Recycled Flowers

Hello Everyone!

Today we will create an activity that the whole FPLS family can work on together. We are upcycling plastic cups into flowers.



Materials:
Clear plastic cup (with recycling code 6)
Sharpies
Oven
Scissors

(For finishing you may choose to hot glue them onto wire-like above. Or be creative in whatever method you decide!)



Step One:
Color the outside of your cups with sharpies. Be creative and try to replicate floral petal patterns for more realistic looking flowers!

Step Two:
Cut 1" vertical cuts down the cups from the top.

Step Three:
Preheat your oven to 350 ºF. 

Step Four:
Once heated up place your flowers on a cookie sheet and into the oven for 2-5 minutes. Then take them out and allow them time to cool off.

Step Five:
You can add the flowers to wire and place them in a pot or hot glue together into a wreath. Be creative!



As always, have fun and be creative!

Magazine Collage

Hello Everyone!

Today we are working on another activity that would easily be scaled for the whole FPLS family. We are upcycling old magazines into new artwork, a collage.



Materials:
Newspaper and Magazine
A piece of paper
Scissors
Glue
Pencil



Step One:
Using your pencil draw a picture on the blank piece of paper.

Step Two:
Find the colors and pull out those sheets from the magazines. You can use a (black and white) newspaper too!

Step Three:
Rip or cut your colored magazine and newspaper clippings into smaller pieces.

Step Four:
Apply your small pieces of paper to your drawing using glue. Overlapping is to be expected. Make sure you cover the whole picture.

Step Five:
To help secure each piece of paper. Using your finger gently brush another layer of glue across the whole top of the artwork. Allow time to dry.





As always, have fun and be creative!

Modern DIY Shade

Hello Everyone!

Today we are going to make a creative solution to a lampshade. This project can work well for everyone in the FPLS community.



Materials:
Newspaper
White Paint
Hot Glue
Simple Bulb Only Lamp/Light Fixture



Directions:

Step One:
Roll all of your newspaper and glue the edge to hold to roll.

Step Two:
Paint each roll of paper white. (This will help our shade reflect the light)!

Step Three:
Begin to piece together each roll into a nest-like pattern hot-glue as you go. You are building the shade essentially upside down. The hole will be the base for your light fixture.



Step Four:
Check out your shade over your light!



As always, have fun and be creative!

Upcycled Wind Chime

Hello Everyone,

This activity is a great project for everyone FPLS students and community members. For this project like so many before we are using items that we would have thrown away and made something new from them-upcycling!



Materials:
1 Base (buckets/pail/cup) something that will hold your project together from the top
Lots of bottle caps
Lots of pop tabs
Wire
Awl
Hammer



Directions:

Step 1:
Using the awl poke holes through the top and bottom of each bottle cap.

Step 2:
Using the awl poke holes through the base of your bucket/etc. and also poke 1 larger hole in the top of the bucket (for hanging).

Step 3:
Loop wire through the top of the bucket and tie off inside the bucket. This is how you will hang your project.

Step 4:
Take small strips of wire and loop it through each bottle cap and connect to another bottle cap or to a pop tab. To secure each element simply twist the wire and trim. Continue this to create the wind chimes 'dangles'.

Step 5:
Find a gentle windy location around your home to hang your wind chime and enjoy it!

As always, have fun and be creative!

Kitty Combat

Hello Everyone!

Okay for today I thought that our activity could be a bit of an internet quarantine trend: Cat Tanks. This project would be fun for everyone in the family.



For this project, you will only need cardboard, tape/glue, and scissors! You can use paint or any extra materials you have to make it personalized.



For the design of your tank, there are no specific requirements or suggestions whatsoever. Find a picture you like and be creative! These examples were on Buzzfeed.com, there are many more options for designs there-check it out!



Don't forget to leave a few holes throughout the tank so your cat(s) can crawl inside. Make sure you take some epic pictures to showcase online.



As always, have fun and be creative!

Building Bird's Nests

Hello Everyone,

Today we are building bird's nests! This is a great STEM project for the whole family. When we are all thinking about how thankful we are to be together and to be safe sometimes it is nice to do a good thing for another. Today that nice thing is for a bird!



The fun thing about building a bird's nest is that all of the materials are free and you can find them in nature. So for this activity, there are no specific requirements for materials-just use what you can find.

Here is a WIKI-HOW tutorial about making a bird's nest: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Bird-Nest. There is no need to decorate your nest, once complete carry it outside and find a safe nook in a tree and leave it for a bird!



Check back in a few days to see if a bird has chosen your nest!

As always, have fun and be creative!

Dream Catcher

Hello Everyone!

Today we have a great project for Middle-High School students and community members we are going to be creating a dream catcher. Like so many of our projects, this activity is grounded in history specifically the historical beliefs and practices of Native American Tribes. Check out this short little history of dream catchers video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faBtA2OFOi0.



