Recycled Paper Carrot Garland Tutorial [Easter Double DIY Part 2]

Yesterday I shared Part I of my Double DIY for the Easter Long Weekend!

 I talked a lot about reducing waste & bringing nature inside to decorate. 

Today I am sharing the Second Part, focusing on re-using / up-cycling the materials already provided to us, for something we can actually use & find beautiful. 

I was inspired by a garland I saw (in a chain-store) while out shopping. I have Up-cycled some  unwanted paper flyers & old newspapers into this Carrot Garland, a classic I imagine using to Celebrate Easter for years to come!

There is a lot of items we as a society deem as trash and throw into the garbage, which ultimately ends up littering our world in one way or another. Why not do our best to re-use all of those 'materials' being produced daily before going out and purchasing  new supplies for each and every project?

Below I have shared the full list of Supplies needed (many of which I promise you already have in your home, or can find at No Cost) & a Step by Step tutorial on How To up-cycle your own Carrot Garland in time for the Easter Bunnies Arrival or if you are hosting Easter Dinner, to hang over the dessert table!

What You Will Need:

•  Old Newspapers /unwanted advertisements.
•  Orange & Green Yarn / Thread
•  Hot Glue Gun
• Tape
• Scissors

How To:

Step #1. Begin by gathering all the supplies needed. Once you begin, the process is pretty steady (without pause) & so you will not want to be tracking down whats needed next!
Step #2. Prepare your recycled paper into cone shapes. They do not need to be perfect as carrots grow beautifully imperfectly.
Step #3. Apply a small dollop of Hot Glue onto the end of the Recycled Paper Cones.
Step #4. Fold the end of your orange yarn across the tip of the cone & begin wrapping upwards (be careful not to burn yourself. If creating with children, an adult may want to complete this step.)
Step(s) #5-7. Continue wrapping the orange yarn up the cone shape until it is completely covered [as seen in Image 7]. Set aside.
Step #8.  Grab the green yarn & wrap it around 3Fingers, 15-20 times, to create a loop [as seen in Image 8].

You Will Have To Work Quite Quickly for the Next 3 Steps, To Ensure The Glue Stays Malleable Enough To Work With.

Step #9. Apply a large GLOB of Hot Glue onto the Top of your Carrot / Cone & adhere the loop of Green shoots.
Step # 10. Cut the loop.
Step # 11. Pinch the Base to push the Green Shoots together for a more natural look.

Repeat Steps 1 - 11 to create additional Carrots. 

Step # 12. Using small drops of Glue to the top of each carrot & attach to a length of Green Yarn to finish!

Display & Cherish for Years to come!

Eucalyptus Wall Hang Tutorial [Easter Double DIY Part 1]

It's been a minute since I have shared a Holiday Themed DIY Tutorial.
I have been thinking a lot lately amount of unnecessary trash is produced in the name of Holiday Celebration! Do Not Read Me Wrong! I am in NO way suggesting you skip the Celebrations! But rather, consider the possibility that something you may be about to purchase will end up in the garbage in a few days, weeks, or even months. If the answer is YES, perhaps you will want to consider DIYing or re-Purposing your own variation out of something you may already have! This will require more effort on our part as well, which may have you re-considering if you even need / want something after all?! If you take it back to a time or consider a current place in our modern world when we as humans produced a sustainable amount of trash, you will likely find that humans were/are also producing a LOT of their own materials for day to day life!

I am grateful to Cecilia the Owner of Primrose & Willow who hooked me up with some eucalyptus stems. I used them to create this DIY Wall Hang, perfect for welcoming Spring or adding a Fresh, Spa like feeling to any room in your home! I love the concept of bringing Nature inside to decorate for all seasons, Spring especially!

Supplies Needed:

• Eucalyptus 
• A Branch
• Twine (if made by natural fabrics such as Cotton, can also be composted) 

How To: 
As Easy As 1,2,3

Step 1: Trim off any access stem from the ends of your Eucalyptus (I was fortunate to have received clippings from a very detail oriented florist, which minimized the amount of excess stem I had to remove).

Step 2: Tie lengths of cotton twine to the trimmed ends of your eucalyptus branches, leaving lots of excess length.

Step 3. Tie a loop of twine to each end of the branch for hanging, & tie the apposing ends of the twine to your branch, (staggering them as you see fit, consider adding other natural elements, such as flowers or berries).

primrose & willow

Display with Pride & Rejoice in the beauty of Spring,
 & everything wonderful provided to us by Nature!
Click Here To View Part 2

Spring Bucket List FREE Printable // Spring In My Bag

Tuesday was the First Day of Spring according to the calendar, but if you live in Canada like I do... you know the truth! 

The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. 

So in the mean time, there is a few things we can do to help make it feel a little bit more like Spring, or to prepare for it's arrival! Summer is always a time when I spend the majority of my time outside, which can lead to the indoor activities, and even time for creating gets minimized & often pushed aside. Spring has always been a Season of Sewing. Planning, preparing, and setting things in motion for the seasons to come. Getting organized & tackling Spring cleaning is something that can extend to more than just your home -- more on that later. Let's talk about getting ourselves & our goals in order for Spring. Cheers to the season that gives us more than enough time to listen to our bodies, & accomplish the back work while we wait for it to arrive.

