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Dressing up your fall table doesn’t have to mean spending a lot of money.  You can add a warm and cozy feeling to your table setting for your guests using things you have around the house already.  An empty toilet paper roll ( you get 2 rings out of each one), an old  flannel shirt, and some sisal rope.  This Upcycled Fall Flannel Napkin Ring is low cost, simple and perfect for a classic Fall table setting. I love how country and casual they look while still dressing up my plain old napkins. I made these for our Thanksgiving meal but they  can be left out the entire fall season to give your table a finished look.

UPCYCLED FALL FLANNEL NAPKIN RING

Supplies Needed:

Toilet Paper Rolls (1 for every 2 you want to make)

Flannel Shirt or Pajama Pants

Sisal rope

Scissors

Hot glue gun/sticks

Ruler

Optional : spray adhesive

Directions:

Cut toilet paper roll in half, set aside.

Cut rectangles from your flannel to 4″ x 5 1/2″.

Center half paper roll on flannel, wrap around and tuck in securing with glue. You can use hot glue to adhere the flannel and roll but it will leave some ridges. If you have a can of adhesive spray on hand spray the roll and the inside of the flannel well and wrap. Then tuck ends inside the roll.

Wrap center of napkin ring in sisal or other natural rope and secure ends down with a little hot glue.

Once all the glue has dried (you only need a few minutes) slip over cloth or even disposable napkins.

These are so simple to put together!  Grab your kids and make these Upcycled Fall Flannel Napkin Rings for your Thanksgiving table.  You can even make small cards with each guest name on them to attach to the ribbon making them truly personalized for your guests!  I love how simple this is, and how it uses up scrap bits of crafting fabric and rope or twine.

Don’t miss out on our other great DIY Fall Crafts!

Merry Fall Door Hanger

Kids Fall Thumbprint Craft

DIY Fall Burlap Pillow

Upcycle craft projects are the best, not only are they FREE but you are teaching your children to be a little kinder to our world, as well ask making do and using up what you already have. Milk cartons are great for this because they can be used in so many ways like our Fairy or Gnome Home HERE . The kids and I thought this old carton would make a great bird feeder since we also enjoy treating our special feathered friends. Make your own Upcycled Milk Carton Bird Feeder.

Supplies Needed:

an empty, clean,dry milk carton

paint(spray or acrylic

sturdy string or rope

embellishments -such as washi tape, buttons, sticks,

paint pens, or stickers.

glue

single hole punch

bird food

Directions:

Wash your carton thoroughly inside and out, I add a cap of bleach to some water inside, replace the cap and swish it around well for a couple minutes to kill any bacteria inside. Then rinse the inside and outside well.

To help the paint adhere better wipe down the outside with alcohol to remove oils, and fingerprints.

I recommend cutting out the food windows after you paint so the inside stays clean and paint does not flake off into the food. Take your carton outside in a well ventilated area, place on paper and lightly spray with the first tack coat, allow to dry for 5 minutes. Repeat 2-3 more times until well covered. After final coat allow to dry for 2 hours. You can also let the kiddo’s paint by hand with acrylic craft paint- I have found the spray paint covers better.

Once completely dry the real fun can begin, pull out tons of embellishments from your craft stash or let them collect items from the yard like leaves, sticks, pinecones, etc.

First, cut out 2 generous openings on opposite sides with a sharp knife or scissors. This will serve as the birds perch and serving window.

Now, this next step I didn’t do in the right order so, learn from my mistake. Cut a hole in the top of your carton using a single hole punch , or you can poke through with a knife. Do this step before covering your “roof” or you will have to remove and replace some of your decorations.

Next let imagination take over and add any embellishments you wish to create your bird feeder- make it fit into the nature around it in your yard, create a French bakery, fast food drive through, or let them freestyle it with whatever they want.

Run a sturdy piece of twine or rope through the hole up top for a hanger, fill you feeder with bird seed and hange from a solid branch. 

This project is one that brings double pleasure, once while you make it and again watching all the sweet visitors that will flock to your yard to feast!  Not only are we upcycling and making a milk carton bird feeder that is much needed in our yard, we are creating a fun backyard project that will bring joy every day.  The chance to watch birds eat from the feeder will be a great way to teach your kids all about the different birds in your area and their habits.

Check out some of our other favorite kids activities & upcycle crafts!

