::FABULOUS FORAGING FEATS::

As you can recall, last week we posed a foraging challenge to you and boy did you respond!  We got four fabulous entries that we will share with you later in the post.  First, here are a few ideas we concocted at the CELEBRATE Lab!

Branch Necklace

Find a seasoned twig (not brand new but also not crumbling).  Drill a hole through the stem in a location of your choice.  String cord through the hole and decorate with beads, wire, paint, glitter, etc.

Reed Necklace

Many plants have hollow, reed-like stalks.  After the plant has died and the stalks have dried out naturally spray paint them in some fun colors.  Next, cut them into segments (A band saw works great become it doesn't crack or crush the stems).  String them onto some cord, adding beads between segments.  The beads help to make it look more uniform.

Framed Feather Art

Walking through the forest we often come across lovely feathers.  Why not turn them into wall art.  Simply, matte and frame.  Simple simple!

Here are some of our favorite submissions from the dozen we received!

Package Decor by Beverly from Spokane, WA.  Beverly tells us the ribbon is made from a long leafed plant which she dried and spray painted and the then she glued baby pine cones and pebbles to it.  Eco chic!

Leaf Transfer by Suzanne from Nice, France.  Suzanne placed an ivy sprig under a cloth napkin and hammered it with a rubber mallet transferring the pigment.  Next she accented it with craft paint.  

Walking Stick by Vladimir from Latvia.  Vlad as his friends call him (per his email) found a dried yet sturdy straight branch.  He stripped the bark off and embellished it feathers, beads, and metallic paints.  Then he gave it a few coats of varnish.  He drilled a hole through the top end and strung a piece of rawhide to serve as a wrist cord. 

Serving Tray by Eleanor from Checotah, OK.  She said these are pressed golden rod pressed between paper towels in a book.  She stressed to make sure your greenery is very flat and dry so they do not mildew.  She then placed the greenery on  matte board and covered it all with glass.  

Thanks to all our readers for their wonderful submissions!  Keep them coming!

Our Lab Loves Mother Earth!

One morning Wendell walked into the kitchen wearing Connie's silk robe and pulled a box of Captain Cavity Sugar Flakes from a plastic grocery bag.  At the same time, Connie was making fluffy pancakes and couldn't seem to locate her syrup pitcher.  A typical Tuesday brunch at the lab!  As we all sat down around the reclaimed Texaco sign that serves as our conference room table we found ourselves in a heated discussion regarding trash.  This was triggered by Wendell throwing the thick, plastic bag which held his too-sweet cereal  treat on the floor and the coordinating box which once contained the dentist dream into the trash.  We all yelled in unison, "There must be another use for that!" (meanwhile, Connie with her one good eye was still fumbling around trying to locate her pitcher).  Here are the ideas we jotted down on our napkins (because we reuse EVERYTHING).

To solve Connie's problem:

-Find yourself a small decorative, attractive teapot!  A charming syrup pitcher!  Look at yard sales, thrift shops, or your cupboard!

To solve Wendel's problem (it'll take even more than our team's help to solve HIS problems but we digress):

The Cereal Box
- A drawer organizer.  Slice off the tops and bottoms and fill them with odds and ends.  You can even use the small boxes for paper clips, staples, etc.  Kathleen recommends reinforcing the corners with tape for a longer life!

-A cupcake carrier.  Reseal your empty box of cereal and lay it flat.  Next, cut the now top off of the box creating a tray. Slip, the cut portion inside the tray to reinforce the bottom.  Now you can send you child to school with cupcakes for the bake sale without needing to fret about your expensive platters.

-Photo mailing.  Use scraps of the box to mail photos or documents without fear of them getting bent out of shape.  Cut any box into useful sizes for that matter!

- Shims.  Cut the box into small squares or rectangles of the same size.  Secure them with a rubber band.  Next time you run across a off kilter table or chair you will have the perfect solution.

The Cereal Liner


The liners are thick and water repellent  therefore excellent to pack your hoagie in.  Take the liner and remove any cereal dust.  Next cut into sheets and wrap your sprout wrap tightly!

You can also use the bag to smash stale bread into bread crumbs.  The liner is thick enough to take the abuse.

The Plastic Grocery Bag

Wrap your knees in plastic bags to prevent soiling your jeans while gardening.

Throw a plastic bag inside your purse or man-bag.  Next time it rains you will have a place to stash your wet umbrella!

You can of course wrap up a paint brush when taking a break.  The bag will keep the paint moist and ready to get back to work!