DIY Eco-Gifts For The Musician On Your Holiday List

"Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." ~ Charlie Parker

I have a sweet spot for musicians. Not just because my son is one, but also because I love listening to music. It has the ability to reach right into your soul and lift your emotions.

I recently found a treasure trove of old sheet music in the piano bench. I plan to make this paper box garland to decorate the living spaces of all the passionate music lovers in my life.

DIY Music Paper Box Garland

Susan Wasinger, author of eco craft adds a festive touch to holiday decorations. She created an origami music box garland that is illuminated with LED string lights.

How to: Fold sheet music into a boxes and string the LED lights into the holes of the individual boxes.

To make a music folder, recycled record bowl and clock, concert ticket holder, woven guitar pick basket, personalized CD inserts, music cookie cutters, and a musical Christmas stocking CLICK HERE.

Photo Credit: Ben Scott

DIY Eco-Gifts For The Kids On Your List

Kids learn by example from their parents (yes, I like to jump off swings too). The holidays are the time of year when everything is heightened, including the messages and traditions parents pass on to their children.

In the holiday craze, sometimes the important messages of the season get tossed out the window, only to be replaced by the, "I want..." and "Can I have..." vibe. I remember how the arrival of the massive Toys R Us catalog would send my kiddies into a "I want..." tizzy.

One gift you can never go wrong with is play dough. Little kids love its tactile squishiness. Not only does play dough provide hours of fun, it has the ability to improve hand strength, dexterity, and motor skills.

"Recent research also shows that using your fingers and hands actually stimulates your brain and increases the number of neural connections it makes." ~ Schloastic Magazine

For some fun brain exercise, why not make a batch of play dough for the little ones on your holiday list? There are lots of recipes for play dough, but this natural one I've been making with school children for years:

DIY Play Dough

What you need:

2 cups organic flour 2 cups warm water/apple juice 2 tablespoons organic coconut oil 2 tablespoons cream of tartar 1 cup organic sea salt Natural color: Beet Juice - Pink, Spinach Juice or Parsley Powder - Green, Carrot Juice or Paprika Powder - Orange, Turmeric Powder – Yellow

What to do:

1. Place ingredients, into a large pot over. 2. Cook on a low flame and mix. 3. Keep mixing until the consistency is heavy. 4. Put in bowl and let cool. 5. Knead the dough. 6. Add natural coloring

Here's the original post with more DIY eco-holiday gifts for kids.

DIY Gifts For The Junk Collector On Your Holiday List

There are two types of junk collectors:

1. The collector who is constantly acquiring stuff, and the junk accumulates in every nook and cranny of their life. It forms the deadliest of all junk - clutter. 2. The collector who is constantly acquiring stuff and finding creative reuses for it. These folks are the ultimate recyclers as they repair and repurpose the trash to make treasures.

Pete Seeger said it best in his song, "If It Can't Be Reduced"

"If it can't be reduced, reused, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, resold, recycled or composted, then it should be restricted, redesigned or removed from production."

Collecting stuff seems to be a human instinct. What would be the best gift to give a collector to help them get a handle on all their junk?...Organization.

Here are 10 Out Of Sight Out Of Mind DIY Boxes to deal with the organized mess, and here’s how to help identify what’s in the box:

DIY Chalkboard Labels

Materials:

Eco-friendly colored chalkboard paint – I like Hudson Paint because there are over 20 beautiful colors to choose from, it’s a low-VOC paint and it is a small local company.

Paintbrush

Old greeting cards

Scissors

Chalk

What to do:

1. Cut greeting cards to size. 2. Paint blank side of card with chalkboard paint. 3. Let dry. 4. Attach to box with glue.

Photos: unknown, Hudson Paint

DIY Eco-Gifts for The Handyperson On Your Holiday List

I am starting this post with the definition of "handy." Why? Because I posted over on Care2 about the semantics of gender words and "handy" was one of the hot words. Here's the definition: Handy - Skillful in using one's hands; manually adroit.

For those of you who are scratching your head and totally ready to ditch the whole post if I don't give you the meaning of "adroit," here it is:

Adroit - skillful or dexterous

OK, vocabulary lesson over. What can I say? Once a teacher, always a teacher.

We know that people who love to work with their hands have their fair share of aches and pains. Rejuvenating gifts like heat applications, lip balm and moisture cream are the perfect soothing gifts for all the "handy" people on your list.

DIY Heating Pad and Hand Moisturizer

Using an old pair of pants, a sewing machine and rice, Cathe Holden of Just Something I Made created this heating pad with pockets to tuck a book or reading glasses in. Here's her tutorial. Add a DIY holiday tag with heating instructions and include some DIY moisturizing hand cream and  a DIY lip balm and your gift is complete!

Note about the cartoon: This drawing was used with permission from New Yorker Cartoonist, Danny Shanahan. Danny's a good friend of mine and when my "handy" husband, Ted built a deck to surround our wood-fired hot tub, Danny gave us this cartoon. Danny and I also worked on a humor book together called, Some Delights of the Hudson Valley (I've got a short story included in the collection). Wow, this would make a fine non-DIY gift, don't you think?

Photo: Cathe Holden

DIY Gifts For The Eco-Fashionista On Your Holiday List

As I continue to dive into this A-Z Holiday DIY Eco-Gift Guide, I am reminded once again, that I have yin/yang relationship with shopping. I love stylish clothes (reading Vogue since I was 12), and I have been known to love to shop. But, as I filter everything through a green lens and embrace a simpler lifestyle, I am consciously aware of my consumption.

I recently wrote about two exciting things to hit the fashion industry – Zero Waste Fashion and The Common Treads Initiative. It's uplifting to know that some conscientious clothing designers and companies are creating sustainable fashion.

What to get an eco-fashionista? Green is the new black. Her commitment to the environment is as strong as her love of a good sale, and she's got the style to back up her ethics. This is an easy gift type to DIY for because there are two things that eco-fashionista's can never have enough of...shopping totes and hangers. Recycled Sweater Shopping Totes Repurpose sweaters that are either old, torn or no longer fit. Wool sweaters from thrift and secondhand shops can be made into felted functional objects.

What you need:

wool sweaters

chalk for marking

ruler

scissors

What to do:

1. Here are the directions for felting a sweater.

2. Lay the felted sweater flat. With chalk and ruler, mark line from armhole to armhole, parallel to bottom edge, for top edge of tote.

3. Mark handles as shown above.

4. Cut along chalk lines as indicated, then set aside sleeve and neck sections. Turn right side out, then open and refold so side seams are at center front and back. Topstitch or machine-zigzag bottom edges together, approx ½ inch up from hem.

5. Topstitch single layer of top and handle edges. Fold each handle in half with wrong side together and cut edges even and stitch down.

6. If desired, cut patch pocket from neck section, so curved neck edge is top edge. Center on tote front; topstitch in place along side and bottom edges.

Natural Wire and Branch Hangers

Hangers are long overdo for a fashion makeover. One of my most popular posts addressed the issue of how many hangers end up in our landfills. Read HERE to find the answer to that, and how to make 3 types of natural hangers.

Here is the original Planet Green post.

Bag Photos: Canadian Living