Easter,recycling and other projects.

I have been busy, with many different projects and thought I would share some of what I am working on or have completed these last couple of days. 

My daughters love, and I mean LOVE to draw.  So I try to make it a habit to always have something to write with and something to write on for the girls on my person and am often picking up cheap or discounted notebooks, pads, journals when I spot them.  Big Lots and the dollar store are two of my favorite stores for these types of items. 

Recently I decided to make a few out of leftover cuts of scrap paper.  Here are two that I made, with plans to make more of varying shapes, and sizes since these are a HUGE hit with my girls. Might be because they get to help scrounge up the paper or simply helping push the handle on the paper punch but hey, if it entertains them and gets the job done that's a win win in my book. 

I think these first ones came out well, and am excited to work on more.  Wish I had more scrapbook stuff on hand.  Wow! It sure can take a while to build up a decent variety to work with.  It has been fun though, hunting discounts for things I or more daughters might use.

Okay, this next project was a last minute idea when I realized that only one of last years Easter baskets had survived.  I didn't want to purchase one so decided to recycle a butter tub and sacrifice it to my Easter Basket idea.  It actually came out awesome if I do say so myself, and I do. 

This is how I did it.  

1.  Took a large butter tub and used a small hole punch to punch holes around the entire top lip of the container.

2.  Used a small crochet hook that fit easily through the holes to thread my yarn through creating a foundation from which I can crochet.

3.  Crocheted around the tub doing a double crochet until I had enough rows crocheted to wrap around the bottom a bit.  (The first row is the hardest and I had to use the small hook to pull the yarn through and up to the larger hook but this is only necessary for the first row as it is so tight.)

4.  Took a long length of yarn the same color and threaded a yarn needle which I used to pull in the bottom of the crocheted basket and then tied off in a secure knot, cut and hid the tail.

5.  Crocheted a handle to desired length and stitched it on through the holes in the tub. 

Voila! Recycled Easter Basket.  It was a pretty quick, super easy, and cute last minute project to complete.  Obviously you could further embellish the basket or do fancy stitches but this one does the trick.  Probably could have made it look like a bunny head but really this was a fly by the seat of my pants project.  I didn't have any instructions, just created as I went.

Complete Easter Basket from butter tub and yarn. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday!