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Making your life greener - one bite at a time.

 A APRONS -are always handy for the busy cook, or a serviceable one in strong calico or canvas for the gardener or handyperson. Appliqued aprons for the barbeque (his or hers). A whole case of your own grown / from your local organic farmers market fruit or vegies.

B BISCUITS - bake your own heart shape cookies and sprinkle with chopped organic dried fruits (cranberry / goji berries for a nice red Valentines sweet touch).Bonsai tree in shallow handmade pottery container. Bags - eco shopping bags.

C COLLAGES - These collages look wonderful hanging in windows, worn as pendants and used as an eco-friendly card.

Let your imagination run wild and create a range of different craft items including a mobile, cards, etc.  

Materials

• Clear and coloured contact paper

• An assortment of paper (tissue, construction, mylar, origami, wrapping, newsprint); torn movie, baggage and plane tickets; doilies, etc.

• Array of found objects that can be flattened like leaves, herbs, flowers and ribbon

• String or yarn

• Pair of scissors and/or pinking shears

• Holepuncher

• Crayons

Determine what you want to do and then cut a shape from the clear contact paper. (eg 6" tall and  5" wide at the base and 4" wide at the top.) Peel back a sheet of this shape and lay it sticky-side up on your work surface. Keep the non-sticky back handy because you'll soon need it to "sandwich" your collage.

Colour and draw on, punch holes in, and tear shapes from the array of papers and press them gently onto the peeled-back clear contact. Try layering bits of papers, different colours of tissue on top of each other, or layering leaves or bits of ribbon beneath some newsprint or other paper. When collaging, leave space along the edges of your clear contact paper to create a clear border--the space left can be embellished after the collage is "sandwiched" and sealed.

When you are finished sticking down your materials, reseal your collage with the non-sticky clear contact backing. Create a "sandwich" by covering your collage with the backing, and pressing down firmly so the sticky contact paper re-adheres to its backing along along the edges and in any spaces between your collage.

Punch a hole in the top of your collage and thread a long string or piece of yarn through it to wear as a necklace or a 2-1/2"-4" strand for other uses.

CHOCOLATES

After-dinner treats such as chocolate-covered organic brazil nuts and organic strawberries – just melt some organic (like Green & Blacks) dark chocolate in a bowl over just-simmering water, skewer your nut, strawberry (or organic dried fruit), and dip into the melted chocolate. Then lay it on greaseproof paper to set.

Then write letters in organic frosting, or cut out the shapes in edible rice paper, and feed your Valentine one chocolate at a time– it’s up to you to decide the message you want to spell out!

CRAFT

You can really make any craft eco-friendly by choosing papers and supplies that are environmentally friendly. Such as, Use what you have! We all have bits of paper, odds and ends everywhere - use them to create fun Valentines! Not all Valentines have to match, so let your kids get creative and create different ones for their friends. Also just use recycled paper or paper, ribbon etc bought from re-sale shops.

CARDS

Make a beautiful Valentine's Day card from a brown paper bag / any old paper/ board and some ribbon.
 

Supplies needed: Brown paper (from a grocery bag) or construction paper or fabric scraps (red or pink is nice)
Pinking shears or scissors
A hole punch
Red or pink ribbon (about 1/4 inch wide) or thick yarn
Markers or crayons 
 
Cut a large heart from brown paper or fabric using pinking shears.

Using a hole punch, make a series of holes around the edges of the card. Make an even number of holes.

String ribbon or yarn through the holes.

Tie the ends in a bow (this is the hardest part of this project). If the bow doesn't look good, you can glue the ends of the ribbon to the back of the card instead.
 

Write a message (or draw a picture) on your Valentine card.

CANDLES - parrafin-free, to light your special Dinner.

D DRIED FLOWERS - Do up an arrangement in a basket or jar, or glue to a woven placemat and use as a decorative wall hanging / or for a placemat for the tray for breakfast in bed. DUFFLE BAG made from hessian or calico with recipient's initials in bold colours + a heart or two.

DONATION -  in his or her name to your eco-oriented non-profit of choice.

E ENERGY (in the form of job vouchers), ie. 'I promise to mow the lawn for one month' or 'I promise to tend the compost heap for one month' or 'I promise to rake the leaves for one month'.

F FLOWERS, fresh bunches from your garden of... tied up with pretty fabric and a big bow, or pressed flowers framed, or glued to notepaper, cards or a bookmark, will be sure to please.

Flowering potted plant.

Floor cushions with bright screen print designs, or appliqued designs.

Flowerpot

A simple-to-make flowerpot that is great as a gift. 

Supplies needed: Unglazed clay (terracotta) flowerpot
Acrylic paint
Paintbrushes
Optional: A pack of organic seeds or potting soil and a young plant
Optional: recycled paper and ribbon to wrap the plant pot.

Using acrylic paints, decorate a clay paint pot. Butterflies, plants, or polka dots or hearts are nice, simple decorations. If you will be adding a plant to the flowerpot, a painting of that plant is a nice touch.
Let it dry completely.
 
Optional: fill the plant pot with potting soil and plant the seed of a fast-growing flower (like marigolds) or put in a small plant (herbs like chives are a nice choice). 

G GIFT WRAPPING IDEAS - use your imagination to present your homemade gifts in baskets (check out op-shops, and decorate), decorated jars for cookies and treats, shells for small soaps, decorated clay pots or painted tins for plant cuttings and herbs.
Consider using blueprints, wallpaper and fabric scraps, brown paper, butchers paper (that the children can help decorate), graph paper, rice paper, children's drawings, A3 or A4 paper (cut out the used print or paint or glue pictures if printed both sides, get your children to draw on one side) for attractive effects. Use ribbon, string, rope, wool, instead of stickey tape.

Make your own gift boxes from cereal and tissue boxes.

H HEARTS

Fabric Hearts

For this craft you will need:

1. wire coat hangers

2. wire cutters,

3. measuring tape or ruler

4. scissors

5. fabric scraps of bright colours.

FORM A WIRE HEART: Untwist the hanger and cut off the hook and twisted ends. Now cut the hanger in half. This will form two wire heart frames. Straighten as much as possible with your hands. The section s ahould be about twelve to fourteen inches long.

Fold the wire in half and then curve the ends in to form a heart shape.

At the top center junction of the shape, bend the wire of each end into a hook shape.

Hook the ends together. Squeeze the hooks closed on each other. They should pull on each other so holding the heart in the right shape.

PREPARE THE FABRIC STRIPS: Cut or tear rectangles of fabric into strips about 1 inch wide and eight inches long.

(To tear cloth, lay a block of fabric measuring eight inches long and several inches wide flat. Along the side cut a straight slit in the edge about an inch long. Cut another every inch along the block's side. Now gently tear from the slits until you have a batch of strips each eight inches long.)

START COVERING THE WIRE HEART: Fold a strip of fabric in half. Lay the folded end across the wire at any point. so that it is folded end is toward the inside of the heart. Fold the ends under the wire and pull them back up through the loop of the cloth. Pull both ends tightly, so that a slip knot is formed holding the scrap to the wire.

Continue adding fabric strips until the wire is completely covered.

CHANGE SOME FACTOR TO MAKE EACH HEART UNIQUE: Once you have the wire hearts formed and have learned the basic method of attaching the strips to the wire, you will be able to make each heart a unique piece of art.

• Change the thickness or type of fabric for a fuller, fluffier heart.

• Change or combine colours of material to get different effects.

• Change the lengths of the strips to make the hearts look different.

• Change the length of wire so the heart is larger or smaller.

When you have covered the wire, carefully stretch and pull out on the fabric ends. Trim the ends, if needed.

Add a satin ribbon or coloured yarn loop to the top of the heart for hanging. These are a blast to make and friends will love them! They can be hung on the wall, doors or windows as great decorations. They are special Valentines that won't be pitched after February and make nice gifts year round.

HAMMOCK - one made in macrame or fish-netting is a real labour of love.

HAT - crochet, fabric, knit. whatever is your thing.

HERBS - freshly  picked in bunches, dried, or pots.

I IKEBANA arrangement.

Ice bucket in handmade pottery - with a bottle of organic local wine.

Ice bucket made by using two sizes of plastic ice-cream containers one inside the other with foam for insulation and the exterior camouflaged with leather, woven cane or fabric.

J JEWELLERY - fun jewellery from sea-shells, pottery, beads, and found items from nature.

JARS - decorate empty jars with simple flower designs or colourful heart patterns in enamel paints.Fill with treats made with love and organic ingredients.

K KNITTED slippers or socks.

KITCHEN GIFTS - make a special pie for dinner with 'I love you'.

L LIQUEUR in fancy bottles (lots of home-made recipes around for Tia Maria and others).

LUSCIOUS Lip Gloss - 1 cup organic coconut oil + 1 cup beeswax + 1/2 cup caster oil + fragrant oil of your choice (peppermint) + beetroot juice, as much as you need for Valentines colour.

Place the coconut oil and the beeswax in a pan over hot water. Stir until melted then add the caster oil. Stir well to combine all the ingredients then add your fragrant oil drop by drop until the perfume you require + the beetroot juice. Remove from the heat and pour into small containers or jars. Before giving as a gift add a pressed and dried flower to the top of each lip gloss, replace the lid and wrap with rice paper. Decorate each gift with a little of your personality.

LOVE HEARTS make soaps, chocolates, biscuits, cakes, dessert set in heart moulds.

LOVE SONG - self-composed love song.

M MOBILES to hang in the gentle breeze and remind you of your love for each other.

Maidenhair fern in hanging pot.

Metres of hand printed / batiked fabric.

N NUTS organically grown , if you are fortunate enough to have a nut tree in your yard and place in a decorated jar, bag or basket.

Nuts and seedpods glued to a lidded basket, or to a woven placemat to use as a wallhanging will be a unique gift. Arrange in a pleasing pattern filling in any gaps with smaller nuts, seeds and grasses.The bigger variety of material, the more interesting the end result.

Nibble dishes made from pottery or woven grasses.

NO COST GIFTS - lovingly crafted from homemade or recycled materials.

O ODDMENTS - of fabric, ribbon etc for a craft basket. Op-shops and recycle stores at your local dump / tip are great places to make a gift box of useful oddments - nuts and bolts, screws, timber offcuts etc. for the handyperson.

Orange rings spiced and bottled.

Olives home grown and preserved.

Organic hampers.

OLD TOWELS - for new tea cosies and other household uses.

Oddments of fabric can be cut into 15 cm by 15 cm (6 x 6 in) squares with pinking shears. Place a dessertspoon of lavender in centre. Gather up in your hand and secure with a rubber band and tie with a pretty ribbon. Makes a pretty lavender sachet to hang in a wardrobe or tuck into a drawer or handbag.

P PICNIC BASKET fully stocked and head for your nearest picnic spot and enjoy!

Perfumed herbal pillow.

Potpourri and pomanders.

Paper (hand-made, recycled) and tied up with ribbon and some heart shape fabric or recycled board.

Q QUICHE baked to your favourite recipe.

Quilting - placemats to serve your special dinner or breakfast.

R RAIN GAUGE made from suitable mounted bottle with measurements marked up one side.

Rug - crochet or knit for a cosy rug to snuggle up when the kids are in bed.

S SCENTED SACHET - tie up dried lavender, jasmine or orange blossum into small fabric squares to hang under the hot tap for a special Valentine's bath! You might like to add a bottle of organic champagne ( again, after the kids are in bed!).

SEEDS - selection of seeds saved from your garden, in marked packets with comical sketch on packet.

Strawberry plants.

T  TERRARIUM of selected tiny plants set in pebbles.

TEA - a selection of various dried herbs suitable for tea-making.

Telephone book cover made from leather, fabric or wallpaper.

U UNDERWEAR made from organic fibre.

Unusual potted plant - bromeliad or a venus fly- trap, pitcher plant.

V VINEGARS AND OILS - make up herbal vinegars and organic salad oils in glass jars with sprigs of rosemary, tarragon, parsley, etc and season with garlic and peppercorns.

VIOLETS fresh, dried or potted.

W WINE - home - brewed, in fancy bottle and personalized labels.

Wind chimes made from pottery discs or anything recycled that takes your fancy.

X X-TRAORDINARY - homemade gifts are also extrremely appreciated by their recipients because of the time, care and love taken in the making.Keep the love alive for another year!

Y YOURSELF - there's some of you in every homemade gift, because of the pleasure in the making and the giving.

Z ZANY hand printed organic T shirt.

ZZZZZZZZ a good sleep after a wonderful organic Valentine's Celebration Feast, that helped celebrate your loved ones and the love of the planet!

With just a little help, even your children will be enthralled making these special gifts all year round or for unique Valentine's Day gifts.

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