Recycled Crafts
Learn how to encourage your child's love for crafts while also encouraging eco friendliness through the use of recycled crafts and projects
Encouraging your kids to make recycled crafts allows them to explore their creative side, while teaching them about being green. An added benefit is that it saves you money on craft supplies!
If your kids are anything like mine, they love working on crafts. Crafts are a great way for your kids to spend time, it's a much better use of their time than sitting in front of the TV, crafts encourage free thinking, develop fine motor skills, and can be used to teach your kids all kinds of other cool stuff that they wouldn't pay any attention to if you tried to read it to them from a book.
Many eco friendly parents may have some concerns about the amount of waste that crafting creates. That's where recycled crafts come in. With a minimal investment in craft supplies, your children can create great crafts that are eco friendly.
We'll give you tips on creating a recycled craft "box" where you can store items that your children can later use for craft purposes. We'll also give you information on choosing eco friendly items for those craft items you have to purchase, and we'll also show you some cool links where you can get all kinds of free craft ideas - all of them recycled! Also, see the Recycled Craft Box below.
Start with a Rubbermaid Craft Box or other plastic storage box. You can use one large one, or a few smaller boxes. Use what you already have - you can even use cardboard boxes and let your kids decorate them. Use sizes that you can store so they aren't cluttering your home. You now have a place to store your recycled items for future craft projects. It's now time to start saving. Here's a small list of things you may want to save:
- Empty Toilet Paper & Paper Towel rolls
- Glass Containers (save the lids too when you can)
- Old Magazines & Newspapers
- Shoe Boxes & Other Cardboard Boxes
- Frames you aren't using any more
-
Old CD's or DVD's
- Egg Carton
- Paper Bags of any size
- Old clothes - T-shirts, Jeans, Dresses, etc. can all be used
for crafts
- Popsicle Sticks
Be sure to wash any item that once held food very well before allowing your children to use it for craft projects!
Crayons made from bees wax are now available on the market. They cost quite a bit more than Crayola, but have gotten a lot of great reviews because of their eco friendly design and their vivid colors. You can learn more about Bees Wax Crayons made from bees wax are now available on the market. They cost quite a bit more than Crayola, but have gotten a lot of great reviews because of their eco friendly design and their vivid colors. You can learn more about these crayons here.
Recycled Craft Project
In order for your kids to use all of their recycled products to make crafts, there are some things that you'll have to buy. Whenever possible, choose the most eco friendly alternative when making craft purchases. Here's some advice to get you started:
- Choose Items that are made from renewable or sustainable
resources.
- Choose items that are labeled as non-toxic
- Purchase items that are made with plant or vegetable based
dyes.
Soy Crayon Rocks are non-toxic, bright, and easy for small hands to grasp. Given their soy base, they draw smoothly on paper like pastels; not coarsely like traditional wax crayons. Soy Crayon Rocks are available in a nice little treasure bag pack that comes with 8 primary colored rocks - the perfect small gift.
Save The Planet - Recycle
If you need some help coming up with ideas for eco friendly crafts that you can do with your kids, visit our friends at the Making Friends website. They have literally hundreds of free recycled craft ideas with pictures and step-by-step instructions!
Another great resource for finding green crafts you can do with your kids is Kids Going Green. There you will find step-by-step instructions for numerous fun and green crafts, including a video on making recycled paper.
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