Give me your up cycling ideas

[Chicken lady]

Yes, I can search the Internet, but I am not looking fir all those cute ideas that turn recyclable materials into children’s craft projects that will be thrown away because they are too much trouble to disassemble.

parameters - cannot use the following items in ways that would make it more difficult to recycle them:
glass bottles or jars
Type 1 or 2 plastic bottles or jugs
aluminum cans
metal cans
aseptic cartons (ie juice box)
office paper
paper bags
envelopes
cereal boxes
magazines
newspaper
cardboard
yarn or fabric longer than your arm/larger than your hand
plastic bags

also cannot use objects that are still useful for their original purpose (example: a plastic fork can be washed and reused as a plastic fork. There is no reason to use it as a plant label holder unless you REALLY need a plant label holder, or it is broken.)

it is ok to use low low level recyclables to create something useful that can be recycled later.

example - I found a pattern to turn a toilet paper tube into a gift box decorated with water soluable glue and colored paper scraps

Yes, this is hard. So, thanks!

[Miss Cellaneous]

Cereal boxes can be cut on the diagonal to make magazine holders. Or holders for loose papers, appliance manuals that you want to keep handy in the kitchen, etc.

Plastic bags can be crocheted into rugs, or sleeping mats for the homeless.

Office paper, if it is printed on one side only, can be cut up for scrap paper for taking notes/making lists.

Paper bags. First, you keep small children out of your hair by having them draw/paint on the bags. Then you open a bag and place it on the floor for the cat to hide in. When the cat has shredded the bag sufficiently, put the scraps on the compost pile.

[Zoe Girl]

Good ideas,
Asceptic boxes make bird feeders, have the kids find their own sticks and spend almost nothing
lots of art possibilities for yarn and fabric! I like sensory collages with youngers and a similar thing with older students but I have them draw out their design before adding the fabric and yarn
glass bottles and jars: paint and put tea lights inside, wrap with twine for putting on desk, of course storing about anything small like beads, buttons, etc. Growing herbs and giving as gifts. making layered hot cocoa or bean soups and giving as gifts. If you don't have lids you can put a small piece of plastic or tin foil and cover with that fabric you have. and always paint and water containers, much sturdier than a plastic cup

Are you thinking about doing the projects yourself with kids or donating the items? If you want to donate I would look for an art teacher or a crafty teacher, also I am sure afterschool programs would love this stuff. otherwise include some ideas with the donation for another teacher and they are more likely to take them.

[Zoe Girl]

Oh more! I have decorated book marks by cutting the corner off of envelopes, the kids ( or adults) can put them on the corner of the page they are reading.

newspaper: I have done some great science where you roll up newspaper, tape it, and use it to see if you can build a chair that someone can sit in. Also a tower that can hold a raw egg! that is outside or use a ball instead.

[KayLR]

Not exactly an "upcycle," but I use the plastic clamshells my DH still buys produce in at times to store small to medium sewing projects (prepped, not finished yet) and needlework kits. Keeps the dust off and I can see at a glance what they are. ETA: our recycling service recently quit accepting them.

[Tybee]

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.

[Chicken lady]

I am doing a school club this year that is focused on resource use, waste reduction, and environmental impact relating to our school.

along with doing waste audits and attempting to find better solutions for our resource use (for example - how can we encourage students to use refillable water bottles instead of the paper cups the school buys and supplies next to the water cooler) we are also trying to divert our waste stream (how can we encourage students who bring a drink in a single use package to recycle that package?) and cut our disposal costs.

we will also have games, field trips, challenges (zero waste lunch day) and art projects.

if you are nine, making your parent a small Christmas gift and packing it in a toilet paper tube box decorated with scraps of pre-used paper is a great project, and the box can still be tossed in the recycling later. It is a free (except for a little glue) project that avoids wrapping paper purchase/use

the problem with yarn or twine on bottles and jars is that it renders the glass non-recyclable, so that would be one we would skip - great if you need a vase, but i’m Looking more for “how can we use these resources longer before recycling or throwing away, and can we use “trash” to avoid buying something new.

we planted seeds in potting soil in toilet paper tubes last year, but the tubes grew mold. Does your husband have thoughts on that I could use?

