Upcycling is the process in which you take an item and use it for a different purpose. Instead of tossing items away, you can turn them into works of art or functional pieces for your home. What kinds of projects are available that the children can help you create? Here’s 4 simple examples of upcycling crafts to try with your kids:
- Egg Crate Planters – Start your own garden using empty egg crates. They make great planters for seedlings. You can also close the lid on some of these egg crates during the night in order to help prevent your feline friends from eating your seed sprouts.
- Wax Gifts – Instead of throwing broken crayons in the trash, you and the kids can make your own crayons for handing out during festive occasions. Add bits of broken crayons to silicone molds designed for cupcakes and melt them in a warm oven to create uniquely shaped crayons. Make crayon hearts to pass out at Valentine’s Day or clover shaped ones to hand out on St. Patrick’s Day. Since each crayon will be completely unique, depending on the colors you put into the molds, the coloring experiences of each individual child will be too.
- Tin Can Pencil and Pen Holders – Using old tin cans, your children can decorate their own pencil and pen holders for their desks or homework areas. You can paint on the can directly, wrap it in scraps of wrapping paper, old maps, or magazines or decorate it with items found in your junk drawer like beads, buttons or hair bows.
- Soda Bottle Greenhouses – By cutting the tops off of two-liter soda bottles, you and your children can make miniature greenhouses. Once the tops have been removed, place them upside down over small plants to create an individualized method to protect them and keep moisture localized.
The truth is you can upcycle just about anything. All it takes is a bit of imagination in order to turn one object into something decorative and/or useful. What can you upcycle around your home instead of throwing it away? You may just be surprised.
Photo: EcoCrazyMom.com
This guest post submitted by Michelle LaRowe, an award-winning nanny, agency director, and parenting author who is considered a leading industry expert. Find out more by visiting @eNannySource on Twitter.