How to use The Compost Bin.

Welcome to The Compost Bin, which contains my musings on my life. I live in Herefordshire with my husband and 11 year old daughter. We have 4 acres of land which contains a woodland, small orchard, garden and veg plot. We grow our own organic fruit and veg and make lots of cider, wine, jam and chutney. We share our lives with 16 Chickens, 3 Cats, 4 Guinea Pig and assorted wildlife!

I am a freelance Forest School Leader and Environmental Educator so work with both adults and children on all sorts of things. I also volunteer as a Master Composter and Master Gardener, helping people make compost and grow veg.

So, I might talk about; what we have been doing on our patch of land and in our wood, my work, the chickens and their funny ways, how to grow veg, the fun things our cats get up to, self sufficiency and what it actually means, more general environmental issues, composting, making various crafty stuff, happy and sad times here, living a slower, more hand made, frugal lifestyle, making and mending and re-using and re-cycling stuff, living more lightly on the Earth and my views on life in general.

I hope you enjoy your time spent inside The Compost Bin. I would also love to welcome you as a member of The Compostbin forum

Remember to click on the photos to make them full size!

Tuesday, 22 September 2009

Visit to the Scrapstore and some things I have made....

I had a trip to the Scrapstore in Worcester last Friday. I am running various recycled material based craft workshops over the next few months, so I needed to stock up on supplies. I went with my friend S, who I run Eco Club with, and we had a very successful time over there!

The Worcestershire Resource Exchange ( aka Scrapstore) is very well run, clean, tidy, well thought out and with loads of really good items for the bargin price of a trolley load for £10 ish, if you are a member. membership is worth while if you go more than once or twice a year!





I got lots of material ribbon and also lots of plastic ribbon







I turn the ribbon into recycled material wreaths or weavings like this



I also use paper packaging strips as weaving materials in my workshops with children, here is something made from paper packaging, which looks rather nice I think?





I also got an amazing whiteboard/A1 flipchart board for only £5!! They retail at about £100!

I am running some Bat and Spider based workshops over the half term break in October, which is the week before Halloween/Samhain, so I have come up with some simple craft ideas for the children to make, on the theme of bats and pumpkins and spiders and suchlike...We shall be playing some games and talking about bats and spiders and why they are so important and such a Jolly Good Thing.











Compostgirl is helping me test out the various designs to make sure they are "do-able" for her age group...

I hope the participants have as much fun making these items as I have done :-)

2 comments:

mrs green said...

It's been my intention to get to the Gloucester store for about 2 years. Now I'm even more certain I should try and get there! Thanks for the post and have lots of fun with your recycled crafts!

Greentwinsmummy said...

I love the bats! I will do those with the smalls! thanks for sharing :O)
GTM x