A set of seashell wind chimes is a great reminder of a summer vacation at the shore. Kids and adults love to collect shells, and here’s something creative to do with them!

Supplies Needed:
Whole Seashells (get more than you think you’ll need, because a few may break)
Clear plastic thread (fishing line)
A Phillips-head screwdriver or any tool with a point
Scissors
Sharpie
Something to hang your shells from, like a curved branch or a short wooden dowel

Directions:
1. PREPARE THE SHELL: Wash them! Clean out the sand, the bits of seaweed, whatever debris is stuck to the shell.
2. MAKE THE HOLES: Pick the spot you want the hole to be. You will need one hole at the top of the shell and one hole at the bottom. — mark it with a pen or marker if you need to. Using a twisting motion, bore a hole in the shell. Some shells are thicker than others; don’t use too much pressure or the shell can shatter.
3. STRING THE SHELLS: Measure out the string at desired length. Using plastic thread, thread shells by threading through both holes on each shell and tieing off securely before going on to the next shell. Leave enough string at the top to make a big loop that will be the “hook” to hang on the branch/dowel.
4. HANG THE SHELLS: Using loop on top of the sting of hanging shells, loop around branch/dowel.

Optional: Decorate Shells with stickers, markers, photos, colored sand, glitters, etc..

This grass inspired drying rack made by Boon Inc. makes child tableware and plastics easy to dry in a sanitary way. The rack is a two piece set made to be set next the sink, it can be easily taken a part to be cleaned or thrown in the dishwasher. The flexible grass blades are specially made for products to air dry. Great for bottles, pacifiers, toys, and other lightweight items.

Other cool facts about the Grass Countertop Drying Rack

• It’s BPA Free
• PVC Free
• Phthalate Free

10% of profits are donated to Children’s Charities!

Price: $20.00 from Boon

$17.49 from Amazon

Here is what I came up with…

Supplies Used:

1 wood plauqe form the dollar store

2 different ribbons from 1$ section at Craft Warehouse

Scrapbook papers

Lime green acrylic paint $1 Craft Warehouse

Modge Podge

Embellishment Glue, used to glue onto wood

Tacky Glue

Paintbrush

3D stickers from Target

Colorful buttons

Aqua colored rheinstones from $1 section at Craft Warehouse

Chipboard letter shapes

Star pin from CraftWarehouse (came in a set with stars & hearts)

Sentiment “friends make life blossom” printed at home using fonts for peas from Kevinandamanda.com

[click on the image to see larger]

Be unique and either go simple and buy less flowers, OR think outside the box and use other objects as you centerpiece or accent.

candy apples that are edible for gifts guests!

create crafty fake flowers and accent with twigs/branches

use other bright accents such as candy

re-use old soup cans and add flowers from your backyard

colorful fruit adds a pop of color

Fish! Guests can be encouraged to take them home

Other tips:

• Go Simple
• Ask for help arranging and delivering
• Buy In-Season flowers and arrangements

Local Places in Portland Oregon to buy flowers:

Trader Joe’s

Whole Foods

New Seasons

Portland Saturday Market

Saturday Farmer’s Markets

Online:

http://www.organicbouquet.com/Info.aspx?pid=36

http://www.myportlandwedding.com/portland/flowers/

In my family we have always used the dollar kits you see at the grocery store that have all that you need to decorate your eggs with various color dyes. My favorite growing up were the shakeable color kits, dont shake too hard or you’ll crack the egg! Also the  glittered ones were a favorite, all little girls love glitter, glam, and sparkle!

Now days there are so many purchasable kits such as Tye Dye, High School Musical, and Writable Crayon kits.

This year I think I am going to try the Rubber Band technique shown below.

Directions:
-Wrap a few rubber bands around an egg before dipping it into the dye. After the egg dries, remove the bands, revealing white stripes. Try placing the rubber bands in different places and using another color for a striped rainbow effect!

Check out my post I put together on how to cook the perfect hard boiled egg {HERE}.

Click on the title to see full directions on how to make these creations!

Marbelized Eggs from Epicurious

Glittered Eggs from Martha Stewart

Speckled Easter Eggs from Good Housekeeping

Stickered Easter Eggs from Hostess with the Mostess

Golden Chocolate Easter Egg from The Kitchn

Rubber Band Easter Eggs from Purple Trail Party Ideas

Chalkboard Easter Eggs from Apartment Therapy

Click on the title to see product details and price

Water Clock
- powered by H2O, No batteries needed

Preserve Nested Mixing Bowls
- 100 percent recycled plastic, BPA Free

Fortune Cookie Goats Milk Soap
- Handmade in USA, Packed with vitamins and nutrients

Heavy Duty Ditto Paper 17″ Adult Hangers
- 100% Recycled Paper, Holds up to 20 lbs, Non-Toxic

Box Speakers
- 100% renewable resources, Lightweight

Organic cotton socks
- No pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers

1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse
: Remake, Restyle, Recycle, Renew

Here are some of my favorite items I found on their website from the Crate and Barrel Easter Spring 2010 collection!

(Click on the title to see more info and pricing details)

Glass Bunny with Jelly Beans

Sunshine Cake Pedestal

Flower Beaded Napkin Rings

Rustic Egg Shaped Candles

Spring Shaped Pancake Molds

The best part about paint chip samples and swatches they are FREE! There really isn’t a rule to how many swatches you can help yourself to, but by taking handfuls some may feel guilty. So each time you stop off, just take a few or whatever COLOR you are feeling for that day.

If you have a lot of paint chip samples on hand you can use them in a crafty way as decor for your home.

Here are some pictures I discovered online of CRAFTY ways others have used their leftover chips:

Create a Tree using the swatches as the leafs

Sew and patchwork swatches together into a wallet

Disney makes Mickey shaped swatches! This is great for a child’s “Memory Game”

Decorate into greeting or housewarming cards

Cut into circles to make a garland

Valentine’s Cards

Piece swatches together for lamp decor

Notebook

The company was first created in honor of the owner Lee and her journey through Cancer. It first started when Lee sent her husband to a glassblowing class in Seattle to relax and melt their stresses away as she fought her own battles of health. After her husband created bright and colorful glassybaby creations, friends and family wanted to get their hands on these and be apart of the healing of Lee and her fight against Cancer through ART.

On their website, they describe their product as: “A glassybaby is physically a small, colored, glass cup, candleholder, or vase. But the light of a candle coming through a glassybaby generates more; it gives warmth to a cold day, a calm token of peace in the busy world.”

There are 70 different multi-layered glassybaby colors to choose from each handmade and hand blown, no two glassbabys are alike.

glassybaby commits 10% of their sales to be donated in support of cancer care and research!

Visit their website here: www.glassybaby.com

Visit their blog here: http://blog.glassybaby.com/

Here are 3 of my favorite glassybaby colors ( I like to call them flavors)

angel                                   stained glass                            true love

Possible Ideas:

• Use leftover old silverware you already have
• Pick up unique silverware at Goodwill or your local second hand store
• Pick up utensils at Garage Sales
• Ask relatives to donate a piece to your project and collab them all together
• Spray paint in a color you like if you dont like the silver look
• Bend the silverware in odd ways for a crooked look
• Decoupage pictures inside the spoons of family members or your favorite things
• Use old baby utensils
• Collect odd plastic utensils from your favorite take-out spot

Here are some visual ideas to give you some inspiration to create your own!