Camp Tales - High Ropes

At one camp, part of staff training involved teamwork activities, one of which included a high ropes course that was a part of the offerings at camp. For those not sure what a high ropes course is, it is like an obstacle course build up high in tress or poles. Ours was located up in a bunch of trees that were reached by a high ladder and ended with a zip line across a field. Every person who went up on the course was required to wear a harness for safety and support that high up. (Part of our naturalist staff was trained and certified in this.)

The first year, I made it up the ladder to the platform, but my fear of heights was so severe that I didn't make it any further and ended up coming down. I helped catch people when they came off the zip line.

The second year, I got a little braver. Despite my nearly debilitating fear of heights I got up the ladder, hooked up to the harness, and through the course... somehow. My high ropes course partner was just about as afraid of heights as I was and we spent a large amount of the course with me wrapped around a tree and my partner wrapped around me and the tree. We made it through, taking the shortest route we could and even made it across the field on the zip line. Facing our fears is not always an easy thing to do, but it can be done and there can be great rewards as a result.

Painted Birdhouse

From a family reunion Craft Station. (Who would figure with my family... )

Camp Tales - Can You Hear Me Now?

Have you ever tried to make a phone call in the middle of nowhere? Have you ever wandered around with your phone out in front of you trying to find a spot where you can get a single bar as you watch your phone at "no service"? Live at camp in the middle of now where and you will understand.

At the Ohio camp I called home for more than one summer cell phone rage was a big hit or miss. We had a land line that rang into the staff quarters, but it also rang into the kitchen and the office. Some cell companies didn't get any service at all, many of the locals had a service that that was sketchy, but most of us had to climb a big hill and wander around until we found that lucky bar that allowed us to check messages and get calls out. I had a system of going to the large wooden cross at the top of the hill and then walking away from it in multiple directions until I found service. Once I got service I could move around more, sometimes adjusting as needed.

Most summer camp programs don't allow campers to have cell phones, but staff is a whole different story. Trips into town often involved cell phone message rings going off the closer into town we got. I found that you might wander a bit to get ell phone reception but you could get a great view in the process.

Camp Tales - For the Love of the Spiders

Most of my rules and daily life at camp involved creativity, creation, and the safety of those who spent time in my Craft Hall. I encouraged my campers to create and assured them in their creativity was one of their greatest gifts. But there was another lesson I was trying to constantly instill in my young charges - to constantly respect the natural world around us and the creatures that made this place their home during the months we were there and the months we were not. Protecting the spiders and the webs in the corners of my raft Hall was nearly a constant battle. Somehow any of these kids saw the spider webs in the high corners of the pavilion that sered as a Craft Hall as a threat that needed someone clean out. Perhaps it was the hippy in me, but the one rule that I had to constantly remind both campers and counselors was to respect my spiders. I reminded them that during the months that we were not there, the critters were the only ones who called this places home. I reminded them that the critters called this place home year round and not a week at a time, like they did. I reminded them that the spiders had an important job to catch other bugs and mosquito's, the very ones they often complained about biting them. I reminded them constantly, that the spiders were my friends and did not like my friends being injured or their work undone. Somehow, my spiders were generally left alone and I hope that a few kids gained a new light about the world around them.

For the love of my spiders... leave them in peace.

Camp Tales - Flooded

In honor of the recent heavy rains...

At the first camp I spent my summers in the Craft Hall, the camp was divided into two sides and connected by a driving a bridge and an iconic walking bridge. The boys cabins were located on one side, with the pool, a Recreation Building, and a scattering of other buildings. This was usually refered to as the "Boys' Side," for obvious reasons. The other side, included the multi-purpose building (that housed the staff), the camp offices, the dining hall, the Craft Hall, and of course, the girls cabins. (This calling it the "Girls' Side.) Each side had bathrooms and showers and a road to get in and out (although the one side was less used and needed a vehicle capable of rougher terrain.) The bridges were very important to movement back and forth connecting camp, as well as for non-resident staff to get to the staff parking and for delivery trucks to the dining hall.

