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# Woodlark Blog

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## Posts

- [How to Raise and Release Monarch Butterflies](https://woodlarkblog.com/how-to-raise-monarch-buterflies/) - Are you interested in raising monarchs at home? Butterflies are very important garden pollinators and the monarch butterfly population in particular has been rapidly declining for a number of years. Monarchs (and butterflies in general) really are the most remarkable creatures. The caterpillar has this incredible potential for transformation. They spend their days nourishing their
- [DIY Eco-Friendly Naturally Dyed Eggshell Chalk](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-natural-chalk/) - This natural chalk made using eggshells is one of my favorite things to make. It's a great way to repurpose eggshells and all you need is eggshells and ingredients from your pantry as natural dye pigments. There's also the option to substitute calcium carbonate powder to create a finer chalk. Both of these chalks perform
- [DIY Reusable Scrap Fabric Easter Eggs](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-fabric-easter-eggs/) - How to sew reusable fabric easter eggs using scrap fabric. A wonderful plastic-free alternative. Free printable pattern template.
- [DIY Scrap Fabric Acorn Garland and Ornaments](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-acorn-garland-ornaments/) - How to make fabric acorns and turn them into a garland and ornaments. Made using upcycled scrap fabric, real acorn caps and cotton thread.
- [DIY Salt Dough Advent Spiral](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-salt-dough-advent-spiral/) - We make an advent spiral out of salt dough every year, and it is a tradition that has led to some of my very favorite memories. I remember making our very first advent spiral one a few years ago when Elliot had barely begun to walk, and this year I was able to watch as
- [Eco-Friendly and Reusable Gift Wrap Ideas](https://woodlarkblog.com/eco-friendly-and-reusable-gift-wrap-ideas/) - The most wonderful time of the year is unfortunately also one of the most wasteful. I’m a strong believer using what you already have and in reusing materials whenever possible, so each year I splurge on a couple sheets of printed wrapping paper (typically hand illustrated from an artist or small shop) and wrap the
- [DIY Paper Coffee Filter Stars](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-paper-coffee-filter-stars/) - How to make paper stars out of paper cone coffee filters, a fun version of the classic paper bag snowflake. Easy and fun DIY holiday decorations.
- [DIY Pumpkin Beeswax Candles](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-pumpkin-beeswax-candles/) - How to make pumpkin candles using real mini pumpkins, beeswax and cotton wick
- [DIY Witch Hat Halloween Party Favors](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-witch-hat-party-favors/) - How to make witch hat halloween party favors and class gifts using scrap paper and glue. Free downloadable template.
- [DIY No-Sew Mushroom Toadstool Costume](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-no-sew-mushroom-toadstool-costume/) - Happy October! Something that I look forward to every year is making Elliot a homemade Halloween costume. I make a couple costumes each year, and since it’s almost mushroom season for us— I thought it’d be fun to make a mushroom costume! I’ll be showing you how to make a no-sew mushroom hat that you
- [DIY Butterfly Garden Journal Notebooks](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-butterfly-garden-journal-notebooks/) - How to make a butterfly shaped garden journal notebook or herbarium to preserve pressed flowers and other botanicals. Printable template in multiple sizes
- [DIY Mini Matchbook Notebooks](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-mini-matchbook-notebooks/) - How to make DIY mini matchbook notebooks using scrap pieces of recycled paper. Includes a template.
- [DIY Mini Pressed Flower Notebooks](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-mini-pressed-flower-notebooks/) - These mini pressed flower notebooks are a sweet way to upcycle scrap paper and preserve your favorite spring flowers. The process is similar to the diy seed packet journals that we made recently except that all of the pages are cut to size together at the end. This was a fun way for us to
- [DIY Pressed Flower Butterfly Cards](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-pressed-flower-butterfly-cards/) - These handmade butterfly shaped cards are decorated with pressed flowers and they’re so easy to make! You'll find a downloadable template for the butterfly pattern below. Don’t have access to flowers? There are so many other variations that you can make! Non-pressed dried flowers would also work just as well or you can choose any
- [DIY Scrap Fabric Walnut Shell Pin Cushions](https://woodlarkblog.com/walnut-shell-pin-cushions/) - How to sew a pin cushion using upcycled scrap fabric, walnut shell halves and cotton thread.
- [DIY Mini Matchbox Weaving Loom](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-mini-matchbox-weaving-loom/) - How to make a mini weaving loom using an upcycled match box. You’ll just need the inside portion of a matchbox, cotton thread for the warp and yarn for weaving.
- [DIY Upcycled Vintage Book Flower Press](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-upcycled-vintage-book-flower-press/) - How to make a handmade DIY flower press using an upcycled vintage book for preserving spring and summer flowers and foliage.
