DIY Life

I know, paper cups are bad, and I am bad if I use them. What if I reuse them? Can I redeem myself just a little?

If you've got paper cups kicking around, there are all sorts of ways that they can be re-purposed into cool Kiddie Crafts. Just this afternoon, I went to the pantry for some dried pasta and realized that there was only a very little bit left. I also came across some leftover party cups that I'd stashed away. What do you do with pasta and paper cups? Make maracas of course!

After the break I'll tell you how, share another paper cup craft that we tried, and point you to a few more that I think pass the kiddie craft test (simple, inexpensive, fun, and easily modified for different ages).

I don't know what it's like where you live, but every time the stores come out with something new for the garden, I start seeing the item popping up all over town. Soon enough, that unique new ornament is commonplace and a bit trite.

I can honestly say that I've never seen a "tipsy" flower pot tower, though; it looks like something I want to try in my garden. To put it together, you'll need:

• A tall, sturdy metal rod. (The instructions call for a 66" rod.)
• One 12" round clay pot.
• Four 10" clay pots.
• Potting soil.

The tower looks simple enough to assemble. Drive the rod into the ground, and thread the 12" pot onto the rod. Fill with soil. Then thread the 10"pots on, balancing each pot sturdily on the pot below. All that's left to do is to fill it with your favorite flowers.

Flowers are a wonderful gift, if only they would last longer. With these flower gifts that you can make with your kids, they will last perhaps longer than the recipient would like them to! Or the flowerpots are perfect for presenting real flowers or plants.

Make this photo flower bouquet from paper, using photos as the center of the flower. Glue onto a chenille stem and present as a bouquet or in a vase. I like the idea of using patterned paper; handmade paper would look stunning, as would scrapbooking paper.

It is so easy to paint this clay flowerpot. All you need are some acrylic paints and your creativity. You can plan a pattern with your kids beforehand, use some stencils or let them go, Jackson Pollock style. You know they will come up with something spectacular, and uniquely "them."

Concrete and terracotta flowerpots look better as they age. Plastic pots? Hmm. Not so much. Let's face it: although they're light and durable, they lack style. They also look terrible when they get old and faded. Well, member Melody of the wonderful gardening website Dave's Garden has submitted a fantastic how-to article on flowerpot makeovers with spray paint.

Melody recommends Krylon's Fusion® spray paint because it's designed to bond with plastic, which means it resists chipping and peeling as time goes by. She used the Hammered Finish line with beautiful results! I love how this looks, and I'd like to give it a try with one of my own aging and faded plastic pots.

Tip: be patient with your prep work. For the paint to bond with the plastic, it's critical to start with a smooth and completely clean surface. Therefore, allow plenty of time for scrubbing old pots down, washing them thoroughly, and leaving them to dry completely before cracking out the spray cans. I know, it's hard to have prep work patience -- because the spraying is definitely the fun part!

For more easy crafting ideas involving flowerpots and spray paints, check out Francesca's post on decorating flowerpots with your kids and Anna's post on stenciling with spray paint.

This has got to be one of the neatest compilations of DIY inventions I've ever seen. This site takes 25 ordinary items and finds new and creative ways to transform them into something completely different and totally useful. It's not in English, but you really don't need any explanation, the pictures speak for themselves.

Topping the list is a chopstick hack that I wrote about a while back. All you need is a clothes pin and a pair of chopsticks and you can put together a set of spring-loaded chopsticks. Great for kids! Here are a few more of my favorites on their list:

• Stamp nails - Have you ever seen postage stamp designs and thought they would make funky nail art? Well, if you haven't, you'll start noticing them now, because this is one cool project. All you do is cut out the nail shape from the stamp and stick it on your nail. I imagine you'd apply a top coat of clear polish to finish them off.
• Cactus soother - I have to admit, this one seems awfully cruel, but if you're looking for a quick way to ween your child from the soother it just might work. Replace the nipple with a mini cactus bud. Your little one will never call for his soother or love you in the same way ever again!
• Dish cloth hanger - I have a few hooks around the kitchen where I hang dish cloths. The cloths are typically on the floor, having slid right off the hook. This clever little hack takes the clip out of a binder, pegs it to the wall and gives you a secure place to hang your dishtowel.
  

You'll find all sorts of little treasures there, like inventive uses for tennis balls, beer cans, goggles, tissue, flower pots, rubber gloves, sponges and more. Which one is your favorite?