Boards were placed in the car bridge regularly to dam it for canoeing, a feat that often took multiple staff members to achieve safely. We had to be careful in times of rain, especially rain as the water would rise a start to lap over it. With caution some vehicles could get over this like going through a puddle, but after one very heavy rain driving over the bridge became impossible for ANY vehicle, not matter how high they sat. The high water flooded over the driving bridge and onto the bank, too fast and deep to risk any vehicle, and leaving access to the two sides of camp to a higher sitting walking bridge. (Where all these pictures were taken from.) Extra caution was taken and food delivery trucks had to be unloaded on one side of camp and carried across the foot bridge and across most of the camp to get to the kitchen/dining hall. The real adventure was seemed to be on the smaller cars "trapped" on the other side of the bridge, unable to leave without using the back road, a rough one through trees and up a steep hill. With caution, it could be done, but there was a very real fear of bottoming out or getting stuck.

Camp life was rarely boring and one never knew what might lead to the next adventure, even heavy rain and a low lying bridge.

Camp Tales - The Freezer

The first summer I was at camp, I started the summer off with cleaning, organizing, sorting and taking a general account of supplies. (This would become typical for the beginning of these summers at camp.) I had become begrudgedly accustomed to finding the the occasional dead furry thing amongst the boxes of yarn, fabric, popsicle sticks, old magazines, markers, beads, thread, & so on. (I had an agreement with the Head Naturalist/Environmental Ed Director that as long as I didn't freak out over the dead things or the live ones I came across, he would make one of the naturalists remove the dead animal from my space.) It was common to come across where animals had sought refuge bedding and food especially during the old months when the raft Hall was closed up. I had entire cardboard box of twine that had been so destroyed from wintering mice, that I ended up heaving into the dumpster.

As I cleaned that first summer, I found any things from summer's past as I sorted through through boxes crates, spider webs, and dirt. As I moved boxes I was prepared for things that moved, slithered, and crawled. Beneath a pile of boxes I found an old freezer. It was a smallish chest freezer, still decorated with ice cream stickers from when it had lived once in the camp store. It was not uncommon to use old freezers for storage against ravaging critters and I wondered if it still worked or if it was full of more craft supplies. I opened the lid slowly, not sure what I would find, but not prepared for what I did find. Eyes stared up at me, but not the living kind. I slammed the lid tightly, before slowly opening it again. It was a working freezer full of carefully wrapped dead birds and tiny mice and baby bunnies mostly in clear plastic. For a moment it felt like something from a horror film and I was suddenly recalling how any such films took place at a summer camp deep in the woods. I didn't scream. I didn't yell I didn't run. I quietly closed the lid and left it be until I could figure out what the heck was going on with a freezer of dead animal in my Craft Hall.

I found out later about the freezer and like with any things there was a reasonable explanation. Our camp had a full Nature enter full of stuffed animals that had died of natural causes. Some of the birds and creatures were ones that they were waiting to be taken to the taxidermy when funds were made available. We were also a Bird of Prey Rescue and the frozen mice and baby bunnies were ones that were used to be to be cut up and fed to injured birds in need of food. (It made me very glad not to be one of the Naturalists that this task often fell to.) It all made sense when explained, but looking back the explanation would have been nice to come BEFORE I opened a freezer of dead animals looking up at me.

Camp Tales - A Rustic Life

Five Girls - One Shower

Camp is a different world and if you have never gone, it's hard to understand. When you live and work there for an entire summer it is a VERY different world. There is a rawness that seeps from and through every aspect. AT one camp my craft hall consisted of a pavilion with a storage space on the end I shared with the naturalists, at another I had a real room, but it was still on the rustic side. Showers, meals, cabins... everything tends to favor the rustic side of life, even the staff. For many kids, it is their first time away from home and their parents. It is not uncommon for counselors to have to strongly remind campers to shower or brush their teeth. Admittedly, the staff often looks a little different than they do in real life as well, adapting to life in the middle of now where. It's not surprise that camp life often a attracts people that tend to favor what many might consider among the hippy variety. While we showered and I know of no staff that let personal hygiene lack, I admit that it was no uncommon that my one roommate and I had a tendency to wait to brush our hair AFTER breakfast. As staff we couldn't get away with pajamas in the dining hall (dress codes), but we highly valued our time sleep time in the morning, choosing to make our tea and pulling hair into pony tails or loose knots over taking the time to actually do something with it. We brushed it, after breakfast when we had more time.

