Your Questions About Recycling

The Expert answers:

There are loads of ideas for recycling crafts online:
http://www.google.com/search?q=recycling+crafts

But you might also want to check out this message board at Craftster.org called “Reusing, Recycling, Recrafting”:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?board=3.0
(…the “topics” listed with gray backgrounds are permanent “sticky” topics… They’re listed before the regular current messages)

HTH,

Diane B.

The Expert answers:

For the bottle. Cut a few square or circle holes in the side of the bottle on either side and line bottom of two shapes with duck tape or clay that hardens so it wont cut the feet of birds. Cut high enough so you can fill with bird sead without falling out if bottle swings in the wind. Punch a couple of hole in the cap and hage with a wire, loop through and screw cap back on, and ta da… You have a bird feeder. Paint out side with suncatcher paint or other paint the will not ware off when wet.

The can can be made into a pencil holder or a can with a cardboard/thinboard lid covered with cloth. Decorate as you wish. You can store a collection inside or something small. Use ribbon or cord to make a latch so it wont open when knocked over. Use the same for a hinge for the lid. The sky is the limit or the limit of the store you buy from to decorate as you wish.

Have fun.

The Expert answers:

Craig’s List. Freecycle. Look down (I get tons of stuff off the sidewalk. If I am actively looking for things, I take a walk in the shopping district or around the schools, especially the elementary school in my neighborhood.) Go to a flea market an hour before closing when ppl start piling the stuff they don’t want to lug home near the trashcans. Go to the Dumpster behind a Goodwill. They aren’t allowed to take in stuff that was left while they were closed and usually just throw it out.

The Expert answers:

You could take the phrase “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” and turn it around a bit to get a name…. “one woman’s trash” or something like that?

The Expert answers:

Http://www.craftster.org

The Expert answers:

I’ve seen a great site where she sells various kinds of beads she makes from newspapers and magazine pages, and from envelopes with the printed security patterns. I’ve also seen some fun jewelry made from pieces from incomplete jigsaw puzzles. Bracelets and belts made from can pop-tabs can do well. I’m sure you’ve seen the bags made from drink pouches, and if you have the time, purses made from candy or gum wrappers, or from chip bags, have also sold well.
Good luck!

The Expert answers:

Well, this isn’t lingerie or anything, but it is recycled! Use broken crayons and decorate jars with them. Here’s the link for how to do it.
Http://www.ehow.com/video_2288262_decorate-jarsglasses-melted-crayons.html

The Expert answers:

Ask her what is hot in school/with her friends at the moment, like hemp jewelry, lanyards or friendship bracelets, (all kinds of macrame, any kind of macrame might do, otherwise, any string will let you teach her the moves and she can get the right string next shopping expedition:
http://www.bluemoon.net/~dotoran/
http://www.curbly.com/threadbanger/posts/1979-How-to-Make-A-Macrame-Bracelet-or-Necklace-
http://www.mediamessage.com/kayton/GirlScouts/bracelet.htm
Or make some jewelry with the beads you have around, add little figures you cut out of felt if you want to do something a little more adventures, either a single layer of felt, or two layers with a bit of cotton-wool for a filling.

Make some container as next ‘project’ a nice and quick job so she can take her new jewels home in a nice package.

Whatever you do, keep the first few projects short, the kind you can finish in an afternoon, so she can see the results.
But after the first day you can lengthen the time per project and when she goes home again you can give her a bigger project that you together have just started.

Making a scrap-book can be done besides the other crafts, you can make a page for each craft project, using the left-over materials, print-out of instructions, photos you took during the day, if you have any and so on.
You may get her to make a ‘recipe’ book for all her crafts that way, which will help her to remember how she has done each project.

The Expert answers:

I congratulate you for the excellent idea of using recycled materials to do your crafts. I do make recycled crafts but just for entertaining my nephews. Here are some of the websites I already had saved on my bookmarks related with tin crafts:

http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=11009

http://jas.familyfun.go.com/crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=11113

http://www.craftbits.com/viewProject.do?projectID=456

http://familycrafts.about.com/od/tincancrafts/

http://www.talkingchild.com/craftscoffee.aspx

There is also a book called “The Fine Art of the Tin Can: Techniques and Inspirations” that you can buy through Amazon or Ebay. This book have lots of images that can give you inspiration for new designs. You can see the book here:

http://www.amazon.com/Fine-Art-Tin-Can-Inspirations/dp/1887374027