Reuse Crafts for When You Are Stuck at Home

Reuse Crafts for When You Are Stuck at Home

Looking for ideas to keep your kids busy over the upcoming weeks at home? Take a peek at your trash bin for ideas! It’s the perfect time to try out some reuse crafts that you can make without having to visit a store for any materials. Try some of these crafts out together to help keep your kids’ cabin fever at bay.

• Magazine Butterfly: Cut out one sheet of a magazine preferably ones with vibrant color. Fold the sheet into thirds lengthwise by folding both sides into the middle. Then, on one side fold out each corner to make even triangles. Your paper should now look like the torso of a shirt with a collar.

Next, accordion fold your paper all the way down. Fold your paper in half now with the corners meeting to create a crease. Unfold your paper to show the crease and wrap a pipe cleaner around once to secure it. You can then twist the pipe cleaner around itself to shorten the antenna and curve them into designs. Finally, gently spread out your accordion fold to display the wings of your magazine butterfly.

• Soda Bottle Cactus: This craft is better suited for tweens and teens. First, rinse out a green soda bottle. Then cut out the “neck” of the bottle using scissors. Afterward, use an X-Acto knife and carefully cut triangles without the bottom line around the soda bottle. After the soda bottle has been cut with the triangle or upside down “v,” use a toothpick or pencil to bend each of the “V” shapes slightly out. Place the cactus in a planter or small carboard box to complete the look.

• Snow globe: Sure, we’ll be moving into summer soon, but many kids experienced their first big snow here this past winter. Clean out a salsa or peanut butter jar to prep the materials. Then have your child select the inside piece using a small toy they do not play with anymore. Help them hot-glue the toy to the inside of the lid.

Then, place in a couple of spoonfuls of biodegradable litter or small seed beads. Fill in the jar more with two tablespoons of clear glue or glycerin. Next, pour distilled water into to fill in the rest of the jar. Lastly, glue along the edge of the lid and screw it back on. Let your child decorate the outside using ribbon, paint, tissue paper, etc. and allow the glue to dry. Let your little one flip the toy over and watch the “snow” gently fall to the bottom over and over again.

• Paper Flower: These paper flowers can be made from all types of paper from old books, coffee filters, magazines and more. Starting by tearing out sheets. Cut the sheets into 4x4 squares and fold them into each corner creating triangles three times. Each flower needs four squares.

Use a pencil to trace a petal shape on the fold of each square making each square successively smaller. Then, use your scissors to cut along the petal path and unfold. Out of the unfolded pieces, cut out multiple petals as one piece and pair two together. Cut and pair; a 7-petal piece and a 1-petal piece, a 6-petal piece and a 2-petal piece, a 3-petal piece and a 5-petal piece, and lastly, two 4-petal pieces.

Glue your pairs together with the first and last petals touching. Use a toothpick to curl the outer edge of each petal to make it appear more realistic. Lastly glue the layers all together starting with the largest and making your way to the smallest. As you glue alternate where the petals lay for added depth.

Tough situations like the present one can allow us the opportunity to use and express our creativity and ingenuity. Two crucial traits for youth today. Start practicing these skills together by learning to look at trash in a different way today.