I love owls and so does my daughter. So, this year, for her 7th birthday, we are having an owl-themed party. While owls are quite popular these days, the owl-themed party supplies at our local store left a lot to be desired. So, after going on Pinterest and seeing samples of many owl-themed cupcakes, cards and crafts, I decided we could make our own owl-themed invites. Our invites came out so good - and this project was so easy - that I just had to write a tutorial for this blog.
To make one card, you will need:
Solid color card stock, in a color that you can write on so that your ink can be seen
Patterned card stock in colors complementary to your solid color card stock
White card stock
Black card stock
Orange, brown or deep yellow card stock
An oval cutting system (or oval template) that will make an oval at least 6" long
A circle punch (or circle template) that will make a circle the size of a half dollar
A circle punch (or circle template) that will make a circle the size of a dime
A square punch (or square template) that will make a small square (about 3/4" long on each side)
Glue or glue stick
Using your oval cutting system, cut one oval from the solid color card stock; this will be the owl's body. Cut another oval from the patterned card stock. Using your oval cutting system, cut out a small curved piece from the top (narrow end) of the solid colored oval body. This will form the ears of the owl. Also use your oval cutting system to cut out two long, narrow curved pieces from each long side of the patterned oval. (See the photo.) These long, narrow pieces will be the wings. Paste the long, narrow, patterned wing pieces along each side of your solid color oval body.
Punch two half-dollar sized circles out of your white card stock. Punch two dime-sized circles out of your black card stock. These will be used to form the eyes. Paste the white circles side by side about a 1/2" below the top of your oval body, below the ears. Paste one black circle on the top of each white circle, positioning the black circles where you like to get the desired "look". Punch a square from your orange, brown or yellow card stock. Cut the square in half to form two triangles. We will use one triangle for the owl beak. Paste the triangle upside down (point toward the bottom of the oval body), right below the eyes.
Viola! You are done. In only a few short steps, you have a cute owl card that you can use for a variety of occasions. We made ours for party invites, but these will also work well for thank you cards after the party. If I'm in a crafting mood, maybe I'll make a few more for simple note cards.
Now you probably think that this project is more DIY than upcycle. But, this could easily become an upcycle project with a little imagination. Try using book pages, gift wrap, gift bags or old school papers for a unique look. Instead of cards, use these as bookmarks or in a child's mobile. Instead of paper, try web-backed fabric for a fun t-shirt patch or blanket applique. The possibilities are endless. I'm sure the rest of the owl-lovers are already dreaming up new ideas for this one. Enjoy!
You will need:
Solid color card stock 
Preheat your oven to 150. Place your silicon mold on top of a cookie sheet and set aside. While the oven is heating, chop your old crayons into small bits using your chef's knife and self healing mat. Transfer chopped crayons to a large bowl. (You can separate your crayon bits by color if you want to make crayons in a variety of color combinations.) 
When you have chopped a fair amount, spoon the crayon bits into each well of your muffin mold (keeping the mold on top of the cookie sheet). Be sure to add enough of each color to get your desired color combination. (I went for a multicolored look and made sure every mold had a nice selection of colors.) Fill each well to the top; otherwise your crayons may be too thin.
When you've filled the desired number of wells, put your mold in the oven. (It is important to carry the mold to the oven on top of the cookie sheet, to keep your mold flat. Otherwise, your crayons (and later the melted wax) may spill. Bake the filled mold at 150 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until the crayons melt. When the crayons are melted, remove your mold from the oven. (Again, keep the mold on the cookie sheet!) Set the mold aside to cool. The mold cools pretty quickly. 
To get started, you will need the following:
Measure the arc of one of the CD halves. Make note of the measurement. Cut a strip of cardboard whose length is equal the measurement you've just taken; the width will be two inches. Draw a line along the length of the cardboard that is 1/2" from the left edge. Draw a similar line along 1/2" from the right edge. Using the back edge of your utility knife blade, score each line to make it easy to fold. Fold each edge toward the center of the cardboard length. Using your scissor, cut along both edges every 1/2" (see photo.)
When dry, adhere the green halves to the outside of the bag. Cut a length of green felt that is slightly wider than 1" and 1/2" longer than the length of the cardboard. Center and glue the strip along the outside edge of the bag. Trim the corners at each end, turn the ends inward and glue in place. Use clothespins to hold the glued ends until the glue dries. Cut 1/4" off of the straight edge of each half of white felt. Glue each in place to the outside of the bag lining up the straight edges. Glue the pink halves in place over the white halves, making sure not to overlap the white completely so that some of the white "rind" shows. Turn the straight edges of the pink felt under and glue in place; use clothespins to hold in place until the glue dries. While the glue is drying, use the felt tip marker to draw "seeds" on the pink felt on the one side of the bag. 
