Your Questions About Recycling

The Expert answers:

I make all kinds of dolls, and doll clothes from recycled clothes, and materials found in thrift stores and garage sales. Stuffing for my dolls comes from destroyed stuffed toys and pillows. I take lace and trim off clothes to re-use on doll clothes. Some baby clothes can easily be converted into dolls. Old crocheted or knitted afghans when unraveled becomes kinky, curly doll hair, or the fake fur animal toys I took the stuffing from can also become doll hair. Remove buttons for eyes. You can find bags upon bags of embroidery thread and needles and felt and notions, all for practically nothing.
I have a store on etsy and those dolls I make, sell for 50-70 each. It’s a very rewarding hobby. If you are like me and just love the act of creating, try your hand at this. You can make your own patterns, which is what I do, or there are many books and kits out there to get you started.
You can also quilt. The patterns and styles for quilting are endless. Baby and children quilts sell really well and don’t take a year to make. You can use graph paper to draw your idea out. Cut these pieces out and then add a seam allowance. I usually cut my pattern pieces out of felt because it lasts pretty much forever and it’s easier to work with than paper or cardboard.
I hope this info helps. Have fun.

The Expert answers:

Origami is good. It is inexpensive-use junk mail (there is a great book for this now) or just find instructions online! The folding projects will spark your creative imagination.
Card Making is good, again with paper supplies, scissors, craft glue as complicate as you make it.
I think ANY craft with recycled materials is good! I have seen sweaters knit from twine that are amazing!
Tin crafting (luminarias, and lanterns) can be fun!
You could use your computer to create word art, like calligraphy samplers and so on…Keep looking around and I am sure you will find something!
Good Luck!

The Expert answers:

I am teaching an Enrichment Class at my son’s school called Funcycle. We make crafts using items that would normally be thrown away and add to landfills. Sounds like you are talking about the hard plastic lids like on jars of peanut butter. One of the crafts I am doing in my class is a photo ornament with these lids. Clean the lid. Cut a photo into a circle just smaller than the lid. Glue the photo inside the lid. Adhesive photo squares work good for this. Glue ribbon around the outside rim for decoration. Then attach a narrow ribbon for hanging. You can do that by gluing it to the outside (back) of the lid or drill two small holes and loop it through. Also, instead of a photo you could use a child’s drawing or artwork. Makes a great gift for Mother’s Day or a grandparent.

My kids were using these type of lids for bowls when eating snacks and candy. But I quit doing that because of issues with food touching plastic (chemicals in plastic).

Kelly

The Expert answers:

There are all kinds of of ideas on this website. I went through some and they look pretty easy to do so you should be able to get one of these done by Thursday.

Http://www.craftbits.com/recycled-crafts

The Expert answers:

Http://www.instructables.com/
I went here and typed in soda-tab on search.
Cool stuff
I do know of recycling tricks but not with the tabs.
For other recycling tips try the site below and see some of the crafts I have done Pressing flowers .

The Expert answers:

Make small pillows out of old clothes or material and stuff with cotton and lavender to make cool air fresheners for wardrobes and draws. They get rid of the dusty smell that wardrobes often gain for a few months, after they loose their scent replace the lavender or make new ones.

The Expert answers:

Make beads from magazine pages and junk mail. Some people use them to make their own jewelry, others sell them. There are several videos on ‘youtube’ that show how.
Http://youtube.com/results?search_query=paper+beads&search_type=
Examples at:
http://www.junkmailgems.com/beads.html
I think ‘junk mail gems’ beads are SO cool! Hope this works for you.

The Expert answers:

Renata (femanine) or Renatus (mascualine) mean reborn.

Renata World.

Renata House

Renata Recycling and Craft.

Renatus Craft and Recyling

The Expert answers:

We moved overseas when my son was four, then back to the US when he was six, and again overseas when he was eight. Hands down, his all time favorite recycling craft has been turning big boxes into houses, forts, or even vehicles (my mom came on the first move, and made a delivery van out of a furniture box — she’s a very creative gramma).

My son is ten now, and he still has a giant box fort in his bedroom — he can’t bear to part with it, even though it’s starting to topple. I should point out that he has a very nice castle tent stashed away in his closet. No contest. : )