The Earth Savers Blog

Summer Memories or Anytime Snow Globe

Ok Parents this is a great eco project for the kids.

I don't know about you but I always have jars hanging around the house that I don't know what to do with, and the kids love this project. For some extra fun, you can have them make these as gifts for birthdays and Christmas. It’s a great way to put old things to great use in a truly functional and delightful way. Have fun!

Your materials are:

• Old mustard or pickle jar with it's original cover
• Glitter and or Sparkles
• Water
• Oil (any really) or Glycerin
• Hot glue
• Contents: any little soft things that will float (any things you might normally throw out...beads, buttons, tiny lightweight toys)
• Cloth napkin or newspaper for mess control

Step 1:
Use your cover as the bottom or base of your globe. Glue any object you want to remain stationary as the glitter and sparkles float around it.
Remember those giblets I wrote about in one of my recent posts and use a random plastic figure, fairy, figurine or mini sculpture and glue it on to the cap.

My kids and I used a tiny horse we got out of a gum ball machine as the stationary object. We also used sea glass, buttons, sand, glitter and coins.

Step 2:
Once the glued object has dried fill your jar with your junk and your glitter.

Step 3:
Fill the jar with a tablespoon of oil and the rest of the jar with water.

Step 4:
Finish the cap by putting glue around the rim which will act as a great water seal so that there are no open jar surprises or leaking globes.

Step 5:
Shake it baby shake it.

Olivia Water Saver ...An Old Soul

The oldest and wisest character, Olivia, sets the groundwork for the basis of the story. She explains “The Great Forgetting,” or a break in communication between the earth and human beings, bringing us to the current state of our environment. Olivia was born in Hawaii but now lives off the coast of Rhode Island. She grew up surfing, playing water sports, and studying sea life. She is a complex mix of emotion and intuition, and is ruled by the water element. She will tend to “mother” the other children as the series unfolds.

Stats:                                 
Birthday: June 28th, 1997
Age: 11
Favorite Food: Sushi
Favorite Sport: Surfing
Nickname: Livy
Favorite Animal: Whale
Eco Peeve: Plastic Bags
Sign: Cancer
Element: Water

 

The God of Small Things

As a parent of two small children under the age of five I have been forced to accept certain things about life. One of those things is that children and random small tiny pointless objects that have no apparent value will always find and cling to each other and clutter my home and clog my vacuum.  I’ve stopped fighting it, and I’ve surrendered, instead trying to join them in their obvious and impervious fascination and glee over these teeny tiny “giblets” (jib-lets) as we so fondly call them.

Brass Buttons, old coins, sea-shells, smooth sea glass, forgotten bottles, banged up boxes, figurine animals, gem stones, bottle caps, and old keys to no-where. The tinier their treasure, the more delighted their reaction.  When they come home from a day of adventure and tumble in over each other in an effort to excitedly empty their grubby fists full of do-dahs for my review I “ooh” and “ahh” and marvel at their clever finds and broken bits and baubles. They look at me with the shining eyes of utter joy, and I am four again remembering the magic and wonder of tiny things.  The little something’s that make that part of my children’s day complete however are  truthfully only momentarily appreciated by me, and replacing the fleeting joy is a deep resentment as their luster dulls to resemble clutter and junk on counters, in drawers, and displayed on kitchen windowsills. I feel their giblettness stifling my very being as I clean out my car, closets, and garage which all seem invaded by trillions of tiny trinkets.

For the past few months I have been collecting these little treasures in ball glasses and small boxes, not really knowing why I was doing it. I would examine each piece and look at the precious object knowing the effort to be free of them was futile.
I have collected the beads, baubles, buttons, necklaces, plastic tokens, figures, and broken bits and I’ve photographed them. The colorful glass container of them has inspired me, and I’ve finally decided to make art as a peace offering to the god of small things. Maybe by doing so they will live more significantly, or perhaps as a collective community of bits of brokenness that combined, make a more impactful, strong and compelling statement about their true place and significance in the universe, our lives and in the lives of my children.

My other suggestions for my readers who may also find themselves surrounded by small things:

• Take all the trinkets and devise an elaborate treasure hunt. Wrap little sacs of treasures and bury or hide them in various X spots on the treasure map you hand them.  They will thoroughly enjoy rediscovering their precious things

• Gather some Mason Jars in different sizes and keep the tiny items contained as if on display for all the world to see and use it as a conversation piece when people visit.

• Make artwork, sculpture or shadow boxes of the items so that their usefulness extends into the creative realm.

• Use buttons, beads, and coins for simple mathematical lessons or make your very own board game and use the trinkets as the pawns to be moved as the game progresses.