Making Your Own Bathtub Toys - Thrifty & Fun!

If you are looking for entertaining bath toys for your kids, look no further than your own home. You can make inexpensive bathtub toys easily from everyday objects - with a bit of creativity, you can save some money by reusing or recycling these common objects into fun toys for bath time. Here are a few ideas - some require some craftiness on your part, but many other objects can provide a source of endless fun just as they are!

1. Sailboats

(Photo credit: Uriel 1998)

Here's another way to make use of those plastic water and soda bottles that seem to be everywhere these days. To make a sailboat, here is what you will need:

* Empty plastic water bottle
* Rectangular sponge
* Rubber band
* Scissors
* Drinking straw
* Craft foam or cloth
* Glue

Using the rubber band, attach the sponge to the outside of the bottle. When the bottle is laid on its side in the water, the sponge will absorb enough water to stabilize the boat and keep it from rolling over and over. On the side of the bottle opposite the sponge, poke a hole with scissors. Insert the drinking straw. Then, cut the craft foam or cloth into a triangle. Fold one edge of it around the straw and glue.

2. Funnels
Funnels of all shapes and sizes make wonderful bath toys as they are. Raid your kitchen cabinets.

3. Colanders

Let your kids play with the kitchen colander in the bath. Little ones love to see the water run through the holes.

4. Medicine droppers
Kids love to play with these. They look like syringes without needles. Squirting water out of them is a lot of fun - but be prepared to get wet! The same is true for bulb-shaped nasal aspirators. Make sure it's clean, and then let your child suck up and squirt water in and out of the bulb syringe.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

5. Measuring cups and spoons
These are always popular with kids, especially babies and toddlers. Held together by a ring, measuring spoons can be played with in the tub. So can measuring cups.

6. Plastic dish soap bottles

Your dishwashing liquid bottle can make a great tub toy when it's empty. It's big and easy to squeeze - fill it with bath water and let your kids squirt away.

7. Empty bottles

Big two-liter bottles or smaller ones can be used as is. Babies and toddlers love to watch the water chug and glug as they pour it out.

8. Ice cube trays

Pour "water fountains" up out of the small square compartments of ice cube trays (just pour water into the cubes from a height of a foot or more, and it will spray up like a "fountain"). And the trays are just fun to play with in the tub.

9. Plastic containers

Margarine, whipped topping, yogurt, and other foods come in wonderfully reusable containers of various sizes. Save them and use them in the bath tub - and at the beach they're great for making sand castles!

Finding Fun Recycled Craft Supplies

Many of us want to do crafts, either on our own or with children. But sometimes the necessary supplies can get expensive, and they are not always eco-friendly. Here are some ideas for craft supplies that are not only eco-friendly; they are inexpensive (even free!) too.

Look to Nature

Natural materials are wonderful for crafts. Whether you are weaving baskets, making wreaths, or building "log" cabins, nature provides all sorts of craft supplies. Here are some possibilities.

(Photo credit: Muffet)

* Evergreen branches can be cut and woven into wreaths - this is a great winter-time craft, and could even turn into a lucrative hobby if you find a market for your wreaths around the holidays!
* Pinecones and berries can be glued onto a circular frame to make a wreath (another good idea for those slow winter afternoons indoors).
* Strong, flexible plant fibers such as sea grass can be woven into baskets.
* Attractive branches can be made into picture frames.
* A handful of small, straight sticks can be used to build a log cabin or even a whole town.
* Pretty leaves can be pressed, dried, and used in decoupage.

Cardboard Tubes
Don't we all have those toilet paper and paper towel tubes in our recycling bins, or sitting out on our countertops? These readily-available tubes are good supplies for a variety of crafts, such as:

* Constellation-viewing telescope - fit of piece of aluminum foil over one end of the tube and secure with a rubber band. Punch holes in the foil in whatever design you like, then hold up the telescope to light and look into the non-foil end. Your design will look like stars.

* Hair clasps can be made from toilet paper tubes. You just cut the tube in half length-wise, decorate the convex side, then use a hot glue gun to adhere a plain hair clip to the undecorated, concave side.

* Varying sizes of tube can be painted a uniform color, and then glued vertically to a cardboard or wood base. This makes a good holder for pencils, paper clips, pens, etc.

A Papier-mâché project in progress. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Newspaper

Newspaper can be used for more than just covering your workspace. Tear it into shreds to make papier mache. Or shred it, mix it with water, then press out the water through a screen to make your own recycled paper - a fun craft for kids!

Cereal Boxes

Some craft projects call for paper plates. But cutting circles out of used cereal boxes is more eco-friendly, and often yields a sturdier circle. Other uses for cereal box cardboard are:

* Fold square sheets of it into decorative boxes.
* Cut one corner off and make a stand-up magazine or paper holder.

Potatoes and Apples

Cut a potato in half and carve a design into the cut surface. Use as you would a rubber stamp. To make an apple stamp, cut the flesh away from the core, and then cut the core in half cross-wise. Use as a rubber stamp - it will make a star shape.

These fun ideas are great for making crafts with the kids on cold winter afternoons when they can't get outside to play. They can have a source of creative outlet, and you can teach them about how much fun it can be to find eco-friendly materials for their crafts - make it a fun activity for the whole family!

Video - Small Home Solar Power System Demo

Here's a short demo of one family's small home solar power system they use to power electronics in the home. While they're not completely off the grid, they are using this small solar power system to meet everyday electricity needs such as lights, television, computers, kitchen appliances, and more. Pretty cool!  If you want to learn more about solar power kits and D.I.Y. solar power info, visit the link below the video.

DIY My small home solar power system
A brief layout of my solar system that I added to my small house. This house is still hooked up to the grid. I use it to run all the lights in my home and the tv, every day. I am able to run anything up to 1000 watts if needed


Click Here to Learn More About D.I.Y. Solar Power....

Eco-Friendly DIY Holiday Gift Idea

Image via WikipediaNothing says "personal touch" like a hand-made gift, and here is one that is both easy, fun, and eco-friendly. If you've never tried making your own soaps, it may seem intimidating, but this simple recipe and instructions will get you started, and before you know it, you'll have yummy organic homemade soaps to give all your loved ones that truly personal touch this holiday season!

DIY Holiday Gift Idea #2: Handmade Soaps, Eco & Easy | Delicious ...
For homemade gift ideas, check out this all natural, organic recipe for soap making that's both easy and eco.
Publish Date: 12/07/2010 21:48
http://www.organicauthority.com/delicious-beauty/diy-holiday-gift-idea-2-handmade-soap-making-made-easy-a-eco.html


And don't worry - if you try making your own soaps and don't care for it, or  it just seems like too much trouble, there are lots of good options out there. Try Zum Bars - these all-natural bars come in tons of yummy scents, and they are made of pure food-grade oils and goats milk, which is very gentle and moisturizing for your skin. These also make a great gift (I got them for almost everyone this year!).