5 Fun and Unusual Ways to Reuse Household Items

Sometimes reusing items in the house isn't about saving money or helping the environment: sometimes it's just pure fun. Coming up with new ways to use old things is a creative process that can be a real blast. Especially when it works! You'll have something real that you can touch and use that others would have thrown away.

Here are a few fun and unusual ways to reuse household items.

1. Make Your Own Sprinkler System

Old garden hose. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Don't throw away your old garden hoses, even if they leak! Instead, seal off one end of the garden hose with cement, melted plastic or glue. Then poke holes throughout the rest of the garden hose.

You now have a soaker hose! Thread this hose throughout your garden and turn on the water. Your new soaker hose will spray water throughout your garden while you barely lift a finger.

2. Make Your Own Fridge Magnets

Instead of throwing away your bottle caps, save them up. Go to your local stationary store or eBay and buy a pack of small magnets.

Then grab your bottle caps and glue the magnet to the back. Congratulations! You now have home-made fridge magnets that look really neat!

There are a lot of things you can use besides bottle caps. Your creativity is the only limitation.

3. Make Your Own Drink Coasters

Do you have old CDs lying around that you'll probably never use? Instead of just throwing them away, why not turn them into unique drink coasters?

There are many ways you can do this. You can paint over them then laminate them. You can melt the surface of the CD to create unique textures. You could sand the surface of the CD in uneven shapes to create an interesting effect.

Don't be afraid to experiment - chances are, you've got a lot of these lying around.

"Ball blue" aqua glass home canning Mason jar. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

4. Make Your Own Lamp

Take your used glass bottles and make your own lamp. From your neighborhood shop, just buy a small light that can be inserted into the bottle. Thread it in, then turn it on.

To get even more creative, you can use a light coating of paint on the outside to change the light's colors. You can use several different colors to create a multi-colored light that'll really impress your friends.

5. Turn Your Shoes into a Playground

Did you know that you can send Nike your old shoes and they'll turn them into a playground? They'll literally take your old shoes and melt them down in a safe way, then use the plastic to build playgrounds.

These are a few fun and creative ways you can reuse household items. Unlike buying a lamp or a soaker hose, you'll get to look at these items and know that YOU made them! You get to express your creativity while feeling the pride that comes with making something new, all while doing good things for the planet.

Five Eco-Crafts For the Kids

Christmas may be over (already!), but Christmas break is not. If the cold winter is keeping you all cooped up inside, why not occupy busy little minds and hands with a few fun crafts projects? Savvy parents know you can turn just about anything into a craft project.  With a little paint, paper towel tubes can become swords or caterpillars.  Shoeboxes can become dollhouses or a little red fire engine.  Why not use everyday throwaway items and turn rainy or snowy afternoons into crafty afternoons?  Here are five eco-crafts the kids can have some fun with during the winter break:  

#1.  Jazzed up origami.  Origami, the Japanese art of folding paper, teaches children to have patience and follow directions, and they can make some pretty amazing projects.  A collection of old magazines or used Christmas wrapping paper can become a star mobile or a lantern or mobile they can hang in their bedroom. You can find lots of fun books full of origami projects online or at your local library. This was one of my favorite hobbies as a kid!

Milk carton (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

#2.  A milk carton birdhouse.  You’ll need a clean and dry cardboard milk carton, white glue, tempera or other non-toxic paint, twine, and scissors. 

Glue the top of the carton shut.  Paint carton with paint and let dry.  Cut a 2-inch hole about 4 inches up from the bottom of the container.  This is the bird’s entryway. 

Poke a hole through the top of the feeder, string a piece of twine through the hole and hang your feeder on a tree. Place a bit of birdseed inside container to attract birds.

#3.  Use old socks to make neck warmers.  Fill a ski sock or other large sock with buckwheat and dried lavender.  Sew up the end of the sock and you have a neck warmer.  Pop it in the microwave to heat the buckwheat to soothe sore neck muscles and enjoy the aromatherapy.  Pop the sock into the freezer and place on your neck to use during warm days or to place on injuries to reduce swelling.

#4.  Collect small metal items - cans, bottle caps, bobby pins, buttons, and square spice or other food containers and have your children make their own robots!  You can also use mismatched silverware for their arms.  Plastic lids work well for heads.  You’ll need a good craft glue that can bind metal to metal and plastic to metal.  Old screws, bolts, electrical wire and nuts will add to your child’s imagination.

A glue gun. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

#5.  Old jeans also make a variety of fun projects including a book bag or a notebook cover.  Adults can do the large sewing jobs or for smaller projects, children can sew by hand.  A notebook cover needs to be measured for size, making sure to leave enough overlap that the cover can be closed, cut and hemmed on all sides.  A button fastener can be attached to keep the cover closed. 

Book bags can be made by cutting the seat of the jeans off mid-thigh, cutting through the place where the legs join and then sewing front and back together.  A handle can be created to carry the bag or a zipper can be sewn in the waistband. 

There are literally a thousand craft options to make good use of things you  have lying around the house, or were planning to throw away.  These are just a few ideas to get you started.  Get creative, and have some fun with it!

