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These cute craft projects are made from popsicle sticks (but the ones that are shown here are more like tongue depressors). If you love to eat ice popsicles, don't throw them away. Aside from the many things that you can do for popsicle sticks, you can transform them into something fun and unique just like these lolly dollies.

I got inspired to make these lovely dollies! So I made one for myself. After finishing a Magnum ice cream, I gathered all my available materials and started to create my first lolly dolly.

Meet Maggie

Since the body (popsicle stick) is from Magnum ice cream, I named my lolly dolly -- Maggie. I don't have my washi tapes with me so I just drew her dress using colored pens. I like the effect of the smeared ink on the hem of Maggie's skirt.

This is only the beginning of my lolly dollies (my first born, so to speak). But I need to eat more ice cream in order to collect the popsicle sticks! We'll see....

If you want the link to the tutorial, click this: Tea Wagon Tales
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I see you! My lolly dolly taking a peek as a book mark on my planner.
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Maggie, the popsicle stick turned into book mark, having a chill time on my planner.
 
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Ever wonder what to do with all those colored pencils that our little tots no longer use or needed, even if it's still up for a little drawing session?

I always tell my daughters to use them up to their shortest level just not to buy another set of colored pencils. But its still the same story every time we buy stuffs before school begins.

I found these cute photo at Facebook and it ignited my crafty neuron that this is a brilliant idea to the problem of over crowding of colored pencils inside your drawers. Then I looked for more colored pencils being recycled as jewelry pieces, and look what I found!
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Follow this tip: Use some spray on lacquer to prevent those from staining your neck/wrist/clothing.
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You can also make a bracelet out of colored pencils!
Make a pair of dangling earrings to complete your jewelry set of colored pencils.
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Ain't this idea grand? It goes well with any color of dress or outfit. Not the mention the cool and hip factor of the pieces. You'll never go wrong with this craft!
BeadRoom.com
 
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Here are cool and artistic ideas on how to upcycle used paper rolls. After you have read this post, you will have a new perspective in life - and that is, not to throw paper rolls again. 

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Photo tutorial on the above project can be accessed at this site:  http://www.revolutionariesblog.com/2011/10/project-for-fall.html
Great way to organize tangled cables and wires.
Amazing and Intricate Paper Roll Arts
If you want  more detailed and ornate creations, these photos are great inspirations to get you started.
Below are several patterns to choose from.
 
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Ever wonder what to do with plastic soda bottles? The easiest thing to do is filled it with drinking water and turn it to a drinking container (again). Or, use it to store vinegar, cooking oil, gasoline, and other liquid stuffs. 

There are more ways to revamp the bottle and here are the most gorgeous and artistic projects I found (that's how a vacation can do for me - research!)


Remember, think before you trash anything. 
The Happy Feet Group!
Nightstand to keep you company (goes with a guide to help you make one)
Cascades (as chandeliers and curtains/dividers)
This cherry blossom tree art craft is a good way to do with kids.
a vase from a plastic bottle by muriel
 From just one recycled Coca-Cola bottle made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate), you can create several flowers by first cutting the shape, using a heating device to mold the plastic, then painting and embellishing. 
For the Green Thumb
Glam Bam!

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Visit this site for a complete tutorial: Poppy's Money Tree House
 
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There are actually a gazillion ways to recycle bottle caps. But if you are into the fashion arena, you will like these remarkable ideas on how to transform a lowly bottle cap into a unique fashion accessory.

Bangles & Bracelets
As worn...
Necklace

Interested to Know More about Bottle Cap Recycling? Click the image below.

Earrings
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From: http://alohabottlecaps.com/new.html
 
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Recycling can do wonders to anything that it touches. It's like having Midas touch or Harry Potter's magical wand making magic to the object. Not only it can transform a used and old item into something useful and beautiful again, we are also doing a great favor to our environment. 


Let's take the old rubber tires as a case study. 


Rubber tires are really not so pretty to see lying around our backyard. If we throw them away, they will be transferred to landfill and will occupy most of the space. Not only that, they can also be good domicile opportunities for vermins and mosquitoes that can be the source of our medical problems.

Tires should not be burned.  Benzene and phenol are found in the smoke of burned tires. while the melted substance contain arsenic and lead that can possibly contaminate runoff water and soil. Science dictates that these substances are detrimental to one's health. By recycling tires, it vastly reduces the chance of pollutants that it emits to our environment. 


Having these concerns, I have gathered several photos to inspire us on what to do with old tires. In case you are into gardening, the first wave of photos is dedicated to you. 

