Crafts From Trash
Recycle Crafts for Kids - Page 1

 CD Case Picture Frame Craft

This craft idea came from Shane who posted it on our bulletin board. This would make a great Mother's Day or Father's Day gift.

What you need: Empty CD case, ribbon, buttons, puzzle pieces, shells, etc, wrapping paper or fun foam, glue.

What to do: Use empty CD cases to make cute picture frames.  Just decorate the front of the case with wide ribbon, buttons puzzle pieces, shells, etc. Insert a pretty piece of wrapping paper or a piece of fun foam as a  border. Glue a wallet sized picture in the center of the border. Close case and glue on a piece of ribbon as a hanger.

Here is a picture of my version. I sewed a felt heart onto fun foam, cut out a heart shape and stitched around the edge with embroidery floss, sewed on some buttons, and wrote the date when the picture was taken. All it needs now is some ribbon to hang it up. I didn't glue any thing on the outside. We would love to see your version of this project. Send us a picture so we can put it up. This would make a great Mother's Day gift.

TP Roll Binocular Craft

Paint the toilet paper rolls,  let dry, and tape them together with masking tape. Punch a hole on both sides and add some string.  This makes an easy VBS or Sunday school project for young kids and it costs only pennies.

Milk Jug Mask and Bank Craft

This  can be a really fun project  especially for groups. Go on a scavenger  hunt to look for discarded items to make this project. Have a  contest to see who comes up with the most interesting mask, then  have a parade to show off your creations.

What you will need: a clean plastic milk jug, found junk such as  lids,  caps, film canisters, etc., and glue
What to do:
1. If you want to make a mask cut the jug almost in half leaving  the spout.
2. If you want to make a bank leave the jug whole.
3. Glue on any objects you like using a glue gun.
4. Attach some elastic or pipe cleaners to the back of the mask  so you can tie it on.

Cardboard House Craft

What you will need: Big cardboard box (refrigerator  box), knife,markers,yard stick, glue gun, colored paper material, paint, lace, ribbon, flowers, or anything  you want to use to decorate your house.

Directions:
 1. Use a marker and yard stick to mark doors and windows on your  house. Cut them out with a knife (make sure to leave one side  of the doors and windows connected if you want to be able to  open and close them).
2. Use the flaps on the top of the box for the roof. Open the  flaps up  and tape two of the opposite flaps together to form  the roof. Then bring the other two flaps up and draw lines where  they meet the sides of the flaps you taped up.  Cut these lines  and tape the sides of the flaps the the flaps that have already  been taped.
3. To finish glue material to the inside of the windows to make  drapes paint the outside of the box add folded pieces of construction  paper to the roof to make a tiled roof.
4. Glue a thread spool or something to the door for a door knob.
5. Add a small box under the window to make a flower box and  add plastic flowers.
6. Glue flowers to the side of the house to make a flower garden.
7. Glue a "Welcome" sign to the door.
8. Decorate the inside of the house with pictures you find in  magazines.
*We would love to see a picture of your house. Send us a picture  and we will display it here.
*Check out our easy to make mailbox. It goes nicely along side  the house. (top)

 Cardboard Mailbox Craft

Like  the cardboard house this project isn't really  intended to be  made by young children but they will love playing with it. My  child has a hard time waking up on the right side of the bed  after her naps. I  find that if I put a little surprise in her  mailbox while she is sleeping and ask her if the mailman came  when she was sleeping she goes from nap time to wake time with  a lot less hassle. It is also a great teaching aid. Children  love to copy their parents. Show them how to write a letter put  it into an envelope lick the flap address it stamp it and mail  it. They love to do this over and over. If you have a wagon or  push cart have your child be the mailman and have him deliver  your mail to the  mailbox or to another member of the family.  If you are really busy and often forget to tell your child how  much you love him this is a great way to do it. Make up little   notes to your child and put them in the mailbox. They will love  opening the letter and listening to you telling them what it  says. You can also put the mail you get for them  in your mailbox  into theirs. Young kids love to pretend to write  letters even before they can read or write. What a  great way  to teach your child to write thank you letters to grandma. Tell  them they need to write a thank you note to Grandma. Let them  doodle on the paper then write your interpretation of the note  on the other side. Have your child put it in an envelope stamp  it and mail it himself. (Don't forget to include a picture of  your child enjoying the gift.)