Even when we weren't pulling our hair into a knot for breakfast, camp brings out a different part of a person and their appearance. My long hair was usually pulled back into a variety of pony tails, braids, and pig tails. While the staffs I lived and worked with embraced the more natural and rustic life, we also looked forward to dressing up a bit. One summer on one of our first visits off site our excitement evolved from a heading into town for dinner to being able to wear the things we couldn't on site (tank tops & halter tops not going with our working dress code) to actually going through the process of doing our hair and even applying some make-up. The guys we lived with shook their heads, but later that evening many of the campers we spent our days and meals with didn't recognize us. I would find surprise later with campers and counselors that I ran into after camp was done and we all went back to our regular lives.

Yes, camp life is different. It's special and allows a bit of rawness that the rest of the world doesn't always have a place for. For some people it's just a summer, for others it gets into their blood.

Beaded Rings

Sometime ago I was wondering through our local Dollar Tree looking for candy and treats to put inside my carrots for Easter and I came across a 'Bead Ring Kit' for a dollar. It came with over 2500 beads and about 120 inches of memory wire. I figured for that I couldn't lose, even if the instructions were horrible or non-existent. Well, I was right on the instructions, but I am now armed with new wire and little beads. (Oh, the possibilities!)

I came up with a way to make a couple beaded rings. (A red flower with green band & pearl-like center, a pearl cloud burst on blue, and a fiery peace sign.) It took a little bit of trial and error, some creativity as I laid the beads out on a re-used black tray (from my recycling bin). The tray gave me a work space that I didn't have to worry about beads rolling away. It took a little playing, but I managed to figure out a way to make them. The rest of the wire and beads will be used... just not exactly sure what for yet.

Flower Ring

Fiery Peace Sign Ring

Camp Tales - A Sinking Feeling

At one camp the Craft Hall and the Nature Center worked together whenever we could to combine crafts & nature. One of our favorite shared projects was to make plaster castings of animal prints. We kept our eyes at for good spots; along the nearby river or the on-site pond served rich with tracks of animals coming in for water.

One sunny afternoon a small group of staff (including me and the toy Pomeranian that lived with me on site) took a group of kids and headed towards a creek that was fed by the river. It was rich with tracks of deer and raccoon of all sizes. There were some wonderful & delicate tiny prints from baby raccoon. To make the castings the animal print in filled in with the plaster of paris mixture, let dry, removed, allowed to dry thoroughly, and cleaned. (We always made sure to put the camp name and year on the bottom as well.) This meant you had to get to the print to fill it and then again after it set.

On this particular day, some of the kids found some great prints on the other side of the little creek, that seemed rather shallow. My five foot three frame started across the muddy space, while one of the younger staffers stayed on the bank with the kids and my 5 lb. dog. The bottom was muddy and my feet stuck a few times, but mud and dirt are a part of camp & nature. No big deal, right? I thought that, until I got stuck. It wasn't just a little stuck, I sunk and as mud and water moved up past my knees and towards my waist I wasn't able to get myself unstuck. I probably would have sunk more, but I found a hard surface on a log that had fallen into. (If it wasn't a log, I don't want to know and would rather continue to believe it was a log.) A few of the kids were worried, I was drenched, and my little dog was freaking out from his perch in the dog purse. (I know it doesn't sound very camp-like, but most of the staff had dogs on site, mine was just small and elderly.) With a little help from the fellow staffer in the muck and mud with me I was able to get freed from the mud and back to dry land. I was covered in mud from toe to waist, but the dog and the kids seemed much happier to have me unstuck.

We got a number of good castings that day and I was able to sen a younger staffer to find me a change of dry shorts from my cabin while we cleaned them up. I may have been stuck in mud up to my knees and water a bit higher, but mud is a part of life sometimes... and definitely a part of camp life.

Tissue Paper Carnation

April Showers Bring May Flowers - and I'm going to get those flowers even if i have to make them out of tissue paper.

(My mom taught me how to make these years ago in Girl Scouts.)

Simple supplies: Tissue paper (any color) and something to secure (string, yarn, wire, twisty ties, floral wire, pipe cleaners, even a stapler will work). I used twisty ties in this simple tutorial

Camp Tales - The Spider

Nature is a part of working and living at a summer camp. It is part of the challenge, the perks, the overall experience. Most of it is good, occasionally we run across things that are not so good - like when the bridge connecting the two side of camp is flooded (again), bug bites, poison ivy (not me, but others), bad cell phone service (and climbing a hill to get it), camp food (even from good kitchens staff gets sick of the constant repeats), shared living space (everyone gets pushed sometimes), and bathroom situations (at Girl Scout camp we used latrines). I expected mice. I expected snakes and bugs... I actually like a lot of them, defending & protecting the spider webs in my Craft Hall corners, but spending my days in a Craft Hall one does not expect to run across some of the same things a Naturalist might. I was a bit wrong.

