Upcycling Formula Cans

Once that baby starts on formula you will end up with MANY empty cans. They seem like they should have some great new purpose since they are a sturdy container with a nice plastic lid.

(Wipe clean with a wet cloth and thoroughly dry)


So here is a collection of ideas I have found.

1. Storage of dry cereal or crackers or packaged snacks.

2. Toy Storage - keep similar toys in each container with a picture or label of contents on outside of can. (Ex. polly pockets, animal figurines, marbles, rock collection etc.)

3. Arts & Craft Storage - Great storage for all the crayons (or markers or scissors etc) or for the foam stickers that come in a plastic bag and need to be restored in something else.

4. Piggy Bank: Cut a slot in lid with exacto knife. Voila!

5. Toilet Paper storage: holds the spare role of toilet paper perfectly. Outside of can could be decorated in wallpaper or scrapbook papers to coordinate beautifully with your bathroom.

6. Hair Accessory Storage: Decorate (have your child help) and store those multitudes of ponytail holders & clips!

7. Nuts, Bolts, Screws (etc.) Storage: Get that garage or shed organized!

8. Office: Use in a drawer at your desk to keep some plastic cutlery, tea bags, granola bars, etc. to have on hand when needed.

9. Office2: Keep your collection of spare pens, pencils, highlighters from cluttering up the drawer by being in the can.

10. Tea Bags!

11. Use as a gift container for items such as baked cookies, homemade hot cocoa mix, brownies, fudge, spiced nuts, bath salts or any other gifts that will fit!

this container was decorated by my daughter and we kept her Halloween treats in it (on top of the fridge)

The Very Busy Spider Craft Activities

Next week we are reading "The Very Busy Spider" by Eric Carle at Toy Library as it is my daughters turn to bring in a favourite book. One of his many fabulous books. We will be doing a craft afterwards and here are some of the fabulous ideas I have found or thought of.


SPIDERS:

Egg Carton Spider: a cube cut from a cardboard egg carton. Painted black or coloured with markers or covered in tissue paper that is glued on. Poke in pipe cleaners for legs and glue on googly eyes. Easy peasy!

Bottle Cap or Lid Spider: Using a jar lid or bottle cap, glue on legs & googly eyes. Can't get much simpler!

Styrafoam Ball Spider: Styrafoam balls painted black. Pipe cleaners poked in for legs and googly eyes glued on.

Handprint Spider: Have child dip hand in black paint. Place on paper to make two handprints together so they meet at the wrist. Put on eyes.

Thumbprint Spiders: Place child's thumb in ink and press onto paper in several spots. Let child draw legs & eyes on spider. Could also do this onto a web.

PomPom Spider: Two different sized pom poms glued together with pipecleaner legs & eyes.

Sure couldnt live without those googly eyes! they are a staple in our craft supplies and get reused when a craft gets tossed.


WEBS:

Glittery Web: Draw a web on a piece of paper. Let child trace with glue. Sprinkle with glitter and shake off excess. Glue on a spider - either made by child or cut out by adult for them to glue on.

Laced Web: Styrafoam plate with holes punched along edge. Let child "sew" the web by placing yarn through one hole and then pulling through a hole on opposite side of plate and then back to the other side etc. Or they can put through random holes for an abstract web.

Marble Web: Place black or dark paper in bottom of cardboard box. Place a few small dobs of white glue sporadically on paper. Place a marble on the paper and gently roll to create a beautiful white web.

Painted Web (with string): Put a long length of string into a puddle of paint. Coat string thoroughly. Pull string out and lay in random pattern on paper. Move string to create the web look you want. Remove string. Your fabulous web now needs some spiders - thumbprint spiders look great!

this pic done with the string painting & thumbprint spiders

*************************
One of the above spider crafts would look great on these webs!

Halloween Suncatcher

Create Halloween Suncatchers using black paper, tissue paper, and tape.

Cut black paper into Halloween shapes - Jack o Lanterns, Cats, Bats. Be sure your shape has some holes cut in it and then tape tissue paper to the back. Hang or tape to window to let the sun shine through the tissue paper.

Apple or Thumb Pumpkin Prints

An apple sliced in half and dipped in orange paint will print a terrific pumpkin shape! Let them go crazy making the pumpkin shapes and then have fun giving them different expressions!


Could also make pumpkins using orange THUMBPRINTS! Place your child's thumb in orange paint and then print three or four thumbprints in a row to make a pumpkin. Do several sets on one page and it is a PUMPKIN PATCH!


Expressions could be made using a Marker, Crayons, Paint or a Potato could be cut into small triangle shapes to be dipped in black paint to create the pumpkin features.

Have Fun!

Halloween Spiders, Ghosts & Jack o Lanterns

Some Halloween Crafts for your Toddler


your typical egg carton cube, painted black, eyes glued on and pipe cleaners poked through. We tied string on the inside of the spider and dangled them from a ceiling fan. Very cute.


I LOVE these! Foot prints with white paint on black paper. Little Eyes & Mouth made with a black marker (or paint). Make it a keepsake by doing on artist canvas or do on construction paper and then frame them to bring out every year with your decorations!

I did these on a thick cardstock that came with some curtains I had purchased. The top footprints are by my 5m old and the bottom ones by my 3yr old.

Could also make these adorable ghosts using handprints (upside down).




Paintings

My daughter loves to make smiley faces so here is the Halloween version :-). I framed this one to be able to keep.


Orange paintings cut into pumpkin shapes - great way to reuse or recycle her previous artwork!

YARN PUMPKIN


So cute from the blog below!


http://themagiconions.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-to-make-yarn-pumpkin.html



Can't wait to give these a try, but instead of a little stick stem, I think I will use brown felt or brown yarn so it can be baby & toddler friendly.