I have wanted to make reusable fabric snack bags for a long time now, but I always hesitated to do so because a lot of patterns call for oil cloth or PUL (the sort of fabric the outside of cloth diapers is made out of) for the inside, which makes them waterproof but is also […]
9 Easy Ways to Help the Earth, Every Day #NWArkCares
I wanted to title this post something about going “Beyond Recycling,” because my assumption is that most people recycle as a matter of course these days. That feels true where I live, where the city’s goal is to divert 80 percent of waste from the landfill by 2025, but a 2007 poll found that 25 […]
Make Blackout Poetry {Craft Challenge, Day 113}
If you’re hesitant to use your own words to write poetry, or you aren’t sure what to say or how to get started, blackout poetry is a fun way to write poetry with other people’s words. What is Blackout Poetry? I first saw these on Austin Kleon’s blog, but lots of other people do them, […]
Do a Poetry Bombing {Craft Challenge, Day 112}
Now that we’ve spent a few days enjoying poetry, let’s share some of it with the world through a poetry bombing, which is just a way of saying leaving poems in public places. I was going to do this at my daughter’s school, but then I decided to do it at the public library instead. […]
Make Upcycled Musical Instruments for Earth Day and Beyond
We are all about upcycling and creative reuse here at ODC HQ, so I was super-excited to get a look at the ebook Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rock Out! by Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou, an awesome world music performer and teacher who loves to get kids excited about music in creative ways. The ebook has 10 different […]
Write a Poem About Something That’s Driving You Crazy {Craft Challenge, Day 111}
One of my favorite poems is “Another Reason Why I Don’t Keep a Gun in the House” by Billy Collins. If you don’t know it, I’ll share a little here, but click the link and read the whole thing: The neighbors’ dog will not stop barking. He is barking the same high, rhythmic bark that he […]
Read a Long Poem {Craft Challenge, Day 110}
Reading poetry is actually a great way to jumpstart creativity in your own brain. We’ve talked a little bit about reading poetry when we compiled our poetry books yesterday, but today’s challenge is a little more challenging: read a long poem. Why Read a Long Poem? Long poems can mean different things to different people, […]