We’re all being encouraged to reduce, reuse and recycle, and that should apply to your craft supplies as well. Instead of constantly buying new paper and materials, have a look around your home for items that can be turned into new projects. For example, can those empty baby food jars be turned into unique candle holders? Perhaps your old clothes can become pillow cases or pot holders? And how creative can you get with an empty egg carton? In this article, we’ll show you some simple crafts using items from around the house.
We all have empty jars kicking around our cupboards. Instead of tossing them, you can turn them into potpourri containers that you can use again and again. It’s economical and a good way to be green. All you need is a clean jar (baby food jars are ideal), a paper or lace doily, an elastic band, and your favorite potpourri. All you have to do is fill the jar with potpourri, cover it with the lace, and secure it with an elastic band, or instead of a plain elastic band, use a hair band with some sparkle or flowers on it to secure the doily. This will make a potpourri holder that looks attractive in any room.
Toilet paper or paper towel tubes are craft supplies with endless possibilities. You can turn them into napkin rings, egg holders and ornaments. To make a really environmentally friendly project, turn the tubes into pencil holders. You’ll need an empty tube with all the paper removed, some popsicle sticks, cardboard, paint or markers, glue and rubber bands. Small erasers and glitter are optional supplies. Start by painting or coloring the popsicle sticks. You can choose a theme like red and white to make a pencil holder that looks like a candy cane or add some blue to pay tribute to Old Glory.
While the sticks are drying, trace the end of the toilet paper holder on to cardboard. Cut this circle out and glue it to one end of the cardboard tube. This becomes your base. You can also use cork for this purpose. Once that has dried, cover the tube with a coating of glue and carefully attach the popsicle sticks. Wrap with rubber bands until dry. If you want additional decorations, you can glue small erasers in fun shapes and colors to the sticks or add a layer of bright glitter.
Old or unwanted CDs and DVDs usually end up in the trash because people don’t know what to do with them. Here’s a simple way to turn them into craft projects for the kids. Collect some old discs, metallic string, glue, and gem stones or shells from a discount store. You can usually get a big bag of them for a buck. Glue two discs back to back with the shiny sides facing outward and loop the metallic string through the middle. Decorate the discs with the gemstones and shells. Voila – you have pretty, reflective ornaments that you can hang anywhere!
Almost all items around your house can be turned into craft supplies so use your imagination. Turn old jars into coin collectors, attach old Christmas cards or post cards to some cardboard and cut it up to make a homemade puzzle or transform a show box into a treasure chest! Not only will you enjoy the time you spend with your family making kids crafts, you’ll teach them the importance of being earth friendly.
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