Recycling Projects: Pen & Pencil Organizer

The school season is in full swing now, and I know when I was in school I was constantly loosing my pens and pencils. This organizer can help your child keep all their utensils in one place, and they’ll have fun making it! This project comes from the blog Random Thoughts of a Super Mom.  

Picture courtesy of: Random Thoughts of a Super Mom

 

         Supplies Needed:

         -Cereal box, pancake mix box, snack box, etc.

         -Toilet paper rolls

         -Scrap paper/decorative paper/wrapping paper

         -Glue and tape

         -Markers/paint/paintbrush (optional)

         -Scissors

Weekly Green Challenge: Upcycle 5 Things

I continued to ride my bike this week to nearby places. I totaled 14.6 miles, which equates to .67 gallons of gas in my car saved, and with current prices, $2.45 not spent. That may not seem like a lot, but look at this way: this EPA fact sheet says that burning one gallon of gas emits nearly twenty pounds of carbon dioxide. So, traveling .67 miles on my bike kept my car from belching more than ten pounds of carbon dioxide into the air. Imagine how many pounds of emissions could be spared each year if we all started to use our bikes more often!

Do you love riding your bike, whether it be for exercise, sport, your wallet, or the environment? Sign People for Bikes’ pledge, and help them reach their goal of one million pledges! The pledge shows that you’re committed to riding your bike, and it will help advocate for making towns and cities more bike friendly by adding bike lanes, paths, and trails. Be sure to change your badge to the type of bike you prefer to ride! When I signed, I picked the “commuter” bike. Which style will you pick?

Picture courtesy of: http://lajollavelo.com/

Now, on to this week’s Green Challenge! I had a lot of fun this week reusing and repurposing a few things, so for the coming week, I challenge you to repurpose or upcycle five items instead of throwing them away or recycling them.

Here’s a good tip for upcycling; when planning to repurpose something, don’t think about what you can make that object into. Try to think of something you need or want around the house, and then consider the alternative items you could make it from. Not only does upcycling keep items out of the landfill, but, hopefully, your upcycled item will actually be useful to you and your household.

Recycling Projects: Box Cities

Box Cities

In this project, with some unwanted boxes, old newspapers, items from the junk drawer, and a little creativity, your child can construct entire cities and stay occupied for hours, maybe even days!

    What I like about this project is that it gives the kids (and young-spirited adults) a lot of room for creativity. No one’s box buildings and cities will turn out exactly the same!

Picture courtesy of: http://spoonful.com/crafts/box-buildings

Supplies needed:

-Small cardboard boxes (cereal, oatmeal, pasta, granola bar, ice cream carton, etc.)

-Newspaper

-Masking tape

-Decoupage (You can make your own by mixing equal parts of white glue and water)

-Tempera or acrylic paints

-Markers

-Toothpicks, popsicle sticks, cotton balls, dowels, film canisters, bottle caps, drawer knobs, buttons, scrap fabric, small stones, old game pieces, and other miscellaneous “junk” items. (Look around your house and yard for items that would add an interesting touch to your buildings).