Green crafts

Don't be just a consumer.

Don't buy new stuff any more than you have to.

Be a Green crafter and make "something out of nothing" as my grandma often said.

*At least check out your local yard sales, sidewalk sales and auctions... to find good used or even new things that you can use and keep these items out of the landfills.

Here, you will find great GREEN Crafts for you and for the kids...

If you are local to the Hubbard, Ohio area, stop by my gift shop for discount craft supplies and more ideas at 6177 Youngstown-Hubbard Road.

I also have a website where I sell my handmade goods and sell off my extra vintage sewing supplies and other items. Here is just one of the categories that has a few vintage craft or sewing items: http://organicgiftsbydiana.ecrater.com/c/1453115/vintage-craft-sewing-patterns-fabrics-and

Enjoy your beautiful flowers, leaves, and even pretty herbs... in many ways !

Bring some in to put in a vase to decorate your home and when they get old you can save the petals to make your own pretty potpourri.

Or, bring in fresh ones and press them flat in the pages of an old phone book or something and then them sit for a few weeks to dry.

Now, you can use these to decorate your own greeting cards, photo frames, or decoupage them onto just about anything.

The dried flowers will be delicate so be careful with them.

For the greeting cards, you can get recycled card stock or make your own thick paper by following the directions in the next section.

Why buy cards when you can make your own one-of-a-kind greeting cards ?

Here's the WHY and the SUPPLY LIST:

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/daily_green_news/203/h...

You can use junk mail (that STILL comes even when you request it to stop - LOL), old envelopes and old greeting cards, the old homework papers and other papers from your kids' school...

Instead of adding to the landfills, make good use of it !

I also gather up old phone books from my friends and neighbors who are throwing them away.

I like using old phonebooks because I use them anyway to dry and/or press flowers and herbs... and then I can reuse the paper again (after it can't be reused for pressing anymore) to make "new" paper.

The "new" paper has the bits of color from the old paper and the flowers... and it has a slight smell from the flowers and herbs... so the "new" paper is really cool !

Here are the instructions (in case the webpage should be down for some reason) BUT, I encourage you to follow the link above because there you will see photos and a video too !

Supplies needed:

* Frame or old window screen

* Screen (silk screen fabric, old stockings, or window screen)

* Duct tape or staple gun

* Plastic bin or cookie sheet (larger than the screen and deep enough to hold enough water to cover screen with water)

* Blender (food processor or a handheld blender)

* Paper (junk mail, bills, old catalogs, memos from the boss, magazines, etc.)

* Sponge

* Old rags or a very absorbent towel

* Draining board or something to lay wet screen on

Making the screen

1. Use the frame to make your mold. Take the screen fabric, and stretch it over the frame.

2. Staple or adhere the screen fabric so that it becomes the bottom of your mold. It is important to make sure that the screen is stretched tightly and that no water can escape through the edges of the screen.

3. After your first side is tacked down, make sure your next area to tack will be the opposite side.

4. Once your screen is made, set it aside. You can continue to use this mold and change out the fabric as often as you like. Different textures will create various effects. It is fun to experiment with different kinds of materials to use as your mold.

Make the pulp that will become your paper:

1. Gather the junk mail or whatever material you would like to use for your pulp. You can mix different kinds of paper and experiment to produce different colors, textures, and styles.

2. Fill the container you are using as a tub with water. Make sure that you use enough water to submerge your screen. If you do not have a plastic container, you can also use duct tape to cover the kitchen sink drain.

3. Rip up the paper into smaller sheets, use your judgment based on the kind of equipment you are blending with. If you have a hand blender, you can blend your paper into pulp right inside the plastic container. If you are using a blender or food processor, throw your ripped sheets of junk mail or whatever you are recycling in the blender and fill it with water.

4. Blend. You can experiment with different consistencies of the pulp by using different speeds on the blender.

5. You can add color to your pulp in this step or wait until later. Depending on what you are using as the base for your pulp, you may find that your pulp turns a color because of the ink used on the substrate you are blending.

6. Once you are satisfied with your pulp mixture, place the screen in the water and pour the mixture on top of the screen to catch the pulp.

7. Move your fingers around a bit on top of the screen so that the pulp covers the middle of the screen in a paper-like shape, without a lot of holes.

8. Once you are satisfied with the placement of the pulp, lift up the mold from the water and hold it still as the water drains from the screen.

9. Once the draining slows, place the screen on your draining area and gently use a sponge or towel to pick up any excess water. You can squeeze excess water back into the pulp mixture, or add more pulp to fill holes.

10. Place the absorbent towel over the wet paper pulp and press it down so that it creates a bond with the sheet you are making. Use your judgment as to when the sheet is ready to lift of the screen.

11. Turn the screen over and scratch the opposite side of the screen so that the paper begins to separate from the screen and falls off on the transfer fabric you are using

12. Take your sheet and dry it in the sun or leave it by a window. You can hang dry it or set it flat to dry. Depending on the thickness of the sheet drying times will vary.

13. You can add different elements of color and texture to your paper at any time during paper-making process. Use all of your pulp and if you have left over scraps recycle them for your next project ...

I have some herbs; vintage buttons/lace/trim/fabric... and other craft stuff; some of my handmade items; my hand-sewn one-of-a-kind pampering products plus some vintage things on my online store's website.

Have a look around to see what is available.

Here is the section in my online store where you will find the fresh-cut cedar shavings that I have for sale so that you can make your own closet... sachets:

http://organicgiftsbydiana.ecrater.com/p/11596081/fresh-natural-cedar-shavings

If you are near the Northeast Ohio (I am right on the border of Ohio and Pennsylvania - about halfway between Cleveland, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pa.) area, stop by my Hubbard, Ohio gift shop called Diana's Gift Shop at 6177 Youngstown-Hubbard Road to see so much more than is listed in my online store. I have 15 other vendors in here !

If you are not the area, but will be visiting or passing through, send me a message through this page and I'll send you my page with the days and hours of operation.

...or just a bigger hobby...

...please read the page of tips I wrote about setting prices so that you don't end up cheating yourself:

use-your-philosophy-to-succeed-at-business

If you're local to the Hubbard, Ohio area, stop by to see us and show me what you have made with the things that you bought from our store.