- [DIY Upcycled Seed Packet Journals](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-upcycled-seed-packet-journals/) - These homemade seed packet journals are a great way to upcycle empty paper seed packets into something usable! The process is easy and fun, and these mini notebooks would be wonderful for keeping a garden log, for notes or as a nature journal for children. I used the recycled homemade paper that we made recently
- [DIY Mini Fairy Garden Walnut Shell Baskets](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-fairy-garden-walnut-shell-basket/) - These miniature baskets are made from a walnut shell and they are absolutely magical! They make wonderful additions to fairy gardens.
- [How to Make a DIY Flower Press](https://woodlarkblog.com/how-to-make-a-diy-flower-press/) - How to make a handmade wood flower press for preserving spring and summer flowers and foliage. Pressed flowers can be used for many crafts.
- [DIY Mini Button Books](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-mini-button-books/) - How to make mini button book notebooks using buttons and scrap paper. Perfect little fairy notebooks for drawings, paintings or for tiny botanical treasures.
- [DIY Wildflower Seed Bombs](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-wildflower-seed-bombs/) - Happy Earth Week! What better way to celebrate than by making wildflower seed bombs which will provide habitat and food for our essential pollinators?! Seed bombs are so easy to make and the process to make them is simple— soil and seeds are encased in clay, which then dries and hardens. The clay layer on
- [DIY Wool Felted Eggs for Easter](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-wool-felted-eggs-easter/) - Here’s my favorite method for making wool felted eggs for Easter using just a washing machine and an old pair of tights! This is a great use for that pair of tights your child has lying around that has runs or holes in it. Wet felting entails using hot soapy water to agitate the wool
- [DIY Fabric Happy Birthday Banner](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-fabric-happy-birthday-banner/) - How to sew an heirloom quality reusable happy birthday banner out of vintage and scrap fabric. Free printable pattern template.
- [DIY Nature Weaving Loom](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-nature-weaving-loom/) - These stick nature looms are easy to make and you can make them in a variety of sizes. We typically add flowers during spring/summer and leaves during autumn.
- [DIY Eggshell Beeswax Candles](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-eggshell-beeswax-candles/) - Making beeswax candles in eggshells is one of our favorite Spring traditions! I make them every year for my son's birthday celebration ring since his birthday always falls close to Easter. We add them to our Spring table as well. Eggshells are a wonderful sustainable and low waste option for making candles if your family
- [DIY Wildflower Seed Bombs in Eggshells](https://woodlarkblog.com/egg-wildflower-seed-bombs/) - Here's a really fun wildflower seed bomb made inside of an eggshell! I love giving these away as gifts. Wildflower seed bombs are best planted in early spring or autumn. Make sure that you are using a glue that is non-toxic and biodegradable. If you're up for it, a basic recipe using one part flour
- [How to Grow Easter Grass in Eggshells](https://woodlarkblog.com/grow-easter-grass-eggshells/) - Growing your own wheatgrass is a great alternative to using plastic Easter grass and is one of our favorite Easter traditions. These Easter grass eggs are lovely given as gifts or as part of a Spring centerpiece-- we add them to our waldorf Easter celebration ring each year. Soaking the seeds overnight (or even for
- [How to Make Scrap Fabric Twine](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-scrap-fabric-twine/) - Making your own twine is a great way to upcycle all of those fabric scraps that you've been saving. Transform them into something beautiful and useful!
- [DIY Tear Away Recycled Paper Notepads](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-tear-away-notepads/) - How to upcycle scrap paper to make DIY tear away notepads
- [DIY Floating Acorn Cap Beeswax Candles](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-floating-acorn-cap-beeswax-candles/) - How to make floating acorn cap beeswax candles using real acorn tops, beeswax and cotton wick.
- [DIY Cheesecloth Ghosts](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-cheesecloth-ghosts/) - How to make DIY cheesecloth ghost decorations using cheesecloth and homemade glue made from cornstarch and water. They can be hung up or used as table decor.
- [DIY Walnut Shell Notebooks](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-walnut-shell-notebooks/) - How to make mini walnut shell notebooks using real walnut shells and scrap paper. How to bind a DIY notebook using waxed cotton thread.
- [DIY Paper Doily Snowflakes](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-paper-doily-snowflakes/) - How to make paper doily snowflakes, a fun version of the classic paper bag snowflake. Easy and fun DIY holiday decorations.
- [DIY Pinecone Bee Valentines](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-pinecone-bee-valentines/) - How to make mini bees using redwood cones or small pinecones and embroidery thread, an easy and low waste nature valentine.
- [DIY Handmade Recycled Paper](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-handmade-recycled-paper/) - Making your own paper is a great way to recycle any scrap paper that you have and is a fun project for the entire family. We love using our homemade paper for drawings, notes and homemade cards. You can use any paper that is recyclable, such as paper grocery bags, newspaper, paper from worksheets and
- [Homemade Natural Flower Play Dough Recipe](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-homemade-natural-flower-play-dough/) - This homemade play dough is a staple in our house and I love that it is natural and so easy to make. This is our tried and true salt dough recipe that we’ve been using for several years and it always turns out great. This play dough is made using staple pantry ingredients and you
- [Calendula Lip Balm Recipe](https://woodlarkblog.com/calendula-lip-balm-recipe/) - We recently starting making our own natural lip balm and love it! This calendula lip balm is made using pure beeswax, calendula infused oil, shea butter and sweet orange oil. Calendula has great anti-inflammatory properties and is also known for retaining moisture well. We like to pour our lip balm into sustainable cardboard tubes that
- [Favorite Autumn Nature-Based Children’s Books for Fall](https://woodlarkblog.com/favorite-autumn-nature-childrens-books/) - Here are our favorite autumn nature-based children's books that will be in our seasonal book basket this fall! We will be using a lot of these books as resources during our nature homeschool lessons and a few of them are old favorites that we pull out every year. This book list is appropriate for a
- [DIY Wool Felted Acorns](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-wool-felted-acorns/) - Autumn for us means lots of nature collecting and collecting acorn caps to make felted acorns is one of our favorite traditions that we've been doing since Elliot barely began walking. We’ll be using a wet felting method to create the acorns and then attaching them to the caps using glue. Wet felting is really
- [DIY Mini Autumn Leaf Notebooks](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-mini-leaf-notebooks/) - These mini autumn leaf notebooks are a sweet way to upcycle scrap paper and preserve your favorite colors from fall. The process is exactly the same as the diy mini pressed flower notebooks that we made during Spring except that we are using autumn leaves that we collected. I prefer a heavier weight cover for
- [DIY Recycled Jar Mushroom Lantern](https://woodlarkblog.com/recycled-jar-mushroom-lantern/) - Excited to share a tutorial today by our friend Sarah showing you how to make this beautiful mushroom mason jar lantern! It can be made using materials that you already have on hand or can obtain easily— a recycled jar, kite or tissue paper and mod podge. Sarah is the co-founder of Chasing Windmills, a
- [DIY Cardboard Butterfly Nature Weaving](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-butterfly-nature-weaving/) - Have you made a weaving board before? Nature weaving is of the easiest crafts because you can use any cardboard that you already have along with flowers from your garden. We are currently raising Monarchs this season from egg to butterfly to study their life cycle, so naturally we had to add in a few
- [DIY Easter Egg Cookie Cutter Beeswax Candles](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-easter-egg-beeswax-candles/) - Here is a fun and easy egg-shaped candle for Easter that you can make using beeswax sheets of any color and an egg-shaped cookie cutter. These are the beeswax sheets that we use. This is a great candle making project for children of all ages and they look great displayed on a seasonal table or
- [DIY Seed Paper Valentines](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-seed-paper-valentines/) - Making seed paper is such a fun project that can be done with kids and it’s a great way to recycle used paper. I love the idea of being able to recycle the paper directly back into the earth. The paper can made year round and can either be planted directly into the ground or
- [DIY Hand-Dipped Beeswax Candles](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-hand-dipped-beeswax-candles/) - Making hand-dipped beeswax candles is one of our favorite yearly winter traditions. They're so much fun to make and can be made in a variety of lengths and thicknesses. We make several to give away as gifts year round as well as for our Waldorf celebration and birthday rings. If you have any odd sized
- [How to Make Beeswax Candles in Recycled Jars](https://woodlarkblog.com/recycled-jar-beeswax-candles/) - I love glass jars and a good repurpose— so let’s turn some of those jars into beeswax candles! Saving containers for reuse is my favorite thing ever, and reusing what you can is such an important sustainable practice— certain materials can be recycled, however there is still energy and environmental pollution created to process and
- [How to Mend a Hole With a Needle Felted Ghost Patch](https://woodlarkblog.com/needle-felted-ghost-mending/) - Mending clothing with wool roving is an excellent sustainable practice and helps to extend the life of your clothing. Here’s a fun ghost design for Halloween! This project works best with natural fibers and knit items (ideally ones made out of wool) but I’ve also had great success mending other clothing items. Pants made out
- [DIY Needle Felted Ghosts](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-needle-felted-ghosts/) - These little needle felted ghosts are so much fun to make for Halloween. I use a metal cookie cutter as a form to create the ghost shape which makes the process really quick. It's my favorite method for teaching children or those new to needle felting as well. You can use any cookie cutter that