The amazing thing about dreamcatchers is that everyone's will look completely different. By using different materials, things that inspire or influence you personally will help to give your dream catcher special meaning and it will look unique!

Materials:
A loop
Twine
Beads
Feathers
Anything else that you choose to use

Directions:

Follow the steps below to help you create 'weave' your dream catcher. Everything else is just extra! You can hang flowers from the bottom, string beads into the web or the bottom or even add flowers or lace-whatever you want!



Now the hard work is done! From here just make it your own!



As always, have fun and be creative!

Abstract Photography Lens Additions

Hello Everyone!

Today we have a MS and HS project for our FPLS students we are going to be creating camera lens additions to help create cool photo effects.



All of our images and information have come from this blog: https://craftedincarhartt.wordpress.com/2014/09/30/photography-hacks-9-diy-camera-filters/amp/ if you would like to check it out. She comes up with some fantastic photography lens hacks!

If you are doing this post for credit please submit three final pictures with your lens addition! So we can see your diy (lens) in one image and two awesome photographs too.

















As always, have fun and be creative!

Fiber Bowl

Hello Everyone!

Today we have a project that can easily be scaled for all FPLS students and community members, we are going to be making fiber bowls!



Materials:
A balloon
Elmer's Glue or Mod-Podge
Buttons or dried flowers as accessories for design
Yarn or String



Directions:

Step One:
Blow up your balloon. Then in a process much like paper mache dip your string or Mod-Podge and then apply it to the bottom (not spout end) of the balloon.

Step Two:
Continue to add your thread and strings in a layering effect so that there is a substantial base for the bowl.

Step Three:
After you have applies all of the strings/yarn to create your bowl shape you may use the same method to apply buttons or dried flowers to the outside of your bowl.

Step Four:
Allow your bowl to sit in the balloon and dry for 1-2 days then using a needle pop the balloon and pull out the balloon remnants. 



As always, have fun and be creative!

Bug Hotel

Hello Everyone,

Today we are going to create an outdoor home for bees and bugs, we are making a Bug Hotel. This project is a great introduction to STEM observations and as always some extra special creativity skills.



Materials:
(All of the materials for this project are easily interchanged for whatever you have available, so feel free to use these examples as a template and you can modify as needed.)

Cardboard
Sticks
Box
Reeds or hollow tubes



Directions:

You can be as fancy or as simple as this project as you like! Some people drill holes into boards to creates places for insects to burrow while some people (as depicted in our materials list) only use materials easily found around their homes.

Using a box as a template place as many varied materials securely within the box. Make sure to leave little places and gaps between materials to promote little havens for bees and insects.

Hang your box on a tree or lean it up against a fence. Be sure to go and check out your Bug Hotel and see if you have any visitors after a few days!



As always, have fun and be creative!

Nature Masquerade Mask

Hello Everyone!

Today we found inspiration from nature once more, we will be making nature masquerade masks! This activity is great for all ages.



Materials:
Scissors
Cardboard
Hot Glue or Elmers Glue
Nature Elements (petals, leaves, whatever you find in nature!)
A stick
Tape (for support)



Directions:

Step One:
Cut out a basic mask shape from the cardboard. You do not need something extravagant at this point, but a basic over the nose around the eyes mask shape.

Step Two:
Using your nature elements lay decorate your mask. Consider things like pattern, color, and texture while placing your elements.

Step Three:
Secure your elements with hot glue or Elmer's Glue.

Step Four:
Secure your stick to the back of your mask using hot glue. For added support add a strip of tape down the back of the mask where the stick attaches.



As always, have fun and be creative!

Famous Painting Recreation

Hello Everyone,

We have a very different project for today, we are going to be recreating a famous painting! This is a great project for everyone.



For this project, there are no specific directions, only to find a famous paint and materials around the house that are similar and photograph yourself in the scene. Here are a lot of examples:















As always, have fun and be creative!

African Paper Bead Necklace

Hello Everyone!

Today we are finding inspiration in African culture and as usual upcycling, we are making an African Paper Bead Necklace. This project is great for all FPLS student ages and our community members.



Materials:
Paper
Scissors
Glue or Mod Podge
Paintbrush (or you can use your fingers!)
Toothpick
Necklace string



Directions:

Step One:
Cut your paper into strips or using the guide above cut your paper into the strip shapes.

Step Two:
Begin to roll your paper onto your toothpick.



Step Two.2:
Using your paintbrush or your finger brush a small amount of Mod Podge or glue over the whole inside of your paper.

Step Three:
Continue to roll the paper until you complete the strand. Using a little dab of glue of the outside of the bead will help it stick.

Step Four:
Continue to make beads out of all your paper.

Step Five:
String your beads to your necklace cord or string. Once you have added all of your beads finish off the strand by simply adding a knot.



If you would like to see a video of how the African cultures create these beaded necklaces check out this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkOF7SJnPp8. It is definitely an art that gets quicker with practice and application!

As always, have fun and be creative!