Martha Stewart Paper wind Streamer

Here is a great patriotic decoration from Martha Stewart that is made from an oatmeal can. Enjoy!

super easy super cape

My awesome friend from college sent me this great idea for a super hero cape. I think you could make one in less than 5 minutes. Now THAT is my kind of craft! You'll need an old T-shirt (in the color of your favorite superhero, of course) and some scissors. Here's what she says:

The best part is that it can be a no sew project.  I love those.

I left the round collar in tact.  Using sharp scissors, I cut a triangle shape from the shirt.  The collar being the top of the triangle, cutting down where the shirt would  fall on the shoulder blades out towards where the shirt rubs between the hips and the arms.  So the child can just slip the collar on over his head and the cape hangs behind.  Whoala!

Cardboard Tube fun!

I came across these cute little TP roll guys at Red Ted Art's blog. Very cute. Even better- she has an e-book with 14 ideas of things to do with cardboard tubes! You can check it out here. It looks really fun!

Alex the Altiod can magnetic paper doll

Magnetic paper dolls for everyone! I decided to make this image available for free to all my awesome readers. You can make an Altoids can doll like this one for the boy in your life. Just follow the instructions for the girl doll.

I hope you enjoy this! Hopefully coming soon is a less choke-able, less lose-able girl doll pattern, too!
PS- This is for personal use only, Please!

Yule Log Favor Boxes

Here's a fun recycled project- not such a "toy," but a great Christmas gift idea made from your favorite recycled product, a TP roll (or they were suggesting a paper towel roll). Thank you Team Martha! Here's where you can find instructions for the Yule log favor box.

Snowman Treats

Recently, I was contacted by Heather who has a cute blog called Our Life. She had some great ideas for Recycled toys! This one was pretty brilliant. I love these graduate puffs containers because when you peel off the plastic, you're left with a plain white plastic container. So fun! Check out her website to see how she made this cute Snowman gift container!

Wouldn't this be the perfect project to do with your preschooler?

Coat Hanger fairy wings

Okay, this is a classic that everybody else except me already knew how to do. I'd always hear people say that they made fairy wings out of coat hangers and old tights, but I didn't really get it. Luckily, when Elisabeth decided to be a butterfly for Halloween, I found this great video tutorial. Ours aren't done yet, but they're looking pretty good so far!

Toilet Paper roll owls

Check out these cool owls that I came across today at the frugal family fun blog! Cute!

Recycled Halloween Projects

As I perused the internet, I saw lots of great Recycled Toys ideas for Halloween! Here are some of my favorites!

The Long Thread had some great ideas:
Paper bag paper mache pumpkin bowls

Aluminum can and glass jar jack o lanterns

A sweet mobile of bats from the Long thread

Skull lights made from milk containers, electrical tape, and little lights from dollarstorecrafts.com (This website really rocks, by the way).

And, of course, Martha came through for us with this cute one: Aluminum can jack o lantern luminaries!

I want your ideas

So, recycled toy ideas are really fun- we all know that! But, sometimes it gets hard to think up and create them on a regular basis for this blog all by myself. But, I know that YOU all have your own fabulous recycled toys projects. I was thinking, wouldn't it be so much more fun to get other people's ideas?!

So, Please, I would love to receive some of your ideas of projects that you've done. Send me an e-mail with the project, what materials you used, how you did it, any other details, and some pictures. Maybe we could even have some spiffy contests down the road! Sound like fun?  E-mail me your ideas of recycled toys at iowawildflowers@gmail.com. Fun!

PS- I did my first guest post today at 320 Sycamore, all about how awesome it is to live in Iowa. Head on over if you think you'll enjoy it!

Recycled pillow box favors from Skip to my Lou

You have to check out this totally cute tp roll idea! http://www.skiptomylou.org/2010/08/31/recycled-pillow-box-favors/

Book Review: The Big Green Book of Recycled Crafts and Sewing for Children

I'm not actually endorsed to advertise any books (yea, I wish!), but I thought I'd start passing on really great books to you now and again. This book was full of really great ideas! Not all of them are for kids, but they're all great. Faux stained glass from produce baskets, beautiful flowers from old aluminum cans, checkerboard from old jeans, TV tray made into laundry hamper... there's lots of fun stuff and templates for everything in the back.

