When winter weather hits, most of the kids stay home, and finding kids’ activities can be a challenge. So what to do to keep them happy and occupied, while teaching them a thing or two about creativity and re-using stuff? Here is a wonderful, cute and so fun kids winter craft idea: Make penguins out of empty plastic soda bottles! You won’t believe how cute they can turn out. Here is how!

Image via: Craftberry Bush

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Kids Winter Crafts: Soda Bottle Penguins

Supplies for one penguin

• 2 empty, clean 2 liter soda bottles without labels
• Acrylic paint and brushes (for the white coat you can also use spray paint)
• Ribbon or fabric
• Pompoms (optional)
• Hot glue
• Scissors

Image via: Think Crafts!

Directions

1. Cut the bottles in half and keep the bottom parts.
2. Slide the two bottoms into each other. For extra safety, glue the parts together.
3. Paint the whole thing white using either white acrylic paint or white spray paint (make sure to paint it outside if you go with the spray paint). Let it dry completely.
4. Move on to paint the upper part with the preferred color, which later becomes the penguin’s hat. Let it dry.
5. Now paint the penguin’s body using black paint. Make sure that the forehead lines up with the “feet” at the bottom. Let it dry.
6. Continue on with painting the eyes and beak. Let everything dry.
7. Decorate the hat either with paint or a pompom. Also, make a scarf either out of ribbon or fabric, or just paint one on.

Image via: Pinterest

Ready! Aren’t they just adorable? They are great to make with the kids and for decorating their room. Let your creativity run free and use some other embellishments like buttons, knitted hats, fluffy socks to get cozy looking scarfs and hats. Make a whole family of them by using different colors and try to use smaller soda bottles as well. The ideas are seemingly limitless! It will for sure give your kids hours of creative fun! What Kids’ winter crafts do you do with your kids?

For more Kids’ craft ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Happy DIY Saturday! Today we show you how to make a recycled or repurposed dining room table. Whether you have old furniture to repurpose or refinish it or you want to create an entirely new dining room table – today’s DIY Saturday is for you. Today, watch a video on how an antique bed was turned into a dining room table. Then read on to see how you can use everyday items for a dining,coffee table or night stand.

Video: How to Build a Distressed Farm Table

Link to video –> How to Build a Distressed Farm Table

Are you someone who’s obsessed with the latest DIY trends and who loves to have a project to do yourself?  Are you constantly looking for inexpensive and easy ways to spice up the décor in your home? Have you ever thought about creating a brand new coffee table or nightstand easily and affordably? Here are three table ideas you can use to create fresh, fun and brand new tables for your home all by yourself!

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Coffee Table   

Create a rustic coffee table made out of old crates! These charming crates can be purchased at any local craft supply store such as Hobby Lobby or Michaels. Make sure to purchase four of them. Find a color of wood stain that you like and that coordinates with the rest of your living room furniture.

The first thing you will need to do is sand the crates with any type of fine-grain sandpaper and wipe clean. Then spray each crate separately with your wood stain, and allow to dry. Once each crate has completely dried, you can arrange the crates however you like and nail or glue each crate together; taking care to use small enough nails so they don’t show through.

This charming and rustic crate-made coffee table is a perfect focal point for a living room.  Plus it has more than enough storage for décor display and organization. Just think, with the purchase of four simple crates and a can of wood stain, you can have a brand new coffee table for your living room!

Night Stand

Is your bedroom nightstand in need of a facelift? Check out this absolutely darling little nightstand and its extreme makeover! What’s even better is that the makeover is super easy to do with game-changing results!

The first thing you need to do is remove the drawers in your old, drab, forgotten about nightstand. If your nightstand has more than one drawer, that is okay! It will give you more surface area to add pops of color and pizazz!  Next, you need to sand down the nightstand to remove its protective glaze. Then wipe clean. Once the piece is dry, choose a fun paint color that coordinates with your bedroom design. In the case of this particular nightstand they chose a vibrant sea blue.

Once you have painted the nightstand with at least two coats of color, allow it to dry completely. Make sure to either spray or brush on a protective top glaze. This will give the piece some shine as well. Once the glaze had dried, apply the fun, funky and patterned contact paper you have chosen into the nightstand where the shelves once were. You will be amazed at its transformation, and how well the vibrant contact paper makes those open shelf areas pop!

Dining Table

This is such an amazing idea! How creative and crafty would you be when you repurpose an old wood door as a dining table! You can find an old door at any antique store, vintage shop or even your own home! Find one that suits your design style and is in fairly good condition!

