How2Day: Projects From Recycled Products

Puppets can be made easily with recycled materials. marionette image by Vladislav Gajic from Fotolia.com
If you let your creative juices flow, nearly every bit and bob that you could throw in the trash or recycling bin could be used to create a fun project for you and the kids. When you keep them organized, used paper bags, magazines, salsa containers, old fabric, and other materials can be put to good use for creating all sorts of things. Part of the creative process for projects like these is to find as many ways to use recycled products as possible.

Gather old socks, bits of fabric, string, yarn, buttons, paper bags and other old sewing materials to make recycled puppets. Use old socks or paper bags as the body, then attach pieces of fabric for hair, or cut pieces into the shapes of eyes, mouths and noses. If you have some old clothes that can't be reused or donated to a charity for resale, use them now for scrap fabric or for bits of clothing for your puppets.

You'll need old egg cartons for this classic school project. Cut the bottom of an egg carton in half the long way, so the bumps become the bumps on the caterpillar's back. Use old buttons for eyes, and find used straws or twist ties from your last loaf of bread for antennae. If you have paints on hand, use the top half of the egg carton as your painter's palette. If you have small amounts of wall paint from your last home project, use that to paint the caterpillars; just add a bit of food coloring to make them the color you want.

According to Northern Illinois University, Americans throw out 46 million tons of newspaper each year -- the equivalent of 782 million trees. You can cut down on some of that yourself, by making sculptures with homemade papier mache. Make your own papier mache pulp by shredding newspapers, then placing them in a blender to shred them to a fine pulp. Create a form for your sculpture with old hangers or other bits of wire. Mix the pulp with enough water to form a paste. Cover your wire form with papier mache, and let it dry. Use some leftover paint to paint the sculpture once it's dry.

You can make your own creative envelopes from old calendars and magazines. Get an envelope template online, print it with a piece of scratch paper and cut out your pretty calendar images from years past. Use the envelopes to send your correspondence. Be sure to let people know how you made it and encourage your recipients to try the idea.

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