Do you love doing crafts but you’re on a shoestring budget? Why not turn the shoestring into a neat project? In a day and age when we’re being encouraged to reduce, reuse and recycle, finding new uses for old items is important. Instead of buying things at expensive hobby shops, look for ordinary items around your home that can be turned into crafts for kids or projects for yourself. In this article, we’ve got some tips for turning ordinary household items into cool items that everyone will admire.
Tin cans can be used for a number of craft projects after their contents have been emptied. Turning tuna or cat food cans into candy containers is a practical craft project that is so simple that anyone can do it. After you’ve washed the can thoroughly, paint the outside white. Punch two holes near the top edge on opposite sides and use light weight craft wire or a pipe cleaner to make a handle. Now the can looks like a little basket. To cover the wire, you can use felt or pretty ribbon. To decorate the outside of the can, you can use stamps, stickers, glitter or more craft paint. Line the inside with plastic wrap, paper doilies, or colored cellophane. The candy container will look really pretty and artistic once you put the candy inside.
Napkin rings are an attractive addition to any table even when you’re having a casual family dinner. Save your silver napkin rings for formal occasions and make paper towel tube rings for every day. This is so easy, and is one of safest crafts for young kids to do. You’ll need an assortment of dried beans. If you want a flashier look, you can use plastic gem stones. You’ll also need an empty paper towel tube, glue and scissors. Cut empty paper towel tubes into 1-1/4″ rings. Use the glue to attach the beans or gems to the entire surface area. If you want to make a simpler looking napkin ring, cover the paper towel roll with shelving paper in a pretty pattern before cutting the roll into pieces.
CDs and DVDs often end up in landfill sites where it will take hundreds of years for them to decompose. Because they are shiny and reflective, they are in fact perfect for crafts. Here’s how to turn old or unwanted discs into a high tech letter holder. You’ll need some foam, three or four discs, fabric of your choice, gems or flowers to decorate, a serrated knife, a candle stub or paraffin, a ruler, a wide flat paintbrush, paper towels, scissors, a glue gun and glue sticks, and white craft glue. Cut three or four 5-1/2″ squares from the fabric. For each CD, spread a thin layer of white glue over the label side and smooth a fabric square over glue. Let dry and trim the excess fabric. Cut two 1-1/2″ x 12″ strips from the fabric. Glue the strips around the edge of a foam heart, overlapping as needed. Clip corners and fold excess fabric to bottom and glue to secure. To make inserting the discs easier, first cut 3/8″ deep, equally-spaced parallel grooves into the top of the foam heart. Apply a thin line of white glue along each CD slit and press discs 1/2″ to 3/4″ deep into slit. Glue your choice of decorations to each side of discs and you’re done!
Kids learn better when they’re having fun, so use special projects to educate them about the importance of being earth friendly. Look at everything as possible materials for craft projects and you’ll have a plethora of things to work with without spending a cent. Use acrylic paint to turn an old plant pot into a funky umbrella holder or cut up an old garden hose and use it as trim on sharp shelf edges. Crafts are limited only to your imagination so be green and have fun.
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