- [Pumpkin Fairy House Ideas](https://woodlarkblog.com/pumpkin-fairy-house-ideas/) - Making pumpkin fairy houses is our favorite Halloween tradition, and this year we asked you guys to join in on the fun by submitting pictures to us for us to share by using the hashtag #pumpkinhousemeadows. We absolutely loved seeing everyone’s renditions and are excited to share these wonderful and creative pumpkin fairy house ideas
- [DIY Leaf Ghosts and Leaf Bats](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-leaf-ghosts-and-bats/) - Every year we end up with an abundance of autumn leaves lying around and crafting with them during Halloween is something that our family looks forward to each year! This post is an update to the Halloween activity blog post from two years ago, since last year we also made bats in addition to our
- [DIY Needle Felted Ghost Walnut Pincushion](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-needle-felted-ghost-walnut-pincushion/) - Here’s a fun project that combines two of our favorite craft materials— walnut shells and wool roving! These walnut shell pincushions are so fun to make and you can create different variations of them for different seasons. They are made by needle felting wool roving into a walnut shell, then attaching a needle felted item
- [DIY Halloween Recycled Paper Ghost Treat Bags](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-recycled-paper-ghost-treat-bag/) - These fun ghost shaped treat bags are great for filling with bulk candy and little gifts to give out to friends for Halloween. I saw a few renditions of this idea recently and I wanted to make a version of them using upcycled materials! This is a fun way to use up any scraps of
- [Autumn Harvest Apple Pie Recipe](https://woodlarkblog.com/autumn-harvest-apple-pie/) - Guest post by Josie Elston / @onwillowsbend In our Waldorf-inspired homeschool, celebrating the beauty and magic of each new season is an essential part of how we learn and grow together as a family. Fostering a connection to the natural world through seasonal food is just one of the ways we celebrate each season. We
- [DIY Natural Dyeing With Blackberries](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-natural-dyeing-with-blackberries/) - I love experimenting with natural dyes and thought it’d be fun to make one using freshly picked berries. Blackberries create a color that ranges from bluish lavender to purple-gray. This isn’t really considered a dye (technically it’s a stain), but I’ll show you how to use potassium aluminum sulfate or table salt as a mordant.
- [DIY Recycled Flower Crayons](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-recycled-flower-crayons/) - Did you know you can recycle crayons? A favorite project of ours is to give crayons a new life by recycling them into new ones. The beauty of this project is that it is quick, easy and you probably already have the materials on hand. It is never too early (or too late) to teach
- [DIY Lemon Citronella Beeswax Candles](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-lemon-citronella-beeswax-candles/) - Lemons are a fun and sustainable option as a vessel for making candles, and these lemon citronella beeswax candles are perfect to celebrate the start of summer! After these candles have been burned down, both the lemon peel and any remaining beeswax can be composted (after removing any wick tabs, if you’re using them). We
- [DIY Floating Walnut Shell Boats](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-walnut-shell-boats/) - We’ve made several renditions of these little walnut shell boats over the past couple of years and they’re always a hit in our house! We use materials we have lying around the house — sticks, scrap fabric and a batch of salt dough that we usually have sitting in our fridge. You can make different
- [DIY Seashell Beeswax Candles](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-seashell-beeswax-candles/) - These seashell beeswax candles are perfect for Summer and are a fun way to make use of your shell collection! We use pure beeswax to make our candles and it is my favorite option because it is a natural, renewable resource. Look for natural wick as well that is made of pure cotton or hemp.
- [A Prehistoric 3rd Birthday Party](https://woodlarkblog.com/prehistoric-third-birthday/) - And just like that, my little boy turned three. He asked for a dinosaur party this year and I thought that it’d be fun to put one together that also incorporated details from our weekly nature studies. He loves dinosaurs, but more specifically, he loves dinosaur bones, fossils and the process of identifying- so it
- [DIY Plantable Wildflower Seed Paper Snails](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-wildflower-seed-paper-snail/) - Making seed paper is a great way to recycle used paper and I love that it that it allows you to cycle the paper directly back into the earth. I’m sure you know by now that we love all things snails, so here’s a fun snail-shaped one that uses wildflower seeds. We make seed paper
- [How to Start Seeds in Eggshells](https://woodlarkblog.com/eggshell-seed-starters/) - Getting ready to plant seeds for your garden? It is so easy to make your own eco-friendly seed starting pots by repurposing materials that you already have at home. Eggshells are my top choice for seed starting because they are biodegradable, can be planted directly into the soil and are of no extra cost if
- [DIY Pressed Flower Cardboard Snails](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-pressed-flower-cardboard-snails/) - Here's the Spring variation of our ever so popular snail seed mosaics! This is an easy Spring project that your children can easily make themselves using any thin cardboard and pressed flowers. If you do not have pressed flowers on hand and need them quickly, you can find instructions below on how to dry and