You can use the door as is, or you can sand it down and of course repaint or refinish it to your liking. The above farmhouse door is being used as it is for an ultra-vintage feel.  You can have someone construct legs for your table or you can use old front porch posts for added charm. Find some dining room chairs that coordinate nicely with your table and its look and Voila! You have a brand new (to you) dining room table!

This is such an amazing idea! How creative and crafty would you be when you repurpose an old wood door as a dining table! You can find an old door at any antique store, vintage shop or even your own home! Find one that suits your design style and is in fairly good condition!

You can use the door as is, or you can sand it down and of course repaint or refinish it to your liking. The above farmhouse door is being used as it is for an ultra-vintage feel.  You can have someone construct legs for your table or you can use old front porch posts for added charm. Find some dining room chairs that coordinate nicely with your table and its look and Voila! You have a brand new (to you) dining room table!

For more DIY ideas on Stagetecture, & Stagetecture’s YouTube Channel, click here.

Do you want to throw your old ladder away? Well, think again. You may not know what you’re about to lose. There are great things that you can make out of it – many DIY projects just awaiting to be made! Your old ladder can be repurpose into a decorative and functional item at home. These ladder ideas can certainly make an accent in your home interior or exterior. Isn’t that exciting?

The beauty of repurposing an old ladder is that you don’t have to do a lot with your ladder. It can stay as it is – painting is not even required. You just need your old ladder, as it is, and a couple of accessories.

Image via: Eenig Wonan

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So, check out these unique decor ideas to repurpose that old ladder and see how it can work like magic:

Shoe Rack Ladder

You spent a lot in buying shoes and yet you just keep it in storage when not in use. Why not showcase them? With a ladder shoe rack, you can make your shoes as decorative items at home. Strap on your shoes on each step of the ladder all the way to the top. This idea will also save you time looking for your shoes in a bunch of storage.

Image via: Pinterest

Ladder Lighting Fixture

This is perfect for both interior and exterior decorations. Use your ladder as a holder for your lighting fixtures like chandelier, lanterns and anything you can hang. It creates a perfect rustic look to your design. Make sure to use ropes so you can intensify its artistic design. This is perfect for your patio, garage or even in the living room.

Image via: Eenig Wonan

Bookshelf Ladder

If you want to have an express bookshelf at home, your old ladder can do it for you. This is one of the simplest and quickest project for your old ladder. It’s a functional and attractive addition to your wall design. Attach your old ladder on the wall and pile in your book.

So, you still want to throw your old ladder? Sure not! These are just three of the many wonders that your old ladder can make. What are you waiting for? Get hold of your old ladder and take it to the next level!

For more DIY ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

There’s no better way to freshen up your home than having a garden. Having plants in your backyard garden provides shade and a wonderful view that is pleasing to the eyes. A garden revitalizes your home ambiance and provides natural filtering effects in the surrounding area.

Whether you have a narrow or wide area available, a garden will always serve its purpose for as long as you know how to maximize your space and resources. Beautify your outdoor home this summer with these fresh garden ideas to make you feel cooler and enhance your exterior home.

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To help you out on your garden essentials, here are useful ideas you can implement:

Plant garden trees

Yes! You need to have trees in your garden even with limited space. Trees vary in different ways like size, fruit-bearing, seasonal versus coniferous trees. For gardens with limited space, you can always choose from smaller trees that grow within 8 – 10 feet and can be trimmed to shape. Trees such as Tulip, Red Maple and Chinese Red Birch are just some of the trees that you can control and trim the branches to fit your space. With trees in your garden, you can have a nice gentle breeze and enjoy visual height in your garden.

Plant a vertical garden

A vertical garden is not only for areas with limited space. This type of garden is now popular among home owners with abundant space for their garden. This is because of its mobility and beautiful foliage it lends to a wall. This can be very effective especially when placed on the walls so that the sun’s ultraviolet rays will be absorbed by the plants to prevent heat to accumulate in your home.  You can also add on different varieties of flowering plants that are suitable for the season. Vertical gardens are also a great way to hide unsightly air conditioning units and other mechanical items that need to be screened vertically outside your home.

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Use recycled containers for your plants

This is not only for the purpose of being green. The truth is, you can actually have equally good containers with your empty cans and containers as these materials already have colorful designs and stylish shapes to attract consumers. You can use your empty milk cans, old frying pans or containers from condiments. Also shop vintage shops for unique containers.

Creating an outdoor garden with dimension and texture like these above tips will create a serene outdoor space that you love to retreat to daily.

For more outdoor home ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

There is no question that furniture adds beauty to your home aside from the comfort. The focus is not only with the style but more so in its functionality.  Just like any other things, the price of the furniture does not reflect its quality and comfort. When looking for furniture for your apartment don’t get discouraged by the high cost of furniture in stores.

