Recycled Materials Crafts –Just in Time for Valentine’s Day and Easter
You may think that you don’t have room for all this stuff, but it can be condensed into a fairly compact area that can fit in most closets for home-schoolers or classrooms for teachers.
First, you’ll need a system for sorting materials. If you don’t have cubbies for craft use, make your own by with large, deep rectangular bins from laundry soap, cardboard boxes, etc. Lay them on their sides with the mouths open facing forward.
If you have a closet, stack them upright. If you have shelves, stack them horizontally. This will create ‘pigeon holes’ to sort recycling. If they don’t stack well, attach them together with duct tape. Create a design similar to the units from the bulk section of a grocery store. Label each bin with permanent marker in large letters. Save items including but not limited to:
egg cartons (nested for ease of storage): These make great flowers, caterpillars, cars, Mancala games(see instructions), disposable paint trays, sorting games, display and storage for rock, coin or other small collections.
various packages and boxes: (collapse them to save space) Use these for model castles and villages, grocery store math, dramatic play, scrap cardboard, backing for pictures, advertising words
magazines (save several different varieties): Use for collages, posters, spelling words, language arts, graphic arts, dioramas, etc.
small plastic covered dishes: (stack inside each other) use for sorting, storage, cutting plastic templates, model villages and castles, seed and plant starters, chemistry experiments, mixing compounds, plaster of paris (never rinse this down the drain; use throw away dishes)
baby food jars: (store carefully) Make snow globes, baby tornadoes (Fill with water and one drop of dish soap; shake in a circular motion to create a vortex.)
milk jugs: (cut apart and nested) Cut out handle and part of side to make a shovel, scoop or trowel (using a triangle shape). Cut out around opening to create simple funnel. Use these in a sand table. Make a simple bird feeder by cutting a ‘window’ in the side and hanging by the handle.
coffee tubs: Make tribal drums and shakers adding a few pieces of dry popcorn. Have a drum circle.
pot pie tins: (nested) These make great tambourines and shakers. Fill with popcorn or rice, staple and poke holes with a nail or punch. Tie jingle bells on to colored ribbon. Tie ribbons through holes.
paper towel/toilet paper tubes: These can be made into all sorts of crafts. Check out www.enchantedlearning.com for many uses.
old greeting cards: Use for language arts, graphic arts, spelling.
paper grocery bags: (folded) Use for native vests (cut up the middle with an opening for the head). Decorate for gift bags. Attach cut-outs of body parts (skeletal, digestive, muscular, circulatory system) for a model ‘human body vest’ for science.
shoe boxes: These won’t fit in bins, so nest and stack separately. Use for handmade games, dioramas, storage, treasure boxes, etc.
old crayons and candles: Use for shaving, candles, etc.
holiday decorating stuff: plastic berries, leaves, flowers, paper doilies, garlands, etc. for crafts and dioramas.
bread bags: Use for storage, disposal, and covering.
fabric scraps: Use for decorating, sewing, stuffing, graphic arts, costumes, puppets, etc.
plastic grocery bags: cut bottom out and use for disposable art shirts, project storage and covering, trash can liners
wood scraps: Use for collages, construction, science.
decorative paper scraps: Save wallpaper samples, foil, wrapping paper, construction paper; use for collages and mosaics.
tablecloths: Use for drop cloths for painting or messy play, picnics, homemade maps, etc.
pill bottles: Use for science, sorting, storage, noisemakers, etc.
string and yarn scraps: Save twine, colored yarn, kite string, fish line, floss, etc.
metal scraps: (Avoid getting wet) Save keys, washers, nuts,bolts, screws, chain, bottle caps. wire. Use for science, collage, and language arts.
With this assortment of recycled materials, you’ll have the foundation for an excellent school, home-school, daycare, church school, camp or classroom supply center for arts and crafts.
