Make An Eco-Friendly Craft Project
Tuesday, March 31st, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
If you’ve been spring cleaning and have a pile of old clothes and Christmas ornaments that you really don’t want to throw out, then why not turn them into a craft project that you can use around the house? Instead of spending your hard earned money on household items like laundry bags, quilts or even bookmarks, you can make them yourself simply and inexpensively. In this article, we’ll walk you through the craft of recycling your used goods!
Simple bookmarks can now cost as much as $10 at a bookstore! You can make them yourself by recycling greeting cards you have received. All you need is old cards, some poster board or cardboard, some felt tip markers, and glue. Cut a strip from the poster board or thin cardboard about 8″ x 2″. Cut strips from the greeting card with the same dimensions and glue them to the cardboard on both sides. If the bookmark is a gift, you can write a message on it. To make the bookmark more durable, cover it with clear contact paper or laminate it. For added decoration, use a hole puncher to make a hole at the top of the bookmark and thread a piece of bright yarn or ribbon through it. You can use the same process to make beautiful gift tags. Just make the strips shorter!
Your old artificial Christmas tree can be turned into fantastic, special projects that will add beauty to your home. We usually associate wreaths with the holidays but by adding some beautiful dried flowers and colorful ribbon, you can recycle your old tree into a decorative piece of art that you can display in your home all year. Using tin snips, remove the branches from the center pole. Take a wire coat hanger and bend it into a circular shape but leave the hook intact. The branches will wrap around the coat hanger easily and you can make it as thick as you want.
To cover the wire hook, just wrap it with cloth ribbon and tuck the end into the boughs or tie them in a neat bow. Once you have secured the branches, you can decorate it any way you wish. You can use hot glue to attach tiny stuffed animals to the boughs for a fun wreath for a child’s room. Or, you can weave silk flowers or artificial berries through the branches for a beautiful hanging in your kitchen or bathroom.
Old clothes can provide a lot of inspiration if you’re looking for a craft project for your kids. As a bonus, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on expensive craft supplies. For fun and eco-friendly crafts for kids, try making bean bag buddies. Start by raiding your sock drawer for singletons and old timers! Fill one up to the heel with dried beans or split peas and tie it with yarn or ribbon. Using a permanent marker, get your kids to draw on happy faces. For older children who are especially artistic, use a needle and yarn to stitch a face on, and voila! You will have a fun and ecologically sound toy that your kids can enjoy. If everyone makes one, you can have a whole family of bean bag buddies!
Thinking up fun and interesting ways to recycle a household item into a craft project is a great way to get your creative juices flowing. Check out craft fairs, craft books and the internet for ideas on making eco-friendly projects. You’ll be amazed at all the wonderful things you can do with items that you thought were ready for the garbage.
