by Denise Murphy

Created on: June 02, 2010

Craft Ideas Using Recycled Materials

Keeping our landfills from over use is a great reason to start recycling materials into great craft projects.  Spring is a great time to start planning your garden and recycled materials can play a great part in making gardening crafts.  Crafts made from recycled materials are also a great way to instruct the next generation in protecting our resources and reusing available materials.  Children love to make craft projects and you may be surprised at just how many projects you can do with simple recycled materials around your own home.  Here are four examples to get you started:

Stepping Stones:

* Left over concrete from a sidewalk project

* Pieces of broken colorful dishes or old aquarium gravel

* A left over tinfoil pie tin (washed and dried)

Pour the concrete into the pie tin and wait for it to start to harden.  Once the top is starting to become firm place the colored aquarium gravel or broken pieces of the dishes into a colorful pattern.  You could try a butterfly, a bug, a star or just about anything your imagination takes you for a design to express yourself.

Recycled Mirror:

* Any size of old mirror even with worn edges

* A new hanging bracket with adhesive

*  Recyclable seashells, buttons, marbles, artificial flowers or even small toys

Clean the mirror and dry completely.  Attach the hanging bracket with the adhesive and let dry.  Using a hot glue gun begin gluing the seashells, buttons, marbles, artificial flowers or small toys around the edges of the mirror covering the worn areas and keep the area even all the way around the mirror leaving the center free.  Wait for the glue to cool and set up before hanging your new mirror.

License Plate Birdhouse:

* 1 old license plate, washed and bent in half without breaking

* 1 old wooden bird house with a missing or damaged roof

The license plate is used to replace the roof of the bird house and can be nailed to the wooden bird house and you can immediately hang the bird house back in the tree or place on a high post.

Coconut Shell Bird Feeder:

* A half of a coconut shell, coconut removed as much as possible

* Four pieces of chain

Drill three holes evenly around the top of the coconut shell and attach the chains through the holes.  Use a large left over keyring to fasten the three chains together and then attach a hanging chain with a keyring at the top for hanging your new coconut bird feeder.  Fill with grape jelly to attract songbirds or seed mix with fruit such as cherries.

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