Now, being a really cheap, "let's not waste our resources" kind of person, I naturally checked out this book from the library. I highly recommend this method of reading. Public libraries are awesome (although I've never seen one so awesome as the one we have here in Iowa city). Here's my method of craft book "shopping" with a little help from the public library:

1. browse amazon for your favorite topics, paying close attention to the "you also might like" section
2. Write down the titles you're interested in
3. Look them up in the library catalog and  A. get them if they have them or B. request them for purchase from your library. (aka, suggest the library buy it so you can read it)
4. Enjoy!

I have never been turned down a book request from my library unless it contains removable patterns that could be lost or destroyed easily. Seriously, try it!  All sorts of great free books at your fingertips!

Here is my most recent Library requested book:

It is a really awesome book with great ideas about getting kids sewing. And, yes, there are plenty of recycled toys ideas because many of the items are made from discarded clothing.


Okay, now I'm going to sound just like a PBS commercial: So, friends, enjoy these and many, many other wonderful books at your own public library! (for free :)

WINNERS!

So, for the winners...

I decided to be old fashioned and  print out the entries and draw them out of a hat. Since there were two winners, I had each of my kids draw out a paper- I figure they were the least biased because they can't even read yet :)

And the winners are.... (drumroll, please!)

Amy Jean and Andrea!

But, as a surprise, I have a present for EVERYONE who entered! I will be sending a digital copy of the boy doll pattern for FREE to everyone who entered! That way you can make your own! When you make them, please send pictures so we can all see your cute dolls! Thanks for all of your support! Congratulations, winners!

PS- I have e-mailed the "runners Up" prize already. If you entered the contest, but didn't get a runners up prize yet, it's because you didn't tell me your e-mail address. Please e-mail me (iowawildflowers@gmail.com) so I can send one to you, too!

squirt bottle squirt toy

This is really an easy repurposing. Just wash out an old empty plastic squirt bottle that held ketchup, strawberry syrup, pancake syrup, mustard, chocolate syrup, etc. Then fill it with water and they make great little squirt toy (especially if you don't want your kids too much around play guns).  As you can tell, they're really fun! Don't forget to enter the contest. One more day!

paper plate whirligig

Don't forget to enter the Contest to win free toys!

here's an easy craft that they did at a local arts festival here.

Time needed: 10 min.
Skills needed: scissors
Materials needed:

• paper plates
• scissors
• decorating material (paint, glitter, etc.)

Instructions:
1. Cut the paper plate in a spiral, starting at the side.
2. Decorate.
3. Punch a hole in the center.
4. Poke a knotted string or yarn strand into the hole
5. Hang and enjoy!

Second place and a prize for you, too!

Dear Friends,

Thanks for all of your support in the Iron Crafter competition! We won second place! As a celebration, we will be having a giveaway! Also, to celebrate, we finally put up a button you can grab and put on your website!------>

For the contest, There will be two winners. Each winner will choose one of the following prizes:

1. A set of four felt bottle cap cupcakes

2. An already made magnetic paper doll toy (you pick boy or girl!)

Here's how you enter: 

Make a comment, specifying which prize you would prefer and your e-mail address. If you put our new button on your site, or if you have another link to Recycled Toys from your site, you may enter a second time by leaving a second comment. We will close the contest on Friday the 18th when two random winners will be chosen!Thanks again!

PS- to put the button on your blog, go to the layout and add an HTML gadget. Just copy and paste the text from my text box on the right column-------->     into your HTML gadget box. Then save and test it to make sure it works!

CONTEST CLOSED... STAY TUNED FOR WINNERS!

Last chance to vote...

Magnetic paper doll toy BOY

Thank you, friends, for all of your votes in the Fireflies and Jellybeans contest this week. There is still one more day to vote so please vote if you haven't! (I'm currently in second place!)

I had my little "Lucia" magnetic dolls at church the other week. Our best friends were sitting on the pew in front of us and I let their son, Alex, play with Lucia and he loved it! That's when I decided that we really needed a version for the boys. This one is less centered around mix and matching outfits and more about all the fun things he could do or become! I hope y'all enjoy it as much as we have!

This is also the beginnings of my first Etsy shop, over here --->
Hopefully we'll get some more items listed soon! 

Thanks again for all of your support! There may be a special celebration in order tomorrow!

homemade bubble blower

Here's a really fun homemade bubble blower idea from Skip to my Lou from How does She. It's made from a water bottle and an old rag or sock.  Enjoy!

iron crafter competition

I made it to the top 10 of the iron crafter competition! Cast your vote here http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/