I obsessively save my glass jars. I won’t throw them away, which is a good thing, because my city doesn’t have facilities for recycling glass. So, I’m stuck with a  bunch of empty glass jars, hoping that someday I’ll be able to use them for a neat DIY project. Well, that day has arrived! The folks at Photojojo have come up with a really cool way to recycle glass jars and create keepsakes at the same time! These Glass Jar Photo Frames are ingenious! Just grab an old jar and cut down a photo so it will fit inside. Turn the jar upside down, and you’re done! A half-pint jar was the perfect size for my son’s wallet-size school picture, and an old alfredo jar fit a 4×6 inch photo with just a bit of trimming. Surf on over to Photojojo for complete instructions.

Your creativity could earn you some fabulous eco-gifts for Mother’s Day! Metal for Monsters has teamed up with the authors of Celebrate Green! for a very creative celebration of Mother’s Day. One lucky artist will win a custom-designed Metal for Monsters pendant and a copy of the book, Celebrate Green! But don’t despair if you’re not artistic, because one voter, chosen at random, will win the same prize!

 

Have you ever wondered how some women’s bodies bounce back so quickly after childbirth? For a few lucky ladies, the quick return to a pre-pregnancy belly is due to incredibly good genes. For the rest of us, there’s the Belly Bandit, which is now available in eco-friendly bamboo material.

 

Celebrating your child’s birthday with a party is a fun way to highlight a memorable milestone; but birthday parties often turn into occasions of excess, where waste runs rampant and eco-friendly sensibilities are tossed aside (plastic party favors galore, paper plates piled in the trash… these are no cause for celebration!) With a little consideration, you can give your child a very green and happy birthday party. Here are seven easy ways to green your child’s birthday party:

 

Valentine’s Day is a wonderful opportunity for kids and parents alike to show their loved ones how much they really care. I think that lovingly handmade cards and decorations say so much more than their expensive store bought counterparts. Crafting Valentines out of newspaper is a great way to celebrate the holiday with your kids, while simultaneously teaching them a lesson about creative recycling and loving the earth with their actions.

 

When my daughter was an infant, I used a purchased stretchy wrap baby carrier exclusively. After she outgrew that wrap, we used a sling that was great, but lately I’ve felt the need to be able to carry her on my back, especially when she’s feeling clingy and I need both of my hands free to do something. Before purchasing a lovely but expensive woven wrap, I did a little research, and was delighted by how easy wrap carriers are to make! Use the following instructions to make your own wrap baby carrier.

 

When my kids were babies, they used to spend more time playing with the boxes their toys came in than they did playing with the actual toys! By the same token, many babies also enjoy the labels on their plush toys just as much, if not more, than they enjoy the toys themselves. With this in mind, Keptin-Jr. created Blankiez, a 100% organic cotton, terry toweling, eco-friendly toy blanket that has multicolored labels around all four edges.

 

When my daughter started carrying around her very first baby doll, she wanted a baby carrier so that she could hold her baby in the same fashion as she has seen my sisters and I carrying our babies. When I checked my local stores, I discovered, much to my dismay, that doll carriers are hard to come by in Nebraska. Several wonderful online shops offer doll carriers, but my little girl wanted one immediately. I put my thinking cap on and came up with a very easy, no-sew DIY doll carrier that my daughter loves… and you can make one too!

 

If your kids are anything like mine, their eyes shine every time they find a penny on the ground. As an adult with bills to pay, I sometimes forget what it was like to be a child, and how magical a found penny or earned quarter can be. No wonder kids love piggybanks so much! My daughter and I recently made this sweet pink bank to hold her precious pennies. It was easy and fun, and it’s made from recycled materials. With a couple of days and a few scrounged items, you can make one too!

 

HaPe International is the maker of a great line of all natural bamboo games that were developed by designers, teachers, and technicians from over 15 different nations. I have personal experience with these games, and I can say with certainty that they make wonderful Christmas presents!