Give me your up cycling ideas

[Chicken lady]

I have been looking online and finding absolutely amazing collage art made with trash.

also, we have a large press laminator at school. The temperature of lamination is between the melting point of type 1 plastic and the melting points of type 5 and 6 plastic. I am wondering what would happen if we layered a flat piece of type 1 clamshell, bits of colored plastic packaging, and another flat piece of type 1, stuck it in a laminating folder (maybe a layer of aluminum foil to protect the laminating folder?) And laminated it.

i really want to try it, but I am concerned about the possibility of the answer being:
A. The laminator would be damaged/destroyed.
B. Fire.
C. Me getting fired due to A or B.

[Gardenarian]

Some plants (coleus, inch plant, even rosemary) are easily propagated in water. If you could get some cuttings you can start them in used clean glass bottles. Once they develop roots you could plant them in cans (with holes punched in the bottom.) You could use the bottoms of milk cartons as saucers for the plants. Alternatively, they could be planted directly in cartons but cans (with labels removed) have kind of that cool rustic look.

I use the gallon plastic jugs for watering plants. They could probably be decorated with Sharpies and still be recyclable.

You can make a journals/scrapbooks with scrap paper (printed on one side) and use cardboard for the covers
Drill, or punch if possible, holes and use scrap yarn to create the hinge.

Clear clam shells are tough. I'm thinking there might be some way to use them and mylar bags (the shiny insides of chip bags) to make holiday decorations? Wind spinners?

I have made logs from newspaper but it can be a bit involved. If you have worm compost at your school, you can have the kids shred the newspaper and see how the works break it down.

They could also cut words from the newspaper and use them in scrapbooks or to create poetry boards. (Is glue recyclable? I hate the waste of the little plastic glue sticks. I remember when we had pots of paste, with a brush attached to the lid. You'd refill it from the big paste jar in the cloakroom. Olden days!)

Origami? The kids here made 1000 origami boats in solidarity with refugees.

[Tybee]

Paper mache beads and baskets/

[Miss Cellaneous]

For the yarn, there are a lot of patterns for crochet friendship bracelets out there, which might be a craft that would appeal to this age group. Or you could tie lengths of similar weight yarn together, and crochet or knit multi-colored pot holders or coasters.

[Tiam]

I am not understanding why you are looking to upcycle these things? Are you looking for school projects for the kids you teach? The example you give of the toilet paper tube gift box sounds like something that just extends the problem of too much stuff.

But my husband does plan seeds in toilet paper tubes, upended and filled with soil, and they work very well and biodegrade into the garden.

I think the idea is that you re-use something rather than go and buy another new item.

[Chicken lady]

Yes.

the idea is making use of resources we already have that would otherwise go to waste, vs using additional resources.
optimizing/minimizing resource use.
minimizing waste and consumption.

[Tybee]

Yes, it sounds like folks have given you many good ideas for upcycling these items into usuable arts and crafts materials. Good work.

[Chicken lady]

I did get a lot of good ideas. And i’m Sorry if people didn’t feel appreciated. I figured if I said thank you the ideas would stop.

Then tybee pointed out that everybody did a good job and they quit.