By Guest Writer: Dorinda Bredbenner
If your household is like mine you have a ton of items laying around that can be used for craft projects instead of being thrown away. Re-using items from your home is a great way to teach your children about recycling, re-purposing, and creating less waste. Some examples of items that can be used for craft projects are: old Cd’s, toilet paper rolls, scraps of paper and fabric, old puzzle pieces, plastic tubs, ribbons, bubble wrap, lids, milk jugs, shoe boxes, and glass jars, tissue paper, and gift bags.
Here are 3 different project tutorials that my children have enjoyed making at our home.
Fall Trees Using Left Over Bubble Wrap
What you’ll need:
-paper -heavier stock paper works best
-cut squares of bubble wrap. Mine were about 4×4
-paints -yellow, red, orange, brown
-brown markers or crayons
Directions:
- If you child is older they can draw their own tree trunk, if they are younger draw it for them.
- Put a thin layer of each color of paint on a left over lid or reusable bowl or plate.
- Show your child how to take the square of bubble wrap into their hand and dip it into the paint, then dab up and down on the paper in different spots above the tree trunk.
- Use different colors to create a fun fall picture.
Apple Trees
What you’ll need:-toilet paper rolls
-scissors
-green construction paper
-left over red, green, and yellow tissue paper
-glue
Directions:
- Have an adult cut a 1 inch slit on each side of the toilet paper roll. This is where you will slide the green paper in.
- Pre-cut green trees tops out of green construction paper
- Have the child tear off and bunch of little pieces of tissue paper. They will be the apples.
- Have the child glue the apples onto the tree.
- When the apples are dry take the green paper and slide it into the slits at the top of the toilet paper roll.
Cork Floating Sailboats
What you’ll need:
-large skewer or toothpick
-left over corks
-string
-hot glue gun
-triangle piece of foam
Directions:
- A parent will need to hot glue gun 3 corks together along with hot glue the string from the 3 corks to the last cork which will be the handle.
- After the glue is cool stick the skewer into the middle cork
- have the child cut out and decorate the foam triangle
- Stick the foam triangle into the skewer at the top and bottom
- Have fun floating your sailboat in your water table, bath tub, or large dish
Dorinda Bredbenner has a background in teaching and dance and is passionate about living a natural lifestyle. She is a mom to 2 girls, blog writer, and the owner of Raising Green Kids Etsy shop. Her shop includes handmade eco-friendly items that help families save money and resources in a fashionable way. Her blog, RaisingGreenRichmondKids is a blog about living a healthy, sustainable family lifestyle in central Virginia.