Video: Recyled Mushroom Craft Project

Here's a fun kids craft using some recycled materials. All you need is empty toilet paper rolls, scissors, glue, and some construction paper to make a whole mushroom forest in all different colors! Make this craft even more eco-friendly by using cereal boxes instead of construction paper - you'll get great funky color combinations and cool designs. This one is good for kids 5 and up, and younger kids may need some help with the cutting and gluing processes.

How to make a toy mushroom from a toilet paper tube
In this episode we show you how to make a toy mushroom from a toilet paper tube For more information about this tutorial visit : www.simplekidscrafts.com www.artsandcraftstv.com and English: www.manualidadesconninos.com www.manualidadestv.com Simple ...

Making Your Own Bathtub Toys - Thrifty & Fun!

If you are looking for entertaining bath toys for your kids, look no further than your own home. You can make inexpensive bathtub toys easily from everyday objects - with a bit of creativity, you can save some money by reusing or recycling these common objects into fun toys for bath time. Here are a few ideas - some require some craftiness on your part, but many other objects can provide a source of endless fun just as they are!

1. Sailboats

(Photo credit: Uriel 1998)

Here's another way to make use of those plastic water and soda bottles that seem to be everywhere these days. To make a sailboat, here is what you will need:

* Empty plastic water bottle
* Rectangular sponge
* Rubber band
* Scissors
* Drinking straw
* Craft foam or cloth
* Glue

Using the rubber band, attach the sponge to the outside of the bottle. When the bottle is laid on its side in the water, the sponge will absorb enough water to stabilize the boat and keep it from rolling over and over. On the side of the bottle opposite the sponge, poke a hole with scissors. Insert the drinking straw. Then, cut the craft foam or cloth into a triangle. Fold one edge of it around the straw and glue.

2. Funnels
Funnels of all shapes and sizes make wonderful bath toys as they are. Raid your kitchen cabinets.

3. Colanders

Let your kids play with the kitchen colander in the bath. Little ones love to see the water run through the holes.

4. Medicine droppers
Kids love to play with these. They look like syringes without needles. Squirting water out of them is a lot of fun - but be prepared to get wet! The same is true for bulb-shaped nasal aspirators. Make sure it's clean, and then let your child suck up and squirt water in and out of the bulb syringe.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

5. Measuring cups and spoons
These are always popular with kids, especially babies and toddlers. Held together by a ring, measuring spoons can be played with in the tub. So can measuring cups.

6. Plastic dish soap bottles

Your dishwashing liquid bottle can make a great tub toy when it's empty. It's big and easy to squeeze - fill it with bath water and let your kids squirt away.

7. Empty bottles

Big two-liter bottles or smaller ones can be used as is. Babies and toddlers love to watch the water chug and glug as they pour it out.

8. Ice cube trays

Pour "water fountains" up out of the small square compartments of ice cube trays (just pour water into the cubes from a height of a foot or more, and it will spray up like a "fountain"). And the trays are just fun to play with in the tub.

9. Plastic containers

Margarine, whipped topping, yogurt, and other foods come in wonderfully reusable containers of various sizes. Save them and use them in the bath tub - and at the beach they're great for making sand castles!

Finding Fun Recycled Craft Supplies

Many of us want to do crafts, either on our own or with children. But sometimes the necessary supplies can get expensive, and they are not always eco-friendly. Here are some ideas for craft supplies that are not only eco-friendly; they are inexpensive (even free!) too.

Look to Nature

Natural materials are wonderful for crafts. Whether you are weaving baskets, making wreaths, or building "log" cabins, nature provides all sorts of craft supplies. Here are some possibilities.

(Photo credit: Muffet)

* Evergreen branches can be cut and woven into wreaths - this is a great winter-time craft, and could even turn into a lucrative hobby if you find a market for your wreaths around the holidays!
* Pinecones and berries can be glued onto a circular frame to make a wreath (another good idea for those slow winter afternoons indoors).
* Strong, flexible plant fibers such as sea grass can be woven into baskets.
* Attractive branches can be made into picture frames.
* A handful of small, straight sticks can be used to build a log cabin or even a whole town.
* Pretty leaves can be pressed, dried, and used in decoupage.

Cardboard Tubes
Don't we all have those toilet paper and paper towel tubes in our recycling bins, or sitting out on our countertops? These readily-available tubes are good supplies for a variety of crafts, such as:

* Constellation-viewing telescope - fit of piece of aluminum foil over one end of the tube and secure with a rubber band. Punch holes in the foil in whatever design you like, then hold up the telescope to light and look into the non-foil end. Your design will look like stars.

* Hair clasps can be made from toilet paper tubes. You just cut the tube in half length-wise, decorate the convex side, then use a hot glue gun to adhere a plain hair clip to the undecorated, concave side.

* Varying sizes of tube can be painted a uniform color, and then glued vertically to a cardboard or wood base. This makes a good holder for pencils, paper clips, pens, etc.