For the Garden: Pretty Planters

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I'm sure you can always rely on a handyman to do the stapling in this particular project since you will need the necessary tool to staple the tires together to make it like a pot.

As mini pond or fountain...

Isn't this clever? Having a pocket garden and make this as the centerpiece and I'm sure it's a hit. (Just make sure to add fish into the pond to prevent mosquitoes from making it as a breeding place).
This one served its purpose of being a mailbox stand cum planter.

As a Centerpiece....

...or a welcoming agent in the doorway.

For the Home: Flashy Furnitures

Just like what I have said, like Midas' touch, the old black tire can be turned into gold and get the attention of your guests as they sit in this refurbished ottomans.
More chair ideas.....
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Recycled rubber stool.
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A speaker cabinet made from 100% recycled tire parts Read more: The Subwoofer Made out of Recycled Tires | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

Multi-purpose Baskets

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Create a Fashion Statement

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Nightbag.
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Messenger bag.
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Backpack.
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Friday Night Bag.
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Laptop Sleeve
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Storage box.
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Photo frames.
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Recycled bike tread belts.
Here's an expensive find for a recycled item . This necklace is made of old rubber tires, however it costs $747. 



For the Kid's at Heart.

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A rocker.
Finally, the traditional tire swing that we can never outgrow and brings a lot of childhood memories.
 
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Rakes are awesome aids for gardening and other outdoor cleaning ups. But once they get rusted, sometimes we tend to leave them in the shed and forget about it.


Well, we can always bring them to the junk shop but I have something more crafty to do with them. Here are some transformations of the old-forgotten rakes,

As wine glass holders
As decorative fixtures
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Just make sure that extra care and safety for the children will be taken into consideration when using recycled rakes around the home. Obviously, they are hazards to anyone.
As Jewelry Organizers
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If you don't like the old rusty feel, you can always paint it with your favorite paint color.
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This one serve its purpose to organize other garden buddies. 
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Here is a photo tutorial on turning an ordinary bottle into something magical!


The materials are also very easy to procure. If you have been doing crafts with the use of sponge and paint, then this will be just a stroll in the park for you. 

 
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If there is one thing that I don't see myself doing in my spare time, then that would be --- gardening.

I would rather sit and smell the flowers, admire its beauty, but I don't have the patience and passion to cultivate plants. 

My mother disclosed to me lately that gardening has helped her during her menopausal stage. And it's a fact. A commune with nature, much more, planting and cultivating the plants to live, can truly balance one's homeostasis. 
In a more scientific term, horticultural therapy is an emerging field of clinical practice based on proven benefits to the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing that accrues from gardening as a healing or therapeutic process.

The psychological impact of gardening is that it is considered a serene occupation, an oasis of calm, a grounding experience. The combination of the fresh air and the physicality of the tasks helps oxygenate the bloodstream and energize the physical body while simultaneously releasing endorphins involved with stress alleviation. Numerous scientific studies validate the calming effect of the garden by showing findings that reveal simply being in a garden lowers blood pressure.

The physical impact is such that gardening not only provides fitness via calorie burning and muscle toning activities but offers opportunities to improving strength, endurance and flexibility in legs, arms and hands. It has been show to help with hand to eye coordination and improved motor skills, not to mention that the process of gardening stimulates appetite and fosters a good night's sleep. The later two being the key benefits to rehabilitation of the infirm, those in recovery or those coming to terms with trauma or cognitive difficulties. 
Gardens stimulate, they engage all of our senses not just the sights, sounds and smells around us, but touch too; the textures of soil tell a story, and feeling; the emotional satisfaction of a harvest or a successful cutting as well as the deeper side in a sense of belonging or a realization of a spiritual connection or spiritual/emotional peace.
Gardening can offer strides in the development of social and intellectual skills, especially those required for social inclusion or rehabilitation. Gardening involves personal initiative, personal effectiveness, a nurturing responsibility to living things. It can involve team work and encourage dialogue. It reveals our capacity to become involved and offers opportunities for accomplishment. Gardening is also a form of self-expression; creativity builds confidence while enabling a healthy outlet for emotions.
Gardening makes one philosophical in outlook; we come to accept that not every seed germinates, not every slug falls into the trap, perfection is a myth, but we as a whole are flexible and undaunted and we happily adapt to circumstances beyond our control – the non germinated seed did not dislike me so much that it chose not to enter the world. It simply was not viable and a lot of things in life are not viable but wow look at how tall the ones that did germinate are now.

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