The Future Is Man Made

“What happened when we all stopped” narrated by Jane Goodall - video and downloadable book

As millions around the world shelter at home, the smog melts away, the birds sing, and the waters run clear. What if we used this moment in our lives and in history as an opportunity to jumpstart the rebirth and rewilding of our planet when we go back to work and school? This moment can lead us to a healthier, cleaner, greener future, if only we grasp it. Tom Rivett-Carnac tells the story of what happened when we all stopped.

To download a free children's book version of this poem, visit https://bit.ly/TEDEdWhisper

The Plastic Vagabond

What happens if you cut down all of a city's trees? - video

Why you're recycling wrong - video

John Cleese - The Dead Planet Sketch (video)

John Cleese, is supporting the Born Free Foundation's fight against the international wildlife trade. Worth over £14 billion a year, this endless exploitation is causing unimaginable suffering whilst depleting numbers to the brink of extinction.

Don't let this be my last selfie...

Animals Are Not Clowns

A combined campaign from two Portuguese animal rights organisations: Ação Animal and Liga Portuguesa dos Direitos do Animal (LDPA).

“Roll up, roll up, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls for the crack of the whip against the animal’s stinging wounds. A big round of applause for the flaming hoops, the injuries and the electric shocks. Come and see the famed number of cages and tightly binding chains allowing no escape from endless training sessions. Laugh, applaud and join in with the repetitive choreographed routines typical of depressed animals under great stress. All the fun of the circus travelling from city to city exhibiting animals as human caricatures. Clowning around that’s no fun at all.
Animal circuses, don’t be part of the show.”

Sculpture art on plastic bottles

Self watering system for plants using waste plastic bottle

Toilet Paper Roll Feeders

Materials to Make Toilet Paper roll Feeder:

• Birdseed
• Toilet Paper Rolls or Paper towel rolls (cut in half... or any other increment...)
• Peanut butter (or in our case, Sunbutter)
• Spoon or Knife
• Yarn
• Pan
• Scissors

Directions to Make Toilet Paper roll Feeder:

1.  Use a spoon or knife to spread your peanut butter onto the toilet paper roll.
2.  Then, pour some bird seed into a pan.  Sprinkle the birdseed onto your roll.  (Or, you could also just roll the toilet paper roll on top of the birdseed.) 

3.  Now string a piece of yarn through the toilet paper roll and tie a knot.

4.  Dangle them from a tree and wait for some birds to appear!http://www.pinkstripeysocks.com/2014/01/two-bird-feeder-crafts-toilet-paper.html 

Cut Paper Art from recycled magazines

Another way to recycle magazines and create beautiful artwork at the same time, this cut paper art is not only colorful, but very easy to make!  So gather up your old magazines and I’ll show you how to make this recycled craft!

For this project we used:

Old magazines
8″ x 10″  picture frames
black and brown construction paper
glue sticks
craft blade
cutting mat

Take the frame apart.  You will be working with just the cardboard back of the frame.  Cut strips of colorful magazine pages, folding them lengthwise and glueing them down with your glue stick.  Glue them down with the folded edges approximately 1/4″ apart.

Try to use bright colored pages for the best contrast with your dark construction paper.

Use the craft knife to trim the edges of all the paper to match the edges of the picture frame back. rim your construction paper to match the size of your picture.  Then trim an addition inch off of the bottom so that the finished art will show all the colored strips along the bottom.  Draw your pattern onto the paper, and then use a craft knife to cut out your picture. If you would like the patterns, you can download the full size pdf versions of the potted plant and the butterflies here. Butterflies Potted Plant Depending on how you are cutting it out, you might have to glue your construction paper down in sections. The final step is to put your frame back together! This project was a ton of fun and only took us a few hours! https://suzyssitcom.com/2012/06/feature-friday-cut-paper-art.html?cn-reloaded=1

How to make a bee home

How to make a recycled bee craft

1. Begin by painting the outside of your cardboard toilet roll yellow. After it is dry, paint a few black stripes around your toilet roll. Set that aside to dry completely.

2. To make your bee body, fold down two sides on the end of the toilet roll, then press the other two sides together. Staple the end shut. (See pictures above for more details.) On the opposite end, follow the same process but add a piece of black pipe cleaner inside the toilet roll before stapling it shut. This is your bee stinger.

3. Use a small pointy screwdriver or something similar to poke three holes on each side of your bee for the legs. Then poke two holes on the top of the bee body near the front of the face. These are for the bee antennae.

4. Cut two black pipe cleaners into quarters so you have 8 pieces. Poke six of them through all the holes on the sides of the toilet roll, leaving a small section out of the roll and bend downward to form bee legs. Then poke two more down inside the holes on the top for antennae.

