Cress Caterpillar Week 1

Update on egg shell cress caterpillar. The seeds in egg shell one and six didn't grow! So I've replanted more seeds, and will update again in another week :)

*Click on image for clearer picture*

Egg Shell Hairy Caterpillar

In the making, an egg shell hairy caterpillar.

What I used:

1. 6 empty egg shells, washed
2. Egg carton
3. 6 used tea bags
4. Green watercolour paint
5. Paint brush
6. Glue (I used Mod Podge as all I have in the house)
7. Wobbly eyes
8. Pen
9. Packet of cress



Egg shells painted green. Cut the bottom off six egg cup from egg carton and paint green. Stick wobbly eyes (I have a box of them in my craft kit) on one shell with glue. Use pen to draw smiley face. Put one used tea bag in each egg cup, fill each egg with about 1/4 full with water. Sprinkle with cress seeds. Fill the top with soil (I used soil from my garden). Wait for cress to grow (maybe a week or two?) for hairy caterpillar effect. Then cut cress to eat, and sow more seeds.

I'll come back in a week or two, hopefully to show progress of hairy caterpillar's ..hair

2yr old wrapping paper

A handmade gift for my friends' son's birthday; one of my chalk mats. What to wrap it in? Young children love to scribble draw nice pictures.. I have so much of my son's 2yr old 'artwork' lying around, so thought I'd start wrapping gifts in it, instead of using wrapping paper.



Recycling with a personal touch!

Upholstery Clutch Bags

Back in January this year, I made a clutch bag for the QLD Flood Disaster Appeal. The buttercup bag pattern I obtained from the clever Made by Rae, with her easy to use tutorial. I've just completed two more clutch bags using the same pattern.

Both of these bags are actually made with upholstery fabric I purchased on different op shop visits. I am particularly fond of the brocade material. I like the fact that upholstery fabric need not just be used for furniture! The lining used for both bags is also thrift purchased fabric. They are gifts for my relatives. Photos do not really do brocade bag justice, it looks better in the 'flesh'

Lining in brocade bag

I got some labels made up some time ago from an eBay seller, under my Recycled Fashion blog name. I'm not selling anything I make as yet, but I wanted to brand my handmade items which give much more of a professional finish I think?

I added a hand strap to both bags, which is not part of the pattern. Also a flap for the magnetic clasp for the green upholstery fabric bag.





Both bags are being shipped to their new owners in the UK sometime this week.

Butterfly Postage Stamps

I picked up some butterfly postage stamps from etsy. Why? I wanted to decorate some shoes in them, using mod podge, but the idea didn't really pan out. I placed the stamps on my shoes prior to sticking; they didn't look so good.

So what am I to do with these lovely stamps then? I purchased this wooden tray from an op shop last year..

And decorated it with my butterfly stamps, using beloved mod podge of course.

Inspiration; DIY Photograph Holder

Saw this in a magazine the other day whilst at the library; Country Living magazine I think? I took a photo of it!

Very simple idea, but it looks good. Find some dried branches, mount photographs on the back of cardboard, cut into circles, attach pieces of ribbon and tie to branches, put branches into a vase, and that's it.



I love the 'family tree' effect!

Things to do with a shower curtain

I made the frog shower curtain that I purchased at the op shop last week into a swimming bag for my son. The drawstring used to be the inside tie of a pair of shorts.

Frog swimming bag

I have a lot of shower curtain left, so I can make something else if not more frog bags! The shower curtain, I believe, has not been used, its in perfect condition, but was not purchased in a wrapper. I've given it a good clean anyway, and used a little to make some more reusable food wraps out of some car fabric I purchased in another op shop this week.

Fruit biscuits

wrap

wrap

fold

Secure with velcro strap (strap used to be a belt!)