Upcycled Milk Carton Fairy Garden Gnome Home

Upcycled Jelly Jar Votive Holder

Upcycled Flannel Napkin Ring

We love upcycling things that would typically be trash, and this Upcycled Milk Carton Gnome or Fairy Garden Home was a great project for the kids.  The kids and I love buying cute little pieces for our gnome and fairy gardens but they can start to become costly so sometimes we turn to our craft stash, backyard, and recycling bin to create new features.  This cute little “Gnome Home” my son and I crafted from an old almond milk carton, and some treasures from our yard was tons of fun and very inexpensive.  This is perfect for an afternoon project to occupy your kids this summer!

Upcycled Milk Carton Gnome Or Fairy Garden Home

So, if you have an itch to create a welcoming abode in your garden for gnomes or fairies then grab some supplies and let’s get started, this project cost me nothing as I had everything on hand- gotta love free!

You will need: 

A clean, empty milk carton

spray or acrylic paint

sharp serrated knife or straight edge razor

hot glue gun/sticks

collected yard treasures- leaves, pine cones, acorns, bark, pebbles, etc. or craft items from your stash!

Here we go:

Wash your carton well inside and out, I like to swish a little bleach and water inside to clean it.

Dry completely.

Cut carton in half or how tall you like it to be, take your carton outside and place on newspaper or similar.

Spray well with a light coat of spray paint, you can also paint by hand with acrylic paint and a brush, we were aiming for quick, allow to dry for 5 minutes, continue adding coats until well covered.

Allow to dry for 1 hour after final coat.

You can use found items in the home like buttons, ribbons,  paint pens,  glass beads, pony beads, string, stickers, or anything else on hand. We took a basket outside and hunted for treasures in the yard so it would have more of a natural look.

My son found this hunk of tree bark and declared it a perfect door.

Next I added a generous amount of hot glue to a portion of the roof and let him add sticks holding them by the tips to  be safe, he never even had to touch it.

We thought the spout looked like a chimney but needed a little help so again I used the glue gun  and he placed small smooth stones to build it up (these were actually purchased by the bag at Dollar Tree for our sensory bins) .

Let your child add whatever decorations they like, or keep it simple.

Trim off excess hot glue strings.

If using it outdoors I would recommend a coat or two of clear sealer to help it last.

This upcycled milk carton garden gnome or fairy garden home is a great afternoon project for your kids this summer.  Not only will they be excited to make something themselves, they can quickly and easily make it truly unique to their personality.   We love the idea of building a creative and imaginative miniature home for pretend play.  This is not only a great way for your kids to spend their time this summer, it can be an excellent way to build their imagination.

Check out some of our other favorite projects for kids!

25 Outdoor Crafts & Activities For Kids

DIY Felt Playmat

Upcycled T-Shirt Super Hero Cape

Have you seen our other fun upcycled tin cans projects? They are a fun and super inexpensive way to add a touch of festive fun to your porch or even the kitchen table. This set of Upcycled Tin Can Spring Porch Pals brings some festive Spring whimsy your way, whether you use them indoors or out. They are a simple enough project that the kids can put a whole.. herd?  flock? of chicks and bunnies together to line the sidewalk,  or to pass out to neighbors and friends.  Grab your glue gun and a few other supplies and lets put these sweet little springtime pals together!

Upcycled Tin Can Spring Porch Pals

Supplies Needed:

empty, clean tin cans

yellow and white spray paint

craft foam- small piece of black, pink, white, and orange

google eyes

hot glue gun/sticks

Directions:

Wipe down outside of can with alcohol to remove dirt and oils- this will help the paint adhere better.  Allow to dry completely.

Spray one light coat, dry for 5 minutes.

Apply 2-3 more coats, drying for 5 minutes in between until you have a good, thick covering.

Let final coat dry one hour.

For the bunny cut 2 ears, and the pink lining slightly smaller than ear size. Cut 2 white ovals for feet, then 6 small pink dots and 2 pink ovals to make up the pads of feet.  Cut a pink nose, and finally small whiskers.

For the duck- all you need is 2 orange webbed feet, and a beak.

Hot glue all your pieces together and secure to can.

Glue on googly eyes.

Add details like mouth and nostrils with a permanent marker.

That’s it, these cute little friends couldn’t be any easier!

These are perfect for making this spring to decorate for Easter.  They are simple enough you can even work with preschoolers to make them as a fun Easter craft!  Make sure to use proper ventilation if using spray paint on the cans, and do that yourself.  Be careful with kids using spray paint – and absolutely have adult supervision.

Check out our other favorite upcycled and DIY craft projects!

Frankenstein Upcycled Tin Cans

Upcycled Tin Can Reindeer

25 DIY Outdoor Fun Crafts & Activities For Kids

Wine Cork Mini Memo Stick

Monogram Burlap Flatware Pocket