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If you want to shop for furniture, there are various places where you can shop and buy that can offer what you want at a very reasonable price. Consider the following options:

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Garage Sales

The garage sale is a great way to shop pre-owned furniture that suits your need. Thus, keep in mind that this furniture may require refurbishing after buying. It can also be a little of repainting or tightening of screws. But if the cost of these conditions cost lower and you can still get much savings for the said furniture, go for it! It would be great if you accompanied by someone to look for the furniture you need when in a garage sale.

Online Shops

Online shopping is one of the most popular stores today. It is very convenient since you can shop even by a single click of the mouse. You can do online shopping at the comfort of your home, restaurant and all other places where internet access is available. You will also be provided with the details of the items. Typically, online shops have customer service personnel who can answer your queries either through emails, web chat or voice calls. You can get a better idea of the styles and how much it would cost you. There are a huge number of websites that you can choose like eBay, Amazon and Ikea.

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Classified ads

Similar to garage sale, furniture for sale through the classified ads are second-hand furniture. The difference is that you do not need to visit the location since it would just be found in any newspaper, magazine or other forms of advertisement. The risk is that you often cannot see the actual item and the details are limited. You may find low cost furniture but you do not know exactly how much overhauling is needed. To be sure, you have to call the seller for information about the item.

Factory Outlets

There are stores that offer low prices for new furniture like factory outlets.  Here you can get great discounts. But you need to be familiar where these stores are located since items get sold in no time.

Remember to stick with your budget and always consider comfort and quality in buying furniture for your apartment. You might be surprised where great finds may appear!

For more home decor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Many people have not been kind to Mother Nature and now she is fighting back. The temperatures are climbing, the glaciers are melting and the weather patterns are fluctuating. As the world’s population of 7 billion people generate tons of trash on a daily basis, space is running out in landfills to accommodate these. However, more and more individuals are now going green and are conscious of their activities’ impact to the environment.

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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Lately, numerous families have begun to adopt the reduce, reuse and recycle initiative. These three Rs are environment-friendly ways to lessen a person’s carbon footprint. It aims to reduce the trash generated, reuse still usable albeit old items and to recycle different kinds of materials so they can be made into other useful things. Recycling in particular, is extremely useful because it is also lessens the need to use natural resources for manufacturing purposes.

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Recyclable Items

Recycling refers to the processing of waste materials into new products. It is beneficial to the environment because it reduces the need to use new natural resources, it lowers the use of energy, decreases the amount of air and water pollution and minimizes the amount of greenhouse gases generated.

Fortunately, there are a lot of recyclable materials out there. You can start this activity at home and you can ask every member of your family to join in. First you must establish a place in your house where to put the recyclable items like beside the trash can in your kitchen. You should also get a different container for each type so it will be easier to sort.

Aluminum

Aluminum is commonly found in soda and beer cans and aluminum foil. Aluminum is remelted and remade to be used again; it does not take a lot of electricity to recycle this material when compared to converting bauxite ore into aluminum. When less power is used, less carbon dioxide goes into the atmosphere.

Paper

Paper is one of the most common recyclable items. Paper is found virtually everywhere, in food packaging, newspapers, and junk mail. If you have sheets of used paper in your house, you can use the opposite side of the sheets; you can also pile up your old newspapers and bring them to the recycling plant which they will use to make new paper products.

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Glass

Another recyclable material is glass. Just like aluminum, it does not take a lot of energy to recycle glass when compared to manufacturing it from raw materials. Just make sure that the glass you discard are clean and does not smell of food lest your recycling bins attract pests. If you do not want to discard your glass jars, you can use it for food storage.

Aside from doing Mother Nature some good, you can also get money for your recycled materials. Some recycling companies offer cash for your recycled items. Other people rely in their local government to have a recycling initiative by implementing a curbside recycling scheme.

Other Tips for Going Green

Aside from recycling in your home, you can also do other green practices. When you shop for groceries, make sure that the packaging can be recycled and buy products that are made from recycled materials. You can also turn your organic waste into compost so you can have natural fertilizer for your garden. Moreover, turn off and unplug all unused appliances to lessen your energy consumption.

This article was  written by Robert Kirk who works as an SEO Consultant for  Lothian Skip Hire who supply Skip hire to customers throughout the central Scotland.

For more green living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Recycling old socks can be a great way to make use of those one socks you find laying around. How many socks have you thrown away because you can’t find a match, they have a hole, or they just aren’t your style anymore? Take advantage of numerous green home ideas with your old socks. It is one of the best methods to reduce the amount of waste materials piling up every day in our homes. It is a more efficient way to spend a free time like holidays or weekends at home, and you can get more space back in your sock drawer!