At one camp my Craft Hall was located near the Camp Office, staff quarters, a recycling shed, and down a little hill from the kitchen at the back end of the dining hall. It was a good location, convenient, but much of my own space. I liked having the Recycling Shed nearby for retrieval or disposal of things like cardboard. One quiet afternoon I had been cleaning and organizing (a constant battle in that world) and headed the short walk to the shed, a piece of cardboard in hand. As I opened the sliding metal door, I felt something fall down the side of my face, inside of my glasses, and down. I thought perhaps it was a dust ball or something, but as I looked down to my arm, I was not expecting to see a large brown spider. (About an inch to inch-and-a-half in diameter of legs.) I knew what it was, having had a Naturalist show me a large, battle scarred brown recluse that was living in a woodpile not long before. With the brown recluse resting on the edge of my three quarter sleeve, I look around me. No one was in sight and it was doubtful if anyone would hear me call out without having to yell and even then not necessarily right away. With a piece of cardboard in hand, I made a decision and with one swift movement of the cardboard I sent the spider flying and away from me. I like spiders and had no desire to kill the thing, but I did not want it on me or biting me. It just goes to show you, that even the Craft Instructor can face down the BIG bugs that can hurt you while keeping one's cool and without needing rescued. (Although, I happily took the help when it came to removing the occasional dead mouse or squirrel found among my storage shelves.)

Check Out More About the Brown Recluse

Crepe Paper Carrots

My family does holidays in a big way - big family, big food spread, a big gathering. When things in your life are often big (like family and holiday dinners), it's nice to remember the details. This year, I got inspired by Martha Stewart's Crepe Paper Carrots and decided to make a basketful to share with the many bunnies in my family.

As usual, I took a bit of creative freedom and read the comments & suggestions added by people since there wasn't much to the directions I found. Then I came up with my own way of working with what I have and found. (As much love as I have for Martha and her website, some of her projects include little or no usable instructions and you have to figure things out on your own, this was no exception.) Mine don't look exactly like Martha's, but I'm not worried. I'm sure they will be appreciated just as they are.

I started with a selection of candy, small toys, and temporary Easter tattoos (most of which I picked up at a local dollar store) for the filling. (Suckers, licorice, pixie sticks, some gummy bunny teeth, bubbles, little horns, frogs, etc.)

To help give a base shape (and with an unneeded concern for running out of crepe paper),  I started with cut squares of white tissue paper that I folded in half diagonal, to make a triangle. Using a long toy or piece of candy I started the basic shape in the white tissue paper, wrapping it up in a cone (or carrot-like) shape, using dots of hot glue to secure the end. (I love my mini hot glue gun!)


Using green tissue paper I cut the leaves for the top. (I folded the paper, cutting them into strands that resembled grass, then cut the sections apart.) I secured the leaf tops to the top of the basic white cone with a dot or two or hot glue. (This was done at the top of the white tissue paper or along the side of a plastic wrapper on the top.)

Starting from the bottom, I began wrapping the crepe paper upward, tucking more candy, toys, or temporary tattoos as I went, helping to keep the shape with the bottom more narrow and the top wider. I secured the crepe paper around the top (adding dots of hot glue as needed, but remember not to overdo it), then wrapped downward. Wrapping each carrot upward once and downward once, I was able to give each carrots a center wrap tissue paper with two layers of colored crepe paper, tucking in little presents as I went. Using another dot of hot glue, I secure the tissue paper along the bottom or side, tucking as needed.

The carrots are nicely arranged in a basket (at least for now), sitting on some green netting I had on hand.

The rolls of crepe paper I got went a lot further than I thought they would. I ended up getting about 35 carrots from about 1 1/2 rolls of crepe paper and about 2 sheets of green tissue paper (for the leaves). The white tissue paper was something I already had on hand and was cut in wide strips from another project.

These are going to make great favors for our family Easter this year, adding something special to the tables.

I have this weird desire to come up with other vegetables full of little present and made of crepe paper and/or tissue paper for a garden themed party.

