My Recycle Projects

 Here's an easy project anybody can do.

I've noticed with home-schooling my daughter, that we go through a lot of scrap paper.

If she writes 8+6=13

and I ask,

"Violet, what does 8+6="

If she hesitates so that I see she's counting on her fingers,

or if she says 13,

I make her write out the problem ten times.

Yeah, I'm mean.

If she gets a spelling word wrong on a test,

I make her write it out ten times.

So, I get tired of all these pieces of paper with math problems and spelling words written on them.

What a waste!

So, I bought this for $.99 at a second hand store.

 It's just a print on a canvas board in a beautiful frame.

The type of picture that will make my daughter get all of her answers right in school.

Yes, I was kidding about it being beautiful.

Well, unless YOU think it's beautiful.

Art is a flexible sort of thing that way.

It's a beautiful, ugly frame.

Now, please,

don't tell me this is some valuable picture.

 I'm about to add this:

 I've seen people on several blogs use chalkboard paint,

so I picked this up at Walmart for a little over $3.

 I'm sorry sir.

 I just dumped a little bit on the picture...

 and spread it with a paintbrush.

(If you do this and want to, you can take the picture out of the frame so you don't have to be so careful when painting them.  I didn't do it that way because it was just one more step and I was in a hurry).

I let it dry and then put on another coat.

Then I painted the frame white.

After the frame and picture had dried,

I flipped it over and cut a piece of material slightly larger than the back.

 I ran a streak of glue from my glue gun on the long back edge.

I made sure NOT to go all the way to the end,

so that I would be able to fold that end under to glue it as well.

 

 I folded it over and placed the folded edge onto the glue.

 

 I then worked on the two sides,

starting by neatly tucking the corners in first and gluing them.

Then I glued the side edges down,

pulling slightly so it would be a nice tight fit.

I then glued the top edge where the hook hanger was.

I started on one side, NOT going all the way to the middle

so that I could fold it down a little lower around the hook.

I then carefully piped a thin strip of glue gun glue around the edges,

one at a time

starting at one side of the hook hanger

and working all the way around to the other side of it.

(I folded the edges over at the corner,

put a dot of glue gun and held it a few seconds,

and then kept going around the next edge.)

 And here is my daughters new means of doing her

scrap work.

But...

 I knew she'd be happy if I made it a little fun.

I suppose I could have given this project for her to do,

but since I will have this hanging around in my kitchen,

I chose to do this one for her.

I'll let her paint something else.

I will.

I added some fun pictures around the edges.

 Now I might just ad a little color to them,

or let her do it with colored pencils.

Should I let her color it?

(UPDATE: I did let her color the pictures,

and I like what she's done to it).

 I'm not sure why the horse turned blue,

but he's colorful.

 And subliminal messages are all part of schooling, right?

Hopefully they work for the home-schooling Mom in the house, too.)

 Here are a few more projects I'm working on.

 

I got 2 of these bookshelves when we moved to this house:

our old house had built in bookshelves in several of the rooms,

so we needed something,

and these were on sale for $20 at Walmart.

It was a great deal,

but they aren't exactly what I would have picked out,

if I had the choice.

Now I need to put it on Craigslist because...

I got this.

This is what I would have picked out for our house.

I was SO excited to find it and for such a great price!

Okay, well it needs some work.

(My husband can't believe I want to exchange this for the other;

I guess he might have a point with the looks of it right now.)

I just got it this past weekend

and I CAN'T WAIT to get it fixed up!

I'm still not sure what color to paint it though.

Any suggestions?

(UPDATE:  This one got painted as well.

I posted about it >HERE<.)

I cleaned some of the old paint off this old window.

I might hang this above the bookshelf when it's done.

I just need to figure out what to do with it.

Should I put real photos behind the panes?

(I placed the bird in the top pane because it is cracked.)

And finally,

my new kitchen trash can.

I was working on this some this evening.

My daughter wants me to put horses on it,

 my son wants frogs,

and I found a picture of pigs that I love.

I'll let you know who wins.

(UPDATE: the horse got painted here,

...and the frog ended up on the other cupboard.

Still waiting to paint my pig on something;

why do I always lose?
(The trashcan post is >HERE<)


So these are my current projects.

I'm planning on getting them all done tomorrow.

Now THAT is funny.

I do hope to get them done this week,

but then,

I'm never sure what's going to happen around these parts.

Do you have any special plans for the week?

Linked to:

 The Saturday Mornings Blog: Strut-your-stuff-for-February: 
Cottage Homestead: Meaningful-Mondays
Mad in crafts: Mad-skills-party-39
Between Naps on the Porch: Metamorphosis Monday
Hip Home School Moms: Hip-homeschool-hop
Happy happy housewife: Show-me-what-ya-got
Far Above Rubies: Domestically-Divine-Homemaking
All Things Heart and Home: All-things-inspired week-13
Tip Junkie: Homemade-projects
DIY by Design: Winter-Blues-Wednesday
Night Owl Crafting: Hoos-got-talent
Romantic Home: Show-and-tell-Friday
Beyond the Picket Fence: Under-$100-linky-party
Life as Lori: Get-your-craft-on-Thursday
A la Carte: Junkin-finds-Friday
Bargain Hunting with Laurie: A Few of My Favorite Things