Whether the damage is due to several holes or stained, it can still be recycled into a new stuff. All you have to prepare are your time and creativity. In addition, you may also set up some of your craft tools and accessories. Then, you are ready to create a masterpiece.

Recycling Old Socks: Creative Craft Ideas to Try

Image via: Maribel Made

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Creative recycling ideas for your socks: 

Create a doll

This is a great stuffed toy to create. This can also serve as a home décor or accessory to furniture and curtain. You can place this on top of the table or beside your lamp shade. Using your old sock, draw a pattern as to how you like the doll to look like. Then, sew the sock to form the doll pattern. Leave a small hole or space that is enough for you to insert something to stuff the doll. It can also be another old sock that is cut into small pieces. When the right firmness is achieved, you can now sew the remainder of the sock.  You may now add some accessories to enhance the looks of your doll like buttons that will serve as eyes and beads for some parts of the doll. If you have textile paint, you can use it to dress-up your doll.

Dress up your flower pot

Old socks can make a simple flower pot look like new and fashionable. All you need to have is your old colorful sock, a pair of scissors and sewing kits. Just slip over the sock to the flower pot. Make sure that the sock is able to stretch enough for the size of the flower pot. Shear off the bottom part of the sock so that the flower pot can stand firm on any surface. Secure the bottom parts of the sock by sewing. Fold the top portion of the sock inside the flower pot and fill it with soil or Styrofoam. Raise your desired flowers and you now have a decorative flower pot.

Image via: Design Sponge

Recyclin Ideas – Make a pin cushion

A pin cushion usually measures five inches in diameter to preserve and store needles and pins. This makes it fit for an old sock to be a pin cushion. The first step is to fill-in a handful of fine sand inside the sock. Feel free to add or remove some sand, as desired. Tie the sock with nylon or yarn. Provide a space to form the pin cushion according to how you want it. You may form your pin cushion like a strawberry or tomato or other vegetable like a pumpkin!

These are just a few of the old sock ideas that you can work to pump-up your creativity and resourcefulness. Socks can also be used to pack breakables when moving in boxes, or use them to store antique silverware to help reduce tarnishing! Old socks can have many uses – you just have to think outside the box!

For more creative Crafts & DIY ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Are you in the mood to redecorate? Have you been walking through your house lately, thinking your walls could use some sprucing up? Maybe you’ve recently moved and thought that your once loved sofa looks absolutely horrible in its new living room. Whatever the reason you’ve caught the decorating bug, make sure that you don’t break the bank doing it. Here are some tips for those that want to redecorate, but want to do so within their budget:

Image via: Free People

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Repurpose

Just because your sofa doesn’t look at home in the living room doesn’t mean it won’t look fabulous in the family room! Sometimes something as simple as moving furniture from one room to another can give your home a whole new look. Take a gander around the house and see what you can move around. End tables can make great nightstands, the futon in the den can make a great bed for your child’s room, and those wall hangings in the kitchen might breathe a new life to your bathroom. Just because your furnishings have started off in one room doesn’t mean that they have to stay there.

Shop Small

Almost everyone has a flea market, thrift shop, or small home store near by. You don’t have to shop at high-end retailers to find great pieces. Sites like eBay are a treasure trove of decorating materials and, if you know what you’re looking for, take a peek at Craigslist and see what other people are trying to get rid of.

Get Creative

Think of new and unique ways to use items that others wouldn’t normally decorate with. If you’re going for a country theme, for instance, old farm tools can look interesting when hung on a wall. Old windows can make an interesting grouping on a large wall, and plates hung above your dining table lend your kitchen a kitschy look. Just because it doesn’t have a picture hanger tacked to the back doesn’t mean it can’t be hung!

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Cover It Up

Furniture can get a new look with slipcovers, tables can be covered with new tile, and door panels can be covered with wallpaper. You don’t always have to buy new to give your home a fresh look. Rather than tossing what you already own to the curb, look for ways that you can change its look. Decoupage is a fun way to bring out your old postcards, photos and mementos! Cover a tabletop, a kitchen chair or even a bulletin board with contact paper, postcards or even fabric.

Charge It!

Use your credit card, but use it wisely. Save your credit card for larger purchases that you simply can’t do without. Obviously, if your chair has worn springs or the dog has attacked your mattress, you’ll need to replace them. Use a zero percent interest card or look for a store that offers six or more months same-as-cash. You can pay for your larger purchases in small chunks!

