Creative Mom Cafe

So, what are you getting your pets this holiday season? That’s right, your pets are part of the family and deserve presents too! Many people buy small toys to give to their pets during the holiday season. But what if you could make a fun treat to show your pets how much you care?

If you have a small dog that gets cold outside during the winter you can make a doggy sweater. There are many patterns to knit one, but if you are not a knitter you can sew one up from a child’s sweater instead. All you have to do is find a small sweater and try it on your pooch. If it is too long on the body cut it down to fit and hm up the ends. Cut off the sleaves and hem along the holes for your dog’s front paws to go through. If it seems a bit baggy you can easily take about the side seams then resew them the be narrower. It’s an easy craft you can do for your poor pooch bfore the cold really sets in! Don’t forget to make up some homemade doggy treats to go in the stocking!

For a kitty make a private cat condo! All you need are a few large boxes, a knife, and your imagination. Cut holes in the boxes to act like doors for them to crawl through. Place several boxes next to or on top of each other and secure with duct tape or rubber cement. You can use string and small pom-poms to suspend fun toys from the tops of the boys for them to play with inside. If you are really feeling ambitious you can try to make one out of wood! Use old carpet pieces and paint to spruce it up prrrrfect for kitty. And of course, don’t forgt the homemade kitty treats!

Here are a couple articles I found on making gifts for your dogs or cats. Cheap and Simple Homemade Dog Toys and Cheap and Simple Homemade Cat Toys

cats, dogs, pets, gifts, 30 Gifts in 30 Days

After my craft the other day of making purses from recycled plastic shopping bags I wanted to share another recycling gift idea. Using up items you already have on hand is a great way to recycle and bring someone a smile.

Most parents have a small collection of those small, baby food jars. The tiny glass jars with tin lids can be reused in a though sand different ways. These are perfect for storing tihngs, for decorations, and for fun gifts. Here are a few ideas you can use to crate holiday gifts this year and clear out your old jars.

• Use the small jars as decorative candle holders. Tie ribbon or string around the jars. I have used small, clear glass rocks and glued them around the jars. Add a small tea light candle in the center and you have a perfect decorative gift.
• Create a storage unit with them. If you know someone who has a lot of small pieces, such as nails or beads, you can create a simple storage unit for them. All you need is a large board, a hammer, and nails. Nail the lids of the jars onto the board. Use strong nails so that they will stay in place. You can then fill the jars with what ever pieces and screw them into the lids. Use paint to decorate the board however you wish.
• Turn the jars into mini snowglobes. This is one project that my oldst loved doing last year. Use small figures, beads, or whatevr you want to create a personal snowglobe. Fill with water and screw the lid on tight. Add a few drops of superglue to make sure that the lid stays on.

baby food jars, recycled gifts, 30 Gifts in 30 Days

When I was looking at all the awesome recycled purses from my post earlier the cutest denim tote bag stuck out at me. I’m generally not a demin purse person myself. I just do not gt into the whole “jean” look, other than wearing jeans themselves. There are no denim shirts, skirts, or bags in my collection.

But I know some people that love denim. And, honestly I have this pair of jeans that I hate to part with but have ripped out just below the pockets. Despite my teasing that I’m going to cut them off into shorts and wear them in public, they have been sitting at the bottom of the “to-do” pile for a while. So I desided that I’m going to convert them into a new purse! I need to run to the thrift store and see if I can find some zippers to use, and deside which fabric I am going to use to line the purse with. But here is what I have done so far.

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