- [DIY Recycled Paper Seed Envelopes](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-recycled-paper-seed-envelopes/) - We love making our own seed envelopes to save seeds from our garden. They're so easy to make and are a great way to upcycle any paper that you already have laying around. The paper that we use to make crafts are usually ones that I've saved from packages that I receive, or scrap pieces
- [How to Remove Labels From Glass Jars](https://woodlarkblog.com/remove-labels-from-glass-jars/) - Im a big fan of using what you have, and my favorite thing to save for reuse is glass jars. Here’s how we remove the labels and adhesive residue from those glass jars. We use jars for everything, from storing dry bulk goods in our pantry to storing small art supplies in our cabinets. We
- [DIY Decorated Beeswax Egg Candles for Easter](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-decorated-beeswax-egg-candles/) - Decorating beeswax egg candles with colorful wax for Easter is a really easy and fun activity for all ages! This would be a great activity for younger children to work on their fine motor skills, and older children will enjoy creating more complex patterns on the eggs. Since decorating and modeling wax are 100% beeswax,
- [DIY Nature Salt Dough Heart Valentines](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-nature-salt-dough-heart-valentines/) - Here's one of my favorite easy and low waste valentines ideas that you can make using homemade salt dough and small nature items. These valentines are so easy to make using items that you likely already have in your home. This is my go-to salt dough recipe that we've been using for as long as
- [DIY Wool Yarn Valentines](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-wool-yarn-valentines/) - Here's a fun low waste valentines ideas for those who like to knit! My son has really taken to knitting this year, so these felt most fitting. The trick to winding these miniature balls of yarn is to make sure you’re winding it really tightly, but if you are finding that your yarn balls start
- [How to Naturally Dye Easter Eggs](https://woodlarkblog.com/how-to-naturally-dye-easter-eggs/) - There's an endless list of things that I love about natural dyes. I love their imperfect nature and seeing how the colors vary from batch to batch. We’re naturally dyeing both real and wooden eggs this year, similar to the ones that we did last year but using new methods. These recipes are really forgiving
- [DIY Heart-Shaped Beeswax Cookie Cutter Candles](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-heart-beeswax-cookie-cutter-candles/) - Here's a fun heart-shaped candle that you can make for Valentine’s Day using beeswax sheets and any heart-shaped cookie cutter that you already have. I use a 2" cookie cutter for the larger candles and a this cookie cutter for the mini candles. We make a batch of these each year to gift to friends.
- [DIY Heart-Shaped Beeswax Tea Light Candles](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-heart-beeswax-tea-light-candles/) - These beeswax heart-shaped tea light candles are so easy to make for Valentine's Day using a silicone baking mold! We make batches of these every year for Valentines to hand out as gifts and they’re always well loved. If you’ve made (or are planning to make) DIY Recycled Crayon Valentines, this is a great project
- [DIY Needle Felted Hearts](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-needle-felted-hearts/) - These needle felted hearts are the perfect Valentine’s Day project and can be used in so many ways. In the past we have used them to make valentines and have also strung them up as a garland. We’ll be using a metal cookie cutter as a form to help to create the heart shape, and
- [DIY Pressed Flower Butterfly and Heart Valentines](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-pressed-flower-butterfly-heart-valentines/) - These pressed flower Valentines are an easy and beautiful last-minute DIY Valentine's idea that your children can easily make themselves. We used watercolor paper for the base of ours, but you can use any heavy paper that you have such as cardstock or thin cardboard. If you don't have pressed flowers on hand and need
- [DIY Vintage Quilt Scrap Valentines](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-vintage-quilt-scrap-valentines/) - We're always looking for fun ways to utilize fabric scraps. These vintage quilt valentines are super easy to make using remnants that are too small for larger projects and if you don't have access to cutter quilts any scrap fabric will work. These valentines are a great sustainable alternative to commercial valentines which often create
- [How to Mend a Hole With a Needle Felted Heart Patch](https://woodlarkblog.com/heart-needle-felted-mending/) - Mending clothing is one of my favorite sustainable practices and I love using wool to do so. This project works best with natural fibers or knit items but I've had great success mending other types of heavier weight fibers that do not have stretch, such as thicker cotton or denim. The process shown here is
- [How to Mend a Hole With a Needle Felted Toadstool Mushroom Patch](https://woodlarkblog.com/mushroom-needle-felted-mending/) - Using wool roving to mend clothing is one of my favorite techniques and is a beautiful sustainable practice to extend the life of your clothing. Last year I repaired a hole in one of my favorite knit hats and will be showing you a similar repair for a second hole that I found. This project
- [DIY Quilt Mitten Beeswax Cookie Cutter Candles](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-mitten-beeswax-cookie-cutter-candles/) - Here's a fun winter-inspired mitten shaped candle that we are making to celebrate the upcoming Solstice. These are made using our favorite cookie cutter method which is a wonderful technique for all skill levels, including those new to candle making. I'm using the white beeswax sheets from this kit in the shop and the Irish
