FUN RECYCLED CRAFT IDEAS!

“Amaya, where are you”???  I yell, after searching for our 8 year old daughter in every nook and cranny of our house.  “I’m in the garaaagggeee”!!!! I hear her scream back.  I go out to see what she is up to, and of course she is digging through our recycling and collecting boxes upon boxes and other interesting papers and trash in her little arms.  This is an almost daily occurrence in this household, and while my OCD self shudders at the thought of bringing garbage back INTO the house, I know she is about to spend hours creating the most random and unique objects and her imagination is soaring. “Mom, this box is going to be a volleyball court and this old string is going to be made into the net”!  “Mom, I’m going to make a milk carton out of this piece of this colorful paper I found”!  It’s endless. I see old cereal and shoe boxes, she sees an indoor miniature golf course and a giraffe mailbox.

In celebration of earth day and nurturing our children’s beautiful and innovative minds, I’m going to share some of her creations, along with links and how-tos so you can try something similar at home!  

1) Miniature Golf Course

What you will need - these are suggestions, you really can use almost anything:

• Empty boxes (cereal, shoe, beverage, pizza, etc - any boxes can work)!
• Scissors
• Markers
• Empty paper towel and toilet paper rolls
• Paper Plates
• Get creative - you can really add almost anything to your course!  Shredded paper, rubber bands, the options are endless.
• A golf club or bat 
• Tennis ball or other small ball

 

1. Cut holes on either end of each “hole” so that ball can go in one way and out another
2. Make ramps using the empty paper towel rolls
3. Attach toilet paper rolls to insides of boxes to create a mini obstacle course
4. Try adding shredded paper or yarn to cover a hole as added decoration...or rubber bands to one section so the ball bounces off!
5. Number or label each hole  and make the course as long as you wish!
6. Check out this Pinterest post for more ideas ​

2) Candy Squishy (this is an Amaya original and a much more simple project) 

What you will need:

• Pair of old stockings
• Stuffing (cotton balls or pillow stuffing, etc) 
• 2 rubber bands 
• Thick yarn 
• Fabric marker 

1. Take the stockings and cut the wider section at the hip and then about a foot down the leg, so you have a tube of material.  
2. Fill to your liking and then wrap a rubber band around each end and trim the ends, leaving at least 3 inches on either side.
3. With the yarn, wrap and tie/make a bow over the rubber bands (so you don’t see them). 
4. Finally, decorate the stocking using fabric markers!

3) Guitar

What you will need:

• Cereal or shoe box 
• Empty paper towel tube 
• Scissors 
• Markers or crayons 
• 8 rubber bands 

1. Cut a 3-4” circle in the center of one side of the cereal box. You can use a container top to trace a perfect circle or just get it close by eye.
2. Punch two sets of six holes in a straight line at each end of the box using the craft knife, scissors or small screwdriver, but do not make them too big. These holes should be close to the box edges and approximately 1/2 inch apart from each other to allow room for string vibration.
3. Cut six V-shaped grooves into each crayon as shown below. The rubber band will sit in these grooves when attached.
4. Cut six rubber bands. Thread them through the small holes on one side of the box and tie knots from inside the box to keep them from pulling out. Then stretch each rubber band across to the matching hole on the other side and again, thread it through using a screwdriver. Secure each rubber band with another inside knot.
5. Next, cut an X, roughly the size of the paper towel tube at the unopened end of the box. Gently press the flaps inward and continue adjusting until the paper towel tube fits snug and tight.
6. Secure the crayons in place with the two remaining rubber bands to lift the "strings" up from the box.
7. Then… decorate and jam out! ​

4) Giraffe Mailbox (another Amaya original) 

What you will need :

• Shoe box - large /adult - Body 
• Shoe box - small /kids - Head 
• Paper bowl - Forehead
• Coffee Can - Neck
• Shredded packing paper - Mane
• Scrap cardboard pieces - Ears/Snout 
• 2 thick wooden spools - Ossicones (Don’t feel bad: Google)
• Googly eyes 👀 
• Acrylic paint and/or Glittery paper
• Zip ties 

Before you start putting this together, make sure when putting together the giraffe both boxes have openings with lids facing bottom. Cut a rectangular hole towards the back of the larger shoe box (this is where the "mail" will go). Cut sides towards the front of small top box cover (this is so the giraffe can open its mouth)!
​

1. The 3 main elements (“Head” Shoe box/”Neck” Coffee can/”Body” Shoe box) can be attached with the Zip Ties. Simply punch 2 holes ½”inch between each, in the top lid of the “Head” shoe box towards the back half, punch 2 holes ½”inch between each in the center/top of the can (the “Neck”) and thread the Zip Tie between both for a firm fit.
2. Punch 2 holes ½”inch between each in the top lid of the “Body” shoe box (towards the front half), punch 2 holes ½”inch between each in the center/bottom of the can (the “Neck”) and thread the Zip Tie between the two firmly.
3. Once all three main elements are attached, glue a paper bowl to the back of the head. 
4. From here, you can glue on the ossicones/wooden spools and attach ears (trick : to get ears to stick out properly cut into the box and insert them into the slits. 
5. Here's the fun part - paint! Acrylics work best. And when dry, cut out different shapes to add as spots, and a special larger piece for the snout (with 2 holes for nostrils).
6. Glue on googly eyes and mane. 

And to continue the fun, you can leave your child surprise notes or letters inside for them to find!

​
5) Egg Carton Collection Box (for jewelry or anything your little one likes to collect)!

What you will need:

• Egg carton for the box
• Paint
• Craft Glue
• Foil wrapped around cardboard (if you want to include a “mirror”)
• Scissors
• Other cartons to cut up and use as decoration, stickers, glitter, you name it!

1. Paint your egg carton. You will need to paint the inside, allow to dry, and then flip the egg carton over to paint the outside and allow that to dry.
2. Decorate the egg carton. Glue and stick anything you would like to on the lid of the jewellery box, and even on the inside lid if you want. Stick a piece of mirror board or a piece of cardboard covered with alfoil on the inside.

If you want to add flowers made from another egg crate, check this link out!

6) Fidget Spinner

What you will need :

• Cardboard 
• Toothpick 
• Coins 
• Strong pva glue 
• Scissors 
• Something to poke (like a needle) 

Here's a video tutorial as it explains the best and you can pause along the way. 

6) Origami Milk Carton 

What you need :

• Piece of paper 
• Glue stick 
• Pencil 
• Ruler 
• Markers to decorate 

This is also too complicated to list the steps, check out this how-to video. ​