Up Cycle After Christmas Sales Decor Items

I love a bargain and finding these large Christmas light stars would be fantastic for my home decor if they could be changed and up cycled. So after months of these stars sitting around I finally got to work. I unscrewed the lights and put them to the side and began experimenting with spray paint and acrylic. Both worked fine. I gave the outside a silver metal look and painted the inside starting with white.I played around with several colors and chose cornmeal yellow for one. blue  and multi colors for the third. I also love seeing brush strokes. finished in one day. Now I can't wait for night time to see them lit up at night. www.thebabyhandprintco.etsy.com

Cardboard Ideas and Projects For Children

Cardboard the almighty play toy for any child. More popular than the toy that came in the box. I have realized over the years as a teacher to the very young and mother of two creative children that box play gets the children's imagination running. I have always saved the boxes for this reason to make forts, box homes and art projects.




How cool is this card board guitar!!!!!!!!

http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2011/03/mister-make-it-and-love-it-series.html

Now the favorite stuffed animal or doll has a bed of it's own.

http://www.hellobee.com/2012/10/09/diy-cardboard-bed/

How clever to add magazine photos for backdrop and decor. Another idea is to have your child take pictures around your own home and pics of the family and the pets to add inside home. Please check out this blog for even more ideas on crafting with cardboard for the kids

http://www.rubancassette.com/sauvages/2014/07/des-bo%C3%AEtes-et-des-bricoles.html

Love these puppets and animal creations. The sculpture I have tried with my preschoolers. I personally cut out long oval pieces with niches cut into them like puzzle pieces. I did this for my young preschool children  to decorate with color, drawings and collage. Older children I would have them cut their own shape out. We then added them all together to make a free standing sculpture. Just wish I had a picture of it now to share.

Please check out all the wonderful diy project here on this blog. There are just too many to talk about. http://diycozyhome.com/cardboard-box-creations/

How super cute are these!.These may be toilet paper rolls, but this feel like they fit into this genre of diy. Can't wait to show my daughter this one. I guess I need to start saving toilet paper rolls.

http://www.pikaland.com/2010/11/18/things-organized-neatly/

Foozball?

Can't forget the forts and houses! Check this blog for all their ideas

http://playtivities.com/cardboard-houses/

Art project using yarn, twine, collage, paint to create letters or other shapes using cardboard.

http://catchmyparty.com/blog/diy-how-to-make-a-yarn-wrapped-ombre-monogrammed-letter