- [DIY Gnome Peg Doll Necklace Valentines](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-gnome-peg-doll-valentines/) - I’m a big fan of giving non-candy valentines and love when we can give something handmade that can be used and cherished. I’ve been on a felting and sewing spree lately, and making peg dolls has also been on my list for a while so I thought I’d combine the two! These Waldorf-inspired gnome peg
- [How to Dry Orange Slices (Oven or Dehydrator)](https://woodlarkblog.com/how-to-dry-orange-slices/) - Here are our go-to methods for drying the orange slices that we use for holiday decor. Dried oranges are really versatile and can be used for so many things during the holiday season. Best of all, at the end of the season you can throw them into a simmer pot or use them as potpourri
- [DIY Floating Walnut Shell Beeswax Candles](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-floating-walnut-candles/) - Floating walnut shell candles are so easy to make and are a wonderful project to do over the holidays. These are made using only natural materials- leftover walnut shells, cotton wick and pure beeswax. Walnut shell candles are based off of a traditional Czech holiday tradition and I was introduced to them through the Waldorf
- [DIY Mini Clay Star Garland](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-mini-clay-star-garland/) - This mini clay star garland is so easy to make with homemade clay made using ingredients that you already have in your pantry. This is a standard and common recipe that uses a 2:1 ratio of baking soda to cornstarch. It can be easily adjusted as needed. We made around 140 mini stars using the
- [How to Make Waldorf Window Stars](https://woodlarkblog.com/waldorf-window-star/) - Here are instructions to make a standard eight-point Waldorf kite paper window star. We love making these year-round, but they are especially magical during the holidays! It is one of my favorite Waldorf traditions to prepare for the transition into winter. There are a lot of fancy ways to make these but I love the
- [Printable Winter Nature-Inspired Gift Tags](https://woodlarkblog.com/printable-winter-nature-inspired-gift-tags/) - Surprise! Excited to share that Jill of The Little Oak Learning and I have teamed up to bring you these magical winter nature-inspired gift tags that you can print and use on all of your sustainably wrapped gifts this year. There are six gift tags, each beautifully illustrated by Jill featuring all of our favorite
- [DIY Kite Paper Star Gift Tags](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-kite-paper-star-gift-tags/) - I’m all for finding ways to wrap and accent gifts using recycled and low impact materials that you have lying around at home, and I’m excited to share the tags that we made this year! I love these gift tags because they’re low-waste, can be made in a pinch and the entire tag is fully
- [DIY Halloween Pumpkin Fairy House](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-halloween-pumpkin-fairy-house/) - Halloween is just one short week away! We’re currently putting the finishing touches on our family costume for next week and squeezing in as many activities as we can. Every year, we visit several u-pick farms that set up a pumpkin house display and Elliot really enjoys them. This year, he asked if he could
- [Favorite Halloween Books for Children](https://woodlarkblog.com/childrens-halloween-books/) - Here are our favorite children’s Halloween books to celebrate the start of October. This book list contains illustrated story books with gentle, not so scary stories that are appropriate for children ages 3 through 8. You’ll find a little bit of everything, from stories about friendly ghosts to pumpkins and magical cats. Every year we
- [DIY Ghost Beeswax Cookie Cutter Candles](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-ghost-beeswax-cookie-cutter-candles/) - Here’s a fun and easy autumn-inspired ghost-shaped candle for Halloween that you can make using white beeswax sheets and any ghost-shaped cookie cutter that you already have. I'm using the white beeswax sheets from this kit in the shop. This is a great technique for making candles with children of all ages and they make
- [How to Preserve Autumn Leaves With Beeswax](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-beeswax-dipped-leaf-garland/) - Using beeswax to preserve the changing colors of leaves is one of our favorite activities during autumn. Here in Southern CA our season occurs quite late, but we are lucky to have a couple of places that we visit several times a year where we are able to experience a little bit of fall. Dipping
- [Easy DIY No-Sew Bee Costume](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-bee-costume/) - Looking for the easiest no-sew costume idea?! You can make this DIY bee costume using extra fabric, recycled cardboard and clothing that you already own! Making Elliot a Halloween costume is something that I look forward to every year— remember last year’s DIY No-Sew Mushroom Costume? You can also check out E’s past costumes on
- [How to Make a Snail Habitat](https://woodlarkblog.com/how-to-make-a-snail-habitat/) - Garden land snails are so easy to take care of and make great pets. They’re low-maintenance, enjoy being handled (see notes below on safety) and can be really interesting to observe! Although commonly grouped together, snails are actually not insects— they are mollusks and are related to clams, oysters and mussels. They live an average
- [Favorite Children’s Books for Nature-Based Learning](https://woodlarkblog.com/nature-based-learning-books/) - Elliot started preschool last week (cue mom tears) and although it’s quite heartbreaking that my little boy isn’t that little anymore, I couldn’t be happier watching him grow. He is attending a beautiful Waldorf school three days a week and we will be doing our nature studies during the other week days (with a flexible