Uses for clamshells and other clear type one boxes are good because those can’t be recycled here.

juice boxes recycle, but the straws have to be removed. I am currently wondering if you could make coasters from the straws....

[Tybee]

We did not have any mold issues--I wonder if you are in a hot and muggy climate--maybe that is why they molded?

[Tybee]

We did not have any mold issues--I wonder if you are in a hot and muggy climate--maybe that is why they molded?
I use the clamshells in the window with the little peat things that you put in water and they become a planting medium. I use the clamshells like a greenhouse.

Sorry, I wasn't clear--the clear clamshells, I mean!

[Chicken lady]

Hot and humid and who knows what the kids had on their fingers.

[Tybee]

It would be fun to use the toilet paper rolls to paint--each child paints one or more and then you string them together and put them at the top of the room, going around the room, sort of like a Christmas tree garland.

You could also also roll in glue and glitter and make them into a real Christmas tree garland--cut them in half and string them again.

[Chicken lady]

But glitter is a problem for recycling.

i do have a whole bunch of candy wrappers I want to use on pieces of styrofoam to make Christmas ornaments. 100% trash, but the ornament is likely to avoid that fate for a while....

[Zoe Girl]

We did trash clean up walks on the playground or close park, then we would sort the trash we found into recyclable, compostable and trash. We found a lot of school supplies that we just cleaned off and used. Another fun and quick activity is a recycle relay. You give each team a basket of basic trash and a recycle, compost and trash container at the other side of the relay area. Each kid picks an items and runs down to put it in the right bin. The fastest team wins if they don't put anything in the wrong bin. A great way to start off the club,

[Chicken lady]

I like the relay!

we’re going to have a scavenger hunt at some point too.

at open house i’m going to have a “does it recycle?” table with cards to turn over after you guess. Some of them will have extra information - like styrofoam can be recycled (actually downcycled, but we’ll cover that later), but the closest drop is 123 miles from school. And maybe a garbage craft table.

[Zoe Girl]

My upcycle art is not always totally recyclable. However it saves a lot on buying new supplies and having people need to create new materials. I hear there is eco-friendly glitter coming out, I don't use it. I make better friends with the FM at school that way. You know what they call glitter, the herpes of craft supplies!

[Chicken lady]

I am not a fan of glitter in general. I don’t use it at all. I have some beautiful metallic glitter effect glaze in my pottery class cabinet though.

but also, it is important to me that the projects not turn recycling into garbage. That is the wrong direction.

i am pretty good at cheap and free.

[mschrisgo2]

A couple of thoughts... spray the toilet paper tubes lightly with a dilute bleach solution before planting,

and, fundraiser or get a grant for a water cooler/dispenser that has a bottle filling feature! I ran across these at the fairgrounds- so quick and easy!! Then kids can either carry a bottle or their own cup, and the school doesn't provide paper cups any more!

[thinkgreen]

My friends and family save their toilet paper tubes for me. My dog loves them. I put a dog treat or two inside, fold the ends over to close it, and she will perform any trick to get it. She then tears it to shreds, eats the treats and I put the bits and pieces into recycling. If these were decorated in a doggy fashion, treats inserted, ends closed, then they would be great gifts for doggy owners.

[Chicken lady]

Our water coolers will fill your bottle or mug. But there is no way the director will take away the cups! Even if we required the parents to buy bottles and handed them out at school, there would always be kids who couldn’t find theirs. Keeping the kids hydrated is more important than not using paper cups!

I will try bleaching the tubes. (And make the kids wash their hands - we do for cooking, we can do it for planting too!)

[catherine]

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'm stealing this idea!

My kids used to bring home bird feeders made from 2-liter soda bottles.

[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. :D