A Papier-mâché project in progress. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Newspaper

Newspaper can be used for more than just covering your workspace. Tear it into shreds to make papier mache. Or shred it, mix it with water, then press out the water through a screen to make your own recycled paper - a fun craft for kids!

Cereal Boxes

Some craft projects call for paper plates. But cutting circles out of used cereal boxes is more eco-friendly, and often yields a sturdier circle. Other uses for cereal box cardboard are:

* Fold square sheets of it into decorative boxes.
* Cut one corner off and make a stand-up magazine or paper holder.

Potatoes and Apples

Cut a potato in half and carve a design into the cut surface. Use as you would a rubber stamp. To make an apple stamp, cut the flesh away from the core, and then cut the core in half cross-wise. Use as a rubber stamp - it will make a star shape.

These fun ideas are great for making crafts with the kids on cold winter afternoons when they can't get outside to play. They can have a source of creative outlet, and you can teach them about how much fun it can be to find eco-friendly materials for their crafts - make it a fun activity for the whole family!

5 Fun Earth Day Craft Ideas for the Whole Family

Earth Day is a day the entire family can enjoy together. You can use this day to teach your children about caring for the earth. Consider also spending time together doing some Earth Day crafts - these are fun for the kids, and a great educational opportunity as well. Here are a few ideas to consider.

nature journal sycamore tree (Photo credit: jimmiehomeschoolmom)#1 Nature Hike/Art Project

Go on a hike and have each person in the family pick up five to ten nature items. For example, they might pick up a leaf or a flower petal. Have them take along a bag so they can collect their things. Take them home and make a collage. You can use the collage to create placemats, wall art, or even a desk pad or mouse pad.
You’ll Need: laminate sheets, construction paper, scissors, clear glue or hot glue and other items on hand.

Get creative and have fun!

#2 Tie Dye Party

Tie dying is fun and interesting for kids. And when you use natural food dyes it becomes an earth friendly activity. If you want to add a little education to the project, talk with your children about why you chose to use natural dye instead of chemical dye. Discuss how chemicals harm the planet. You can use carrots, beets, berries, turmeric and other natural items to create the dye.

#3 Make Stuffed Animals

Using materials found around your home create stuffed animals. For example a black sock can be used to create a penguin’s body. Cut out white t-shirt material and glue or sew it on for the belly. A few buttons for eyes. A felt or foam triangle for the beak and feet.

Kids and adults can make fun monster animals too. You can use old corduroy skirts or pants for the bodies. Buttons, ribbons and fiberfill take care of the rest. Each monster can be unique. Because you’re using items already in your home you can talk with your children about why repurposing and reusing items is good for the planet. If you want, you can focus on endangered animals, for an additional teaching opportunity.

Tie Dye (Photo credit: deborah.soltesz)#4 Create Bracelets or Cuffs

Cuffs are trendy right now and old wool sweaters can make beautiful cuffs. With old buttons, flowers and embellishments your children can have a lot of fun with this craft. And you can too! In order to make the old wool sweaters work for this project you’ll want to “Felt” them. This means you shrink them until the wool is thick so it won’t unravel (this can be done by washing them in the washing machine using hot water, then spread flat and let dry - or you can even dry them in the dryer on a low-heat or delicate setting). Then simply cut the wool to size. Fit it to your wrist. Fasten with Velcro, buttons or even sew it closed. Add embellishments and you have a lovely cuff.

#5 Tin Can Gardening

If you’re a gardening family then start collecting tin cans. This is a recycling project and a gardening project in one. Decide how you want to decorate the outside of the can. You may create your own labels using a computer or you can draw or paint them. Painting works well because you don’t have to worry about water ruining any paper decorations. If you’re going to paint the cans consider using a primer like Gesso beforehand so the paint will adhere well to the can. You can also decorate with stickers.

Punch a few holes in the bottom of the clean can for drainage before you decorate the outside. Place a few rocks on the bottom of the can. Then fill the can with potting soil and plant seeds or seedlings. Place in a sunny location. Your children can watch their plants grow. Note: If you each plant a different herb you can have a windowsill herb garden, and then your kids can even see how these herbs can be used in cooking - for yet another educational moment!

Take the age and attention span of your children into account before choosing a craft. Earth Day is a day that can be both fun and educational. Help your children learn about caring for the earth in a fun way they’ll remember.

Video - How to Make Tissue Paper Flowers

This is a great way to re-use tissue papers - I know when I get gifts, there's always tissue paper in the bag, and I hate to throw it away, so I end up with lots of balls of different colored tissue paper sitting around. Smooth them out flat, and use this crafty technique to create beautiful multi-colored flowers for decorating your eco-friendly party, or attaching to a gift, or make a bouquet of different colors and put them in a nice vase for a party favor or room decor! Use your creativity and you'll come up with other great ideas for using these, and create something beautiful out of paper that would otherwise be thrown away.

How To Make Tissue Paper Crafts : How To Make A Tissue Paper Flower
How to make a flower out of tissue paper, step-by-step instructions; learn this and more in this free arts and crafts video series taught by an expert Courtney Hester. Expert: Courtney Hester Bio: Courtney Hester has a degree in elementary education....