- [How to Create a Daily Homeschool Rhythm](https://woodlarkblog.com/how-to-create-a-homeschool-rhythm/) - Guest post by Leah Damon - @leahdamon I spent the majority of my childhood growing up as a missionary child in a remote village in the beautiful wilderness of the West African bush. Most of my tribal friends lived in mud huts without the conveniences of clocks, watches, or other technology, and the concept of
- [Our Autumn Homeschool Rhythm](https://woodlarkblog.com/our-autumn-homeschool-rhythm/) - Autumn for us is deeply rooted in ritual, and is without a doubt my favorite season. As we transition into this next season as new full-time homeschoolers, establishing a new type of rhythm has definitely brought lots of comfort and excitement of what this year will bring! We officially start schooling next week and our
- [How to clean animal bones for display](https://woodlarkblog.com/how-to-clean-animal-bones-for-display/) - We’ve been finding a lot of small animal bones lately and they’ve been a great addition to our nature studies. I had a lot of people ask about our process to clean them, so I decided to document our most recent finds. For the purpose of this tutorial I’ll be starting with bones that are
- [How to Pin and Preserve Butterflies and Moths for Display](https://woodlarkblog.com/how-to-pin-butterflies-and-moths/) - We love finding new specimens to add to Elliot’s nature collection. They’re a great resource for his nature studies and I’ve really enjoyed refining my process of preserving specimens over the past couple of years. I have a bit of experience pinning a variety of different insects, but am most familiar with butterflies and moths,
- [How To Set Up a Nature Shelf](https://woodlarkblog.com/setting-up-a-nature-shelf/) - It was a cool day in Fall. Elliot, gathering basket in hand, calls me over to look at something interesting that he discovered. I hurry over, intently observing as he carefully picks up a single acorn, inspects it, and then rejects it. Moments later he finds a second acorn and although it is seemingly like
- [DIY Low Montessori Shelf](https://woodlarkblog.com/how-to-build-a-montessori-shelf/) - Elliot’s low Montessori shelf is one of my favorite projects to date, and it is also the one that I am asked about most often. Low open shelves can be used to hold baskets of organized activities to make learning accessible and to promote independence. It is a great way to incorporate Montessori into your
- [DIY Natural All-Purpose Cleaner With Lavender](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-natural-all-purpose-cleaner-with-lavender/) - I love making my own cleaning products whenever possible because they’re safer for your health and better for the environment. This DIY all-purpose cleaner is so easy to make and there are so many variations that can be made depending on your needs and preferences. I love using seasonal ingredients, so we’ll be using a
- [Homemade Fruit and Vegetable Wash Recipe](https://woodlarkblog.com/homemade-veggie-wash/) - I love making our own cleaning products and we have been making our own veggie wash for several years now. It’s always a good idea to wash your produce, whether you grow your own vegetables in your garden or purchase them from the farmer’s market or grocery store. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) recommends
- [DIY Naturally Dyed Flower Play Dough](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-spring-naturally-dyed-flower-play-dough/) - It’s no secret that we love making our own play dough, and this beautiful Spring flower play dough is definitely a favorite! We’ll be using our basic go-to salt dough recipe as a base, then adding beet powder to naturally dye the dough pink. We mixed fresh flower petals into ours at the end, but
- [DIY Winter Bird Seed Feeders (gelatin free)](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-winter-bird-seed-feeders/) - Did you know that February is national bird feeding month here in the United States?! Winter is difficult for birds, especially during this time so helping to provide food, water and shelter is highly encouraged. Bird seed feeders can be made year-round, but these in particular are wonderful for birds in the winter. They’re easy
- [DIY Naturally Dyed Multicultural Wooden Peg Dolls](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-wooden-multicultural-peg-dolls/) - We love the versatility of wooden peg dolls, but have had a hard time finding readily available ones in a spectrum of skin tones. We naturally dye wooden eggs every year with much success, so why not peg dolls?! We also already have a lot of unfinished wood peg dolls at home and always try
- [DIY Cardboard Moon Phase Puzzle](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-cardboard-moon-phase-puzzle/) - This cardboard moon phase puzzle is easy to make, low-waste and will be a great addition to your child’s nature studies if you are learning about the moon. This week we’ll be studying the moon phases in preparation for our yearly Harvest Moon walk! The harvest moon is the full moon that occurs closest to
- [Chocolate Zucchini Garden Sheet Cake Recipe](https://woodlarkblog.com/garden-sheet-cake-recipe/) - Guest post by KC Hysmith / @kchysmith Every story is a food story. Normally, this phrase guides my work as a food historian and food writer, but it also proved useful over the past eighteen months as I pivoted to being an impromptu pandemic-era homeschool teacher for my two little children. When I didn’t know
- [Cardboard Snail and Butterfly Seed Mosaics](https://woodlarkblog.com/seed-mosaics/) - Bean and seed mosaics are a staple craft in our household and there are so many different variations that can be made for each season and holiday. This is a great low-waste craft since you can recycle any cardboard that you already have as well as any dried beans, seeds or grains in your pantry.
