Recycled Gifts
It's time to start crafting for holiday gift giving. Who wants a tin can pencil holder?
No. I already have ten.
But it's recycled!
Umm. So? There are plenty of amazing ways to reuse objects destined for the landfill or recycling center. And not all of them are pencil holders! The craft ideas suggested below can be used for holiday gifts and can inspire discussions on product lifespan, the waste stream, and stewardship. The processes of decomposition and biodegradation ensure efficient recycling of organic materials; creating soil, feeding creatures, sustaining plants. What happens to our waste products? What do they nourish? And how can we reduce waste? Get crafty and reuse!
Activities:
Decoupaged Votive Candle Holder
Materials: glass jars, mod podge, pressed flowers and leaves, tissue paper, scissors, brushes
Procedure: Collect and press flowers or leaves to dry them out. Or cut colored tissue paper into shapes such as starts, moons, butterflies. Cover jars with mod podge. Stick on leaves, flowers, or shapes, cover with more mod podge. tear white tissue paper into pieces and stick on jar. Cover with more mod podge. Let dry. Place votive candle inside.
For more instructions see: http://www.makingfriends.com/votive_flowers.htm
Recycled Calendar Stationery Set
Materials: old calendars, paper, pens, glue, scissors
Procedure: Use the template provided on the site below to trace and cut calendar pages into envelopes. Use the small pictures on the back of the calendar for the stationary. Glue a small picture to the corner of a piece of paper. Create a decorative border with pens.
For more instructions see http://www.makingfriends.com/recycled_stationery.htm
Recycled T-Shirt Bag
Materials: t-shirts, sewing machine or needle and thread, scissors
Procedure: Cut off the arms of the t-shirt. Cut a hole around the neck. Turn it inside out and sew up the bottom.
For more instructions see http://www.marthastewart.com/article/good-thing-t-shirt-bag
For an entire book on how to turn t-shirts into other t-shirts (but cooler!) check out Generation T: 108 ways to Transform a T-Shirt from the Seattle Public Library
Cap Stamps
Materials: plastic soda bottle or container caps, styrofoam trays, pens or pencils, ink pad, scissors, glue
Procedure: Trace the bottle caps on the stryofoam and cut out. Draw designs into the styrofoam. Glue to bottle caps. Use as stamps in ink pad
For more instruction see: http://thelongthread.com/?cat=20&paged=2
Easy Weave News-Print Basket
Materials: newspaper, plastic jar, scissors, clear tape
Procedure: Cut the newspaper into strips. Tape two strips together to form a cross. tape another two on top to create an asterisk. Place this on the bottom of a jar and fold the strips up the side and over the lip of the jar. Weave strips horizontally around the jar, taping at the ends. Remove the jar and tape vertical ends under.
For more instruction see: http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/crafts-by-material/recyclable-projects/easy-weave-newsprint-basket-858559/
Tin Can Robots
Materials: tin cans, random pieces (tin foil, paper clips, bottle caps, wires) hot glue gun
Procedure: Turn tin can into a robot by gluing found objects on as eyes, mouth, arms, antennae
For more instruction see: http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/crafts-by-material/recyclable-projects/can-do-robots-674831/
