Happy Earth Day! Its that time of year to start planting your garden, plant a tree and of course Spring cleaning! I love to repurpose junk or clutter around the house. My garage seems to be the place that everything we don’t need or use anymore, just ends up. So when it comes to de-cluttering, the garage is usually the place that needs the work. Instead of just throwing stuff away, I donate as much as possible and then with stuff that good will probably wouldn’t even know what to do with, I try to craft! I have taken some pictures of things that I have made with the family in the past few months that will hopefully inspire you to make something out of your clutter. Turn Spring cleaning into a fun family activity, get crafty with your trash!

Name Plaques for Kids Rooms!

You will need:

hot glue gun

paint

scraps of old wood

small screws

wire cord

cookie cutters

salt dough

(See my recipe for Salt Dough Ornaments) Using the salt dough and letter cookie cutters have kids make the letters to spell their names, then make a shape or two that they like to go next to their name. After the shapes and letters are cooled, paint them and spray them with clear coating to protect them. Cut scraps of wood to size you want and paint them whatever color you wish. When all the paint is dry, screw two small screws into the back of the wood a few inches apart and twist wire cord around them so that you will have something to hang them on. Using a hot glue gun, glue the shapes and letters to the wood and hang!

Bulletin Board!

You Will Need:

an old frame

paint (optional)

cardboard or styrofoam

fabric

hot glue gun

Old framed art in the garage was about to hit the good will pile, but instead… I removed the back, took out the old poster, painted the frame, cut some large scraps of styrofoam to fit the frame, covered it in fabric and then hot glued it all together= Cute Bulletin for my office space!

Hand Print Art!

You Will Need:

paint

paint pens

large scrap of wood

2 small screws

wire cord

I had a large piece of plywood left over from a home improvement project and turned it into a work of art that we will always cherish! I put two screws in the back a few inches apart and twisted wire cord around them to hang it. Painted the wood white and then the whole family each chose a paint pen to trace their hand with all over it! (Since my toddler won’t sit still long enough to trace his hand, I made a stamp of his hand with finger paint on construction paper, cut it out and traced it onto the wood.) I really love how this simple spontaneous project turned out! It is one of our favorites!!

Garden Boxes!

You Will Need:

old dresser drawers

scraps of wood

paint

I just took old drawers and screwed scraps of wood onto the sides to raise them off the ground. Then the kids decorated them with paint and we planted flowers in them! Happy Earth Day!!!!