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day!

April 22, 2011 is Earth Day. It's time to celebrate Mother Earth, all she gives us, and remember that in giving us continual life she deserves our protection. It's also a day to remind ourselves to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

If you are looking for some inspiration or Earth Day-friendly projects check out some of these:
Rag Rugs
Magazine Bowls
Bleach Bottle Pig Planters
T-Shirt Bag
Denim Purses

Or check out the Recycle Tag above for more ideas.

Also check out these sites for more about Earth Day and what you can do:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Day
http://www.earthday.org/
http://earthday.nature.org/
http://www.homefarming.com
Woman's Day Eco-Friendly Tips

Birdhouse from Milk Jug

In honor of Earth Day, I wanted to share this project to turn an clean, empty milk/juice jug into an Earth-friendly home for local birds. I remember making them in Girl Scouts and growing up with birdhouses and bird feeders made this way in our trees.

Camp Tales - The Snake

One of my favorite camp memories is about a snake. This wasn't just any snake, this was a snake that decided to take up residence in the Craft Hall for the better part of a day.

It started as a typical tie dye day in the Craft Hall. (Tie Dye Day was always weekly must.) Before my first session I was prepping the space. I had dye ready and waiting in the buckets with rubber bands, clothes pins, masking tape, & fabric markers set out in wait for eager hands, a tie dye shirt on, and was hanging multiple examples from the rafters to help inspire them. (When working with groups, especially kids, I prefer to have a variety of examples to show them everything does not need to end up looking the same.)

Standing atop a ladder, I was about halfway across the rafter hanging shirts (from my large personal collection) when I looked up, coming face to face with THE snake. I admit, I do not know my snakes as well as I wish I did and had no idea what kind it was; only that it was very large and that it was currently only a few feet above where I would soon have a group of eager campers. I calmly stopped what I was doing, climbed down the ladder, and moved quickly to the camp office next door to find the Environmental Ed Director (or Head Naturalist) to let him know I had visitor. Excited, he came to check out our new friend, who he explained was a female rat snake, harmless to my human campers that would be arriving soon. Knowing the kids would be fine, I decided to not let them know about the new friend right above them, in an attempt to have the snake left alone.

One of my campers, a little girl, was armed with her camara when she arrived and was happily clicking away throughout the time she spent with me (and the snake resting above). We made it through the morning without any of the campers realizing the what was right above one of the front rafters (not over any of the tables). The little girl was telling me about how much she loved nature and all sorts of creature and wanted to get as many pictures as possible. She showed no fear or nervousness over the dirt or bugs or critters that are often a part of camp life, so as most the campers were gone, leaving mostly just counselors, I asked the girl if she wanted a special photo op. She was eager and ready.... so we all thought.... until.... I pointed out my new friend. The little girl who loved nature and all critters DID NOT LOVE SNAKES and at the sight of the serpent stretched across my rafter she took off screaming on horror. Not the pretend kid of horror... the "I think it's going to eat me" horror. We did catch and calm her down (a bit anyway), but she did not return to the Craft Hall as long as my friend was perched above.

The female rat snake became a nearly instant camp celebrity as she stayed in the rafters for most of the week, whether stretched out along the rafter or curled up in the corner of them. The rest of the staff (from the Camp Director on down) asked about her at meals and some visited. I had an increase of curious boys doing crafts and spent some time on multiple occasions explaining why we were not going to chase the snake away by throwing things at her or spraying her with the hose with my constant conversations involving respecting nature and remembering that we were surrounded by woods. This was their home, we were merely summer visitors. We also had many conversations about the benefits of snakes and I had to put a line down on the floor where they could watch the snake while giving her some space. For the staff, many of the counselors and campers, the snake was an awesome opportunity to see something so beautiful so close. She was that week's celebrity.

Eventually, she moved on, hopefully, taking some of the mice form my Craft Hall with her.

Seashells by the Seashore

Beached Curtain with Shells

With thoughts of summer, my thoughts have turned to sun, sand, and beaches... with the thoughts of the beach and sand I think of seashells. (Between my trips to beaches and trips of friends, I have a fairly large collection tucked away.) Bring on the sun!

