant markers for your garden out of recycled materials. I use really utilitarian markers for the most part, but my kids always want to make some for their garden and I have been trying to think of a way to make markers that are both beautiful to look at and simple to make. These check all the boxes, they are simple enough for kids to make, they look amazing--almost like enamel I think--and they use repurposed seltzer cans. Kids don't need to be able to write letters to make them, although they work with words as well. (You just have to write them backwards... more on that below.) This is a great project for early spring when there is lots of…

Author: catbird