- [Valentines Recycled Tin Can Herb Planters](https://woodlarkblog.com/valentines-recycled-tin-can-herb-planters/) - Plant your favorite herb into recycled tin cans for the easiest low-waste valentine! We make a few of these every year to give out as Valentines gifts and they're always a hit. We'll be transplanting starter plants that are already established into our tin cans so they can be gifted right away. I recommend visiting
- [DIY Hand-Rolled Beeswax Candle Valentines](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-hand-rolled-beeswax-candle-valentines/) - We made quite an impressive batch of hand-rolled beeswax candles this year to give out as gifts, so naturally we also had to make them into valentines! You can make six of these smaller candles out of each single 8” x 8” beeswax sheet, so the kit from the shop has enough materials to make
- [DIY Recycled Crayon Valentines](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-recycled-crayon-valentines/) - Something new made from something old. Is there anything better? Recycling crayons is a favorite project of ours - we still love and use the flower crayons that we made last year! These valentines can be made using materials you already have and the card is recyclable, so it’s a great sustainable and low waste
- [A New Life for Old Quilts: An Interview With Farm Down the Lane](https://woodlarkblog.com/interview-farm-down-the-lane/) - Meet Tami Voth of Farm Down the Lane, an Ohio-based maker that repurposes vintage quilts into beautiful heirloom treasures. Tami lives in Ohio on an 11 acre farm with her husband where she sews, gardens and tends to their alpacas and chickens. Her craft is beautifully sustainable-- creating new from old, and I just love
- [How to Make Hand-Rolled Beeswax Celebration Candles](https://woodlarkblog.com/hand-rolled-beeswax-celebration-candles/) - Making hand-rolled beeswax candles is a beloved yearly tradition in our house and these smaller sized candles are perfect for any type of celebration or special occasion! They are the perfect size to use as birthday candles on top of a cake, advent candles or to simply give out as gifts. You can create six
- [DIY Cardboard Seed Mosaic Ghosts](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-seed-mosaic-ghosts/) - Bean and seed mosaics are still a favorite craft in our household, and it’s always one that I recommend when someone is looking for something easy to do with their children. We made our annual leaf ghosts last week, so naturally we needed to make some ghost seed mosaics to go with them! This is
- [Seed Mosaic Build A Flower Activity](https://woodlarkblog.com/build-a-flower-activity/) - This invitation to build a flower activity combines two of our favorite things— spring flowers and seed crafts! This is a wonderful low-waste craft using recycled cardboard and any dried beans, seeds or grains that you already have at home (and you can certainly substitute other items or paint the pieces if you do not
- [DIY Mushroom Paper Chain Garland](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-mushroom-paper-chain-garland/) - Here’s a fun nature-inspired twist on classic paper doll chains that would be a fun winter holiday project for the entire family! I’ll be showing you how to make four different varieties of mushroom paper chains out of one piece of standard 8.5” x 11” copy paper, but you can definitely use any paper that
- [DIY Natural Dyeing with Tea](https://woodlarkblog.com/natural-dyeing-with-tea/) - Dyeing with tea is easy, inexpensive, and gives your textiles a rich earthy color. Tea is rich in tannins which bonds well with natural fibers, which means that it doesn’t require a mordant (a substance used to bind the dye to the fabric). It is a great choice for those who are new to dyeing.
- [DIY Natural Dyeing With Walnut Hulls](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-natural-dyeing-with-walnut-hulls/) - I’ve really taken a liking to natural dyeing because it’s non toxic and I love the earthy colors that are produced. There are so many factors that go into determining the final color and I’m excited to start experimenting again! I’ll be dyeing with walnut hull powder and the process will be a little different
- [DIY Flower Butterfly Wings](https://woodlarkblog.com/diy-flower-butterfly-wings/) - Guest post by Johanna Bless of Bless Nest Learning. In this post I’m going to show you how to make a butterfly or fairy wings costume using pressed flowers and contact paper. Superbloom blessed the California hillsides this past spring, and it was definitely a sight to behold! We came home from hikes with wildflowers

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