5. Cut bee wings out of your newspaper. Then finish your awesome recycled bee craft by gluing the newspaper bee wings and the googly eyes on your toilet roll.

https://iheartcraftythings.com/recycled-bee-craft.html

Paper Reed Frames

For this project we used:

Several old magazines
Wooden skewers
Glue sticks
Mod Podge
Unfinished Wooden Frame

The process to make the reeds is simple.  Cut the magazine page in half vertically.  Then take your wooden skewer and starting from the bottom corner at a slight angle, roll the paper to the opposite corner.  About half way, you may need to adjust your skewer so that you don’t roll off one end of it.  Once you get it completely rolled, use your glue stick to tack it to stay.  Then slide out the skewer.   

Then start making piles of them.  They are actually quite addicting!

The next step was to glue our reeds onto our frames, cutting them and creating our own individual designs.  

Because what would life be without a little colour?

https://suzyssitcom.com/2012/03/feature-friday-paper-reed-frames.html

CD Weaving Tutorial

CD Weaving Tutorial

Here's what you'll need:(Old CDs, scrap yarn, scissors, and if you want to make the flexible needles, plastic lids, and a hole punch.)

To make the needles, cut the rim off the lid. Cut the remaining flat circle of plastic into pie shaped pieces, then round the top edge. Punch a hole in the rounded end to make the eye of the needle. Trim if needed. (You can use regular yarn needles, but I really like the flexible needle better- it's easy for the kids to thread, and I could have lots of them available at no cost. Some weavers preferred to not use a needle at all.) Update: I  rounded the pointed end so it would be less likely to split the yarn.

For this tutorial I've covered the CD with paper. (Just to avoid the reflection problem in the photos.)

To Warp the CD: A smooth yarn works best, and I used a thicker yarn for younger weavers. The warp yarn is between 4 and 6 feet long. Tie it to the CD by putting one end through the center hole and knotting it to itself on the back. Turn the CD over to the front, pulling the thread through the center and wrapping around the CD, creating the spokes. update: Make sure the warp threads are pretty tight!)

(You can prepare the CD looms in advance if you like. I had most of my classes make their own, but it does cut into weaving time. I had to teach many of them how to tie a knot. But I did love having the kids know how to do the project from start to finish, and then many of them were able to make lots more of these at home!)

It's IMPORTANT to have the warp threads be an UNEVEN number. It's easy to check this by pushing the spokes together in pairs, making sure your last one is a SINGLE...



The total number of warp threads can vary, as long as it's an uneven number. The fewer spokes, the faster it is to weave, but the looser the weaving will be, especially out near the edge. (I think it works well to have 13 or 15 for the younger kids, but some of my older students used a finer yarn or string and had as many as 25 or 27 warp threads. )



To keep the warp threads an uneven number without counting: As you put the threads on, keep them in pairs. Then add one more as a single. Knot the last thread on the back of the CD by tying it to the first thread. Then spread out the warp threads evenly on the front.
Now you're ready to weave!


Choose your first yarn. It will be the center of your weaving. Attach it on the back of the CD by tying it to one of the warp spokes.


Knot the other end to the needle. Push the needle up through the center hole to the front side. Weave over under, over under. When you get near the end of your yarn, attach another yarn. I taught the kids how to tie a square knot. (I spent a lot of time helping kids get the knot tying thing figured out!!)

I hold the CD in my hand as I weave, weaving in a counter clock-wise direction. (I'm right-handed...) I push the needle under a warp spoke and then off the edge, repeating over/under for a few spokes before before pulling the yarn all the way through and then down and tight.

When you add a new yarn, leave the tail long enough to tuck in after you've done a few more stitches so you can see where the knot needs to tuck in. If the tails are too short, they are harder to tuck in.


You can use a variety of yarns, including textured and fluffy yarns. But they are more challenging to work with. I encouraged younger weaver to use smoother yarns, at least until the got the hang of it. When you get to the last round, end by tying the yarn to one of the warp spokes and tucking in the end.

I loved having a huge variety for them to choose from! I purchased many of the yarns from a thrift store (Value Village).

http://makeitawonderfullife.blogspot.com/2011/11/cd-weaving-tutorial.html

DIY jewelry from paper clips and tape

Supplies: paperclips, colored masking tape or electrical tape, and (optional) jewelry clasps.


Just wrap a piece of tape around each paperclip, connecting them in a chain.


Add optional jump rings and a lobster clasp (cheap supplies from a craft or bead store) if the necklace won't fit over your head.


This one has strands of varied lengths.


Geometric designs are popular right now, too. First lay out a paperclip pattern to plan your design. Pick up the first clip and wrap it with tape, then pick up the next, hook it on and wrap it with tape. One at a time, attach a paperclip and wrap with tape, adding rows as you go.

http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2013/03/diy-jewelry-from-paperclips-and-tape.html

5 DIY Creative Ideas with Newspapers - Best from Waste

6 Ways To ReUse/Recycle Empty Tissue Roll

DIY easy bracelets