One of the ways that I like to welcome a new Season is to organize my bag. Switching out anything that is no longer Seasonally appropriate, for what is. I am a firm believer in not having boring mundane objects in life. That bag for pads/tampons/first aid supplies, makeup brushes, keys. Why not make it all fun & something you get excited about & are excited to use! 
I even extended this to my kitchen sponges recently, I picked up a package of Pink Sparkle ones, & it has actually made all the difference in my attitude doing the dishes. Call it whatever you want, but if you find that it takes a bright pink sponge with sparkles to get you to smile while doing the dishes - I say get that sponge & Do Those Dishes! Out with the second scarf - in with the umbrella! 
I also love to switch out my bag(s) from time to time giving me something fresh, new and colourful to look at in my bag. This doesn't mean I go out and buy all new things every season. This tote bag for example is reversible, I wore it for winter turned inside out (as it is reversible) which you can find HERE.   

I got a new Wallet just in time for Spring thanks too Amazon Prime, but the rest is all stuff I already had and simply re-worked to give it a fresh look! I added some colourful enamel pins to some iridescent clutch bags to hold all of my makeup & extras!

Square Business Cards fit perfectly into my wallet.
CC Cream, Bronzer, Sheer Glow Highlighter, Lipstick, Lip Liner, Cosmetic Brushes

First Aid Kit, Juicy Fruit Gum, Upcygirl Sticky Notes, Gummies & Sunglasses all pack away neatly into the other. The Tassel Accessories I made (Bracelet, Earrings & Key-Chain). 

Spring Is The first season change of the year, but the last one in a series of Seasonal Bucket Lists Printables; Cody Humble & myself created as a collaborative way to ensure that we were making the most of each season. I would create the original design(s) & then he got to work turning them into graphics, which we decided to share here in hopes to inspire others to live in the moment, in whatever season of life (or weather) you may be in.

 Print FREE Spring Bucket List Printable HERE 

& I have linked the other 3 below!

 The Wind Blows ...

Summer Bucket List FREE Printable

Fall Bucket List FREE Printable

Winter Bucket List FREE Printable

Michaels Craft Store Photo Challenge - Shot by KM Photography

Massive amounts of Gratitude going out to our local Michaels Store, for allowing my best friend (the women behind the lens & the owner of KM Photography) to stage a photo shoot in the isles. We love the chance to be creative and it was so much fun to attempt the "Bad Location, Good Photo Challenge" together.  There was a plethora of floral background options available to us.
I am happy to say that their store policy fully approves the use of Stores to complete the newly popular #MichaelsChallenge.
One of my favourite quotes

"I can see beauty where others see ugliness. That either makes me an artist or a person of very poor taste." — Unknown.

... describes my feelings towards this 'challenge'. I truly feel that Kristen sees beauty in location behind her lens that inspires me every-time we work together to slow down & look for the hidden beauty in a place or moment. At the very bottom I have included a few shots to show the reality of what this actually looked like  'behind the scenes'.

 Behind The Scenes

Checking Boxes & Moving FOURward {upcy ani}

A month ago today marked 4 years of blogging. I took a little bit of a break from blogging since the start of 2018. [I talked more about this on Instagram.] Sometimes taking a step back allows for clearer direction to take shape. The time I spent not doing Upcy was reinvested into different creative outlets. I met & communicated with new and old friends, discussed new projects and ways to reinvent or up-cycle the old. I am looking forward to all of the things that 2018 has in store! I am not sure why I was so hesitant to change or allow this to naturally adapt into something new, when the foundation of it is built on doing exactly that. 
After receiving my first ever Promo Box filled with custom designed merchandise by Vistprint I was immediately inspired! It included:

• Cards (with my name & photo [shot by KM Photography] on the front, & all of my business information on the back)
• Stickers
• Pens
• Branded T-shirt

I also received a credit to be used for the shop, & really I wasn't sure what I was doing with Upcy at the time it arrived. I let it sit for over 2 weeks, & I decided to have a little bit of fun & design this mug. The pre-set design allowed for me to put different images on each side, so I chose a photo & quote from both lead characters from my favourite show, Broad City. Ilana's "Yas Queen" was obvious. I say it often enough I'm sure that its bordering on annoying. I was torn when it came to picking an Abbi quote, I had a serious list going. "I Get Money Now" was the one that seemed the most crass, out of context. It's from a scene where she sells her first piece of art. By the time the mug arrived it had an entirely new meaning. I have since signed on to be an ambassador for their #GirlsWriteNow fundraising Campaign, which mentors underserved high school girls throughout New York City’s five boroughs. By donating you get entered for a chance to WIN a Visit to the set of Broad City in New York City, and have lunch with Abbi Jacobson & Ilana Glazer. You can read more about the Campaign & my message HERE. Writing, reading & literacy are certainly not things I was always passionate about, but it is now! My love of writing came much later, and has given me a form of clarity & allowed me to share my passion! Let's support our #GirlsWriteNOW because their opinions & voices are important & we want them to be able to express them in every way possible! 

If you are feeling a touch lack-luster about your business venture, or just curious Vistprint is currently offering a promotion with code MYPROMOBOX where you can recieve your first Box full of customized marketing products designed just for your business at only $5.00. The boxes are loaded with swag that is as ever evolving as your business & delivered to your doorstep every month!Photos by: KM Photography & Cody Humble