Decorating on a budget is easy if you look for opportunities to be creative. Look for garage sales, browse flea markets and look to see what you can repurpose in your own home. You can make an old look become alive again, simply and cheaply.

Andrew Bennett is a financial counselor who understands how a granite card can help repair your damaged credit.

For more creative decorating ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Your front door is the first impression that welcomes your guest at your front entry. It also can add wow factor to a plain faced facade of your home. Front doors can tell a story, by using salvaged doors from other buildings, or they can be painted an eye-catching color to really make a statement about your lovely home. Here are some beautiful front doors I found that all make a loud and clear statement, and they do it with style!

Image via: Vintage Pretty Pearl

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This door is not Barbie’s Dreamhouse pink!

What better way to make a statement than with a nontraditional front door color? This salmon-pink door looks beautiful with the contrast of the neutral toned walls. Especially in the desert-like climate, tones of browns and grays can get boring. Love this pop of color to make guests want to take a peek inside your home.

Image via: Cre8tive Compass

Weathered front doors with a story…

I think creative use of shutters, old doors, salvaged materials and other materials around your front door can make a statement too. These weathered wooden shutters make the front entrance look like you are going into a French Country home that you will want to sit in every space and enjoy all the fine details of its decor.

Image via: Bhg

Powerful and striking front door

Many homes command your attention from the street. Whether it is because of their size, materials, how they sit on the property, or even how you approach the front of the home. This door is powerful and striking and commands that you respect the home, the moment your feet step foot inside.

Image via: Cote de Texas

Rembrandt’s Door

This door had a caption under it on Pinterest, “The door of Rembrandt, in Amsterdam… “

Is there anymore to say?

Image via: Anda Blogs

Whether you decide to be bold and daring with your front door, or you choose a more traditional and subtle aesthetic. Make a statement that is personalized for your home and your unique lifestyle. Make a statement!

For more exterior ideas, on Stagetecture click here.

The movement to live a greener, more earth-friendly lifestyle is growing. There are lots of little things we can do to reduce our carbon footprint. We can make more of an impact by thinking big and concentrating on our own environment. If we make an effort to green even just one or two rooms of our home, it can make a big difference. The garage is a place where we use a lot of hazardous chemicals and store our equipment and junk. It’s a good room to improve. Here are some suggestions on how you can green your garage.

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Recycle Junk

It’s a good idea to clean out your garage and get rid of all the equipment and other “junk” you’re not using anymore. Don’t just throw it out, though, or you will be contributing to the buildup in landfills. Consider listing your junk on sites like Freecycle.org, and you may find someone who needs or will use it. You can also take your junk to a scrap yard, where it will be repurposed, and you could even get some extra cash for bringing it in.

Image via: Martha Stewart

Eco-Friendly Cleaning

When cleaning your garage, use old rags rather than paper towels. It’s even better if the rags are made from organic cotton, microfiber or hemp. Consider using natural cleaners like baking soda and vinegar rather than harsh store bought cleaners.

Lawn Care

The pesticides and fertilizers you use for your lawn and garden can be very hazardous to the environment, not to mention you’re storing poison in an area of your home. Switch to eco-friendly, natural or organic options. They work just as well and will limit the damage you do to the nature around your home.

Garage Door

Your garage door uses a lot of energy, and it can also allow lots of cold are in during the winter. Insulate your garage door to prevent cold air from coming into your home, thus raising your heating bill. It is even possible to make your garage door solar-powered. At the very least, try to limit the amount of times per day you raise and lower the door.

Image via: Houzz

Properly Dispose of Materials

You likely have a lot of old oil, gas and paint cans sitting around your garage. It’s a good idea to get rid of these hazardous materials, especially if you have young children or pets. The toxic waste is no good to keep sitting around, but when you dispose of it, make sure you do it properly. Never just pour them out or throw them away or you will be introducing toxins to the environment. Contact your local recycling or hazardous waste center to get instructions on how to safely dispose of these materials or where to drop them off.

Your Car

Your garage houses one of the biggest ways you contribute to environmental pollution everyday – your car. To help make your car more fuel efficient, make sure it has fresh oil, clean air filters, and properly inflated tires. Also, leave the car in the garage more often by carpooling or walking more. You can even consider buying a hybrid.

Equipment

Equipment such as lawn mowers and leaf blowers can use a lot of gas and energy. Do regular maintenance on your equipment so it is kept in top shape. Ill-maintained equipment will be more inefficient and require a lot more fuel.

At Grammarly grammar checker we love to encourage a culture of sustainability. Using our digital tools before you print saves paper.

For more eco-friendly ideas on Stagetecture, click here.