The beaded curtains were made years ago from a sturdy hemp chord (which I seem to usually have on hand), medium-sized wooden beads, and various seashells with naturally occurring  holes and places to string the chord. They were first made for a bedroom I had in the attic and followed me a new house and even to a cabin doorway I had. I love the natural look of the wooden beads with shells and a few scattered gold beads. A bit of a hippy-inspired 60s flashback, but that is one of the reasons I love having them and decorating with them.

The little seashell covered boxes were made from tiny plain boxes and decorated with a sturdy glue and tiny colored shells to create a design. (I have a bunch of these little shells, some dyed different colors.) They are great to sit with my some of my mermaid stuff (which I seem to have at least a  few things).

I am so ready for summer.

Rain Stick

"Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day." At least that was the rhyme from when we were kids were stuck inside because of rain. The Rain Stick was made at summer camp, something that was done with older kids and smaller groups.

A rain stick makes the sound of rain using a tube with nails hammered into it and filled with assorted beads, seeds, & pebbles that run down across the nails to make the sound. Then decorated with any assortment of paint, sand, yarn, feathers, and beads. It can be a very soothing sound.

Fossil Imprints

Making paperweights or just something fun can be a great way to get kids involved in exploring nature, being interested in the natural world around them, and make something they can keep. The casting pictured was from projects I did with a three-year-old I took care of one summer (I spent everyday up to 8 or more hours with her, even traveling on vacation with the family as their nanny). We collected flowers, leaves, twigs, pine cones, and other bits from nature and mixed them with seashells as a fun way to learn about nature and fossils. (We did learning projects everyday that summer.) They could be painted when dry to add another element.

We used Plaster of Paris at one of my camps to make imprints of animal tracks. Mainly we found deer and raccoon tracks near places where they went to drink.

Flowered Bottle Necklace

Happy First Day of Spring!

In honor of this wonderful time of year, I was inspired to find a new project for some things I had sitting around here. Recycling some little bottles I had on hand I came up with this flowered bottle necklace that I am considering filling with wildflower seeds to wear carry with me. (Or to give to a friend to carry with them.) Sometimes, a person just needs to have some flowers to share with then world, even in the most powerful form of a seed. This is a super simple project that definitely helped me celebrate the coming of Spring and all it's beauty.

 I started with small glass bottle, I had left from candy making at Christmas time. (Every year I made hard candy for Christmas.) I have a small stash of these small bottles that the flavorings for the candy come in, cleaned and the labels removed. (So don't be surprised to see more projects utilizing these.)

Using acrylic painted I attacked a couple of these small bottles with greens and flowers, letting them dry between layers and then again at the end. (Of course, any theme could work.)

Once dry, I attached hemp cord securely around the neck of the bottle, knotting. (It has a nice earthy look and feel.) Using a bead pattern, I knotted the cord every so bit and added earth tone pony beads, securing the beads with the cord. I finished the end with a knot, leaving the cord long enough to slip over my head without needing a latch. (You could use any jewelry making technique, macrame knots, braid, or selection of beads. The one pictured is just the one I chose this time.)

Now, they just need to be filled with flower seeds and are ready to go. (Maybe give Mother Nature a bit of help spreading her colors.) Bring on Spring! Bring on the flowers!

(Of course, it also could be used for scented oils or something.)

Bleach Bottle Pig Planters

With thoughts of spring and planting...

I've making bleach bottle pig planters since my early days as a Girl Scout. We would make them in multiple sizes, depending on the available bleach bottles, then plant them with flowers to sit on porches or in flower beds.

The strip of pictures are from a Craft Day at the nursing home. (See references to 'The Ladies Who Craft.')The piigs were cut, painted, googly eyes attaches, and sprayed with an acrylic sealer. Once everything was dry the potting soil was added and ivy planted in each. Perfect for window sills.

The instructions below were written out to be used as an example for recycling projects out of everyday things that would otherwise be thrown away. They don't need any special supplies since pain and a a craft knife or scissors are both items most crafters have readily on hand and they are a nice size for most flowers, herbs, or other plants. Most important remember that the emptied bleach bottles must be thoroughly cleaned and rinsed to get rid of any lingering bleach as it WILL KILL ANY PLANTS in the planter otherwise. (Unfortunately, this was not something we were able to do at camp for lack of enough bleach bottles. It can take some time to save up enough for a group.)

You can cut the ears any way you want, just make sure they have the notched flap on the bottom to help keep them in place.

Check out on CutOutandKeep too!