The Birds and the Bees…

AGES ago, towards the start of My Make Do and Mend Year, I ‘met’ the lovely Helen from fairandfunky on Twitter.
She and Sophie run fairandfunky-a community interest company with the mission statement: empowering people to take little steps to change the world.
Can you see why we might get on..?!

As well as selling a range of Fairtrade and ethical products through their online shop, they run a range of fantastic recycling workshops for kids, using Fairtrade packaging.
They pop up here, there and everywhere-after-school clubs, markets, and I am told they are even to be at the House of Commons later on this year!

I did a guest post for them on their blog a little while back, and a half-term Upcycling project for the Smalls back in half-term, and now we have teamed up again for a blog swap 🙂

Soooo, this is one of those pretty rare things-a guest post (except those by the lovely hubby!) on My Make Do and Mend Year. (The others were these brilliant ones here and here by the fabulous Kiwi-Jo!)
AND it has a GIVEAWAY attached.
Enjoy 🙂

This summer, why not get crafty with some simple fairandfunky recycling!

We’re delighted to have a blog swap with Make Do And Mend – one of our very good twitter friends. Delighted that our little upcycling activities are welcome by Jen, the ultimate expert!

fairandfunky are out and about with our Butterflies and Bees workshop at a couple of events, but for all those not able to get to Holmfirth or Huddersfield(!) here’s a little how to….

All you need to make a butterfly, or a bee, (or a bonkers alien bug of any kind!) is a cardboard tube, coloured scraps of paper/material/sweetie wrappers, glue, and scissors.
We also use punchinella and pipe cleaners from our pipe cleaner manufacturing friends in Huddersfield who save their scrap for us! (for a chance to WIN your own full fairandfunky kit…..read to the end!)

•  Simply cover the tube in yellow and black for a bee, or any colour of your choice for a beautiful butterfly
• Add eyes, a smiley face, wings, antennae and there you are! It really is that easy! Here are a few we made earlier….

All our workshops change the world.
Just by recycling these few bits of scrap you are taking your little steps to make a positive difference in the world.

Did you know the average family throws away 6 trees worth of paper in their bin a year?
Well fairandfunky don’t like being average.
We like to be different.
We like to change the world.

Making butterflies and bees also gives us the chance to talk about the importance of looking after the environment right on our own doorsteps.
Both are needed for pollination, both are needed for food production, both are in decline.
By talking about them, as we craft, we educate.
And thanks to The Co-operative we have also been able to give away wildflower seeds so that real butterflies and bees will be found in the garden too.

Would you like to make a fairandfunky bug with ALL the fairandfunky recycled goodies?
Would you like to WIN a fairandfunky crafty box filled with all you need and more?
Then all you need to do is:

a)    Share this blog on twitter and facebook; and

b)    Sign up to the fairandfunky newsletter on www.fairandfunky.com before 5th August

So there we have it!
A guest post and a BRILLIANT giveaway!
Leave a comment at the bottom to let us know that you have fulfilled your ‘contractural obligations’ and your very own fairandfunky box full of recycled goodies could be winging it’s way to you 🙂
Good Luck and ‘Get Buzzy’ (that was Helen’s idea…!)

The Smallprint:
A winner will be selected at random on or shortly after the 5th August.
Sorry, but  this offer open to UK residents only