What you will need: Small cardboard box for baseapproximately  8"x 8"x 6", Cardboard gift wrap tube and  a cylinder oatmeal box. Poster board, red paint, or paper  fastener, hot melt glue

What to do:
1. Cover the oatmeal box with  poster board (any color you wish) to cover the lettering.
2. Cut a flag shape out of red cardboard and fasten it to the  oatmeal box with a paper fastener so that it can be moved up  and down.
3. Cut away about 3 inches of the lids lip and tape the lid to  the oatmeal box at the cut away area.
4. Use a knife to punch a slit in the oatmeal box where you want  the mailbox stand to be. Punch another slit across the first  one to make a cross. Make two more slits across the first to  slits. Push open the cardboard to make a whole. If the tube doesn't  fit through make  your slits a little longer. Using a hot melt  glue gun place glue all around the hole then push the tube inside  the hole.
5. Place a heavy rock in the box you are using for the base of  the mailbox. Close and tape the box close. Punch a hole in the  middle of the box using the same method you used for the oatmeal  box. Glue mailbox to the base.  (top)

Fish Puppet Craft

This  puppet opens and closes it's mouth when you press in on his mouth.  It isn't easy to make so you will probably have to make them  ahead of time and then have the children color them. See the Bible Lessons Page  for lessons to go with this craft.

What you will need: Toilet paper rolls, rubber cement,  colored paper, markers, scissors, and hot melt glue

What to do:

1. Cover the entire toilet paper roll with construction paper  using rubber cement.Use the pattern to cut out  the fish mouth and fins. Use the leftover pieces to cut out the two side fins.  Glue the back fin closed, using hot melt glue. Insert the two side fins into the fish body as indicated and glue them into the body. You don't have to glue the side fins closed.
2. Have the children decorate them with markers or crayons. (top)

  Box Boat Craft

Kids love playing in this boat.  See Bible Lessons Page for lessons to go along with the craft.

What you will need: 2 cardboard boxes the same size  that are big enough for a couple of children to sit in, strapping  tape, blue and brown paint, two wrapping paper tubes (optional),  extra cardboard (optional)

What to do:

1. Form one box into a triangle shape to form the bow of the  boat then glue or tape the  boxes together to form the boat. Paint  the boat brown and then paint water on the outside of the boat.
2. If you want to make some oars: use a wrapping paper tube for  each oar and cut out the paddle part from the extra cardboard  and then glue together. (top)

  Pop Bottle Goldfish Craft

This fish takes quite a bit of time to complete.  If you are looking for something a much less complicated, there is another fish that is similar to this except you use a L'oreal shampoo bottle and fun foam.  Click here

What you will need: 2 liter empty pop bottle, glue  gun with low temp. glue, orange paper 3/4 inch, eyes, or black marker, white glue, Dremel tool or  something to cut the pop bottle string to hang fish

What to do:

1. Remove the little ring left  on the bottle when the cap is removed. With a  Dremel tool cut  off the bottle top at the place where the ring was (where the  bottle gets wider).

2. Cut the bottom off the bottle with scissors.

3. Cut the bottle in the shape of a fish as shown. Squeeze the cut sides together and glue them together as much as possible using low temp glue.  It doesn't have to be perfect because it will be covered with  paper. Glue a string to the top of the body so you can hang it  up.

4. Tear strips of gold or orange paper one inch wide by about  4 or 5 inches wide. Soak the paper strips in a solution of 1/2  water and 1/2 white glue.

5. Drape the wet paper over the fish body covering the whole  body. You may want to hang up the fish for this process or just  do one side of the fish at a time. Wrap paper over the fishes  lips and tuck into the hole.
6. To finish the body rip paper into small pieces 1" x 1".  Soak in glue/water solution. Starting at the mouth glue pieces  on the body overlapping each piece as you go around and down  the body. These will look like scales.

7. Print out the fin patterns  (Pattern 1  and Pattern 2 ) and trace onto the orange  paper. Cut them out. Fold each piece like a fan following the  lines on the pattern. Glue to the body.

8. Glue on the eyes.

Copyright Notice - While many of the crafts on this site are free, they are still copyrighted. They are for personal use only. They may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, except for local church, school, or home use only. It is illegal to copy this material and publish it on another web site even if you include the copyright notice. You must have permission to copy the material. To request permission to copy this material for any other use contact me by email.