Features : Crafts : Earth Day & Recycling

Hand Made Crafts and Thoughtful Gifts Made From Recycled Materials

This section contains articles and links to crafty projects you can do using discarded materials or old stuff you just don't need anymore.

Reuse, renew, recycle to save the Earth and keep stuff out of landfills.

New things from old - practical, functional, beautiful, frugal recycling!

Hand Made Paper

Make gorgeous handmade paper from scraps of old paper, and color it with cast off onion skins, berries, and coffee grounds!

Paper Beads from Old Magazines

Cut thin triangular strips from magazine pages or other colorful paper scraps, apply glue and wind around a straw. Allow to dry thoroughly and string together to make beaded curtains, jewelry, key chains or ornaments. Easy and fun - a craft popular during the Depression.

Recycle Your Old Greeting Cards

Frame them, use them to decorate picture frames, make a collage, cut them up to create a new card, make a poster or gift tag ... you'll find great ideas for recycling last year's greeting cards in this article. New gifts from old cards

New Life for Old Plastic Lids

Make finger puppets, sun catchers, mobiles and more with discarded plastic lids from household products. Another perfect kid craft!

Crayon Scrap Candles

Melt down nibs and bits of old crayons with new wax to make lovely new candles for gifts or home use.

Padded Hangers Craft Project

Make softly padded hangers for hanging your clothes in the closet from old wire hangers or plastic hangers. Wrap each hanger with plastic shopping bags, tape securely, then wrap again using decorative ribbon or fabric scraps. Full directions

Cereal and Milk Placemat Craft

Recycle a sliced up cereal box and sliced up milk cartons! Clean containers, dry, then cut into 1-inch wide strips - retaining the design from the package. Weave strips together to create a mat, fasten the edges with dental floss, and VOILA! A cereal and milk placemat!

Recycled Natural Objects

Poetry Stones

Decorate smooth stones with painted or glued on words and art to use as garden decor, paper weights, artwork or game parts.

Pine Cone Crafts

Make gifts and decorations from these bristly natural objects.