Revalued Crafts - #1

Revalued Handmade Paper Crafts

Create Your Own Tablecloth, Place mat and Centerpieces.

Project

Create your own tablecloth, place mat, and centerpiece using paper, reused products, and nature.  By utilizing your imagination and what is available, you can create a unique look that is all your own.

Why

Environmentally

By reusing items instead of throwing them away, you are helping the environment. If we reduce the amount of waste created, it helps conserve natural resources, and reduces the amount of garbage in landfills.

Monetarily

Since you are using mostly reused items, the cost of the creations is minimal.  It is easy, with some creativity, to create beautiful things with very limited money.

Children

Children will need help with this project.  You will be helping them explore nature and instructing them on how to safely bring nature indoors for decorating.

Safety

Scissors

Scissors should be used with care whenever touching or handling.

What you need

Supplies

• Long roll of white paper (Newspapers sell the end of their paper rolls for a minimal fee.  Contact your local newspaper to purchase.) OR check the local dollar store for plain white paper table cover.
• Brown paper bags and/or magazines
• Different size empty food boxes (cereal, pasta, etc.) and/or plastic bottles, containers
• Decorating supplies (pens, markers, glue, ribbon, stickers, used cards)
• Nature items
  
  • Fall -- leaves, acorns, berries
  • Winter -- pine limbs, berries, tree branch, winter flowers
  • Spring -- Flowers, clippings from flowering bushes and trees, seeds
  • Summer -- Flowers, leaves, vegetables

Directions

1. Roll out the paper on the table.  Cut paper long enough that it will cover a portion of both ends of the table.
2. Decorate the paper tablecloth using all the different craft and nature items you have collected.  Be creative -- this is your design.
3. Cut the brown paper bag open.  Cut the bag such that you leave the big sides intact.
4. Use the big sides of the brown paper bag as your place mat.  Decorate them to coordinate with your tablecloth.
5. Select different size containers for the centerpiece.  Cover them either with the pictures from the magazines, paper or the paper bag.  Decorate.
6. Put the covered containers on the table at differing heights.
7. You can use bowls or jars in the boxes, and fill the jars with nature items to create your centerpiece.