Teacher Ideas | 3 Recycled Material Craft Projects for Kids

Classroom crafts are always a lot of fun, but it can challenging to come up with materials for a class of a few dozen students.? Instead of lamenting the fact that there is not enough in your non-existent materials budget to buy a bunch of new craft supplies, use what you already have on hand to encourage students to create masterpieces.? Mixed-material collages and picture envelopes are a great way to utilize the craft materials that you have without having to spend a dime.

Go Green

One of?Really Good Stuff?s?commitments is to going green, so what better way to make use of last year?s catalogs than to use them in a recycled craft project.? There are so many ways to use the images in the catalogs for craft and learning projects.? Students could create their ?dream classroom? and cut out things that they would love to have in their classrooms if they were teachers.? They could also create a picture wish list of things that they would like to have in their classroom this year and use it as the inspiration for writing persuasive essays or to campaign for a cause.? You might also encourage them to look beyond just the images and see the colors on the pages that might work for a nature or city scene collage.? It is a great way to get students to think outside the box for? things that could be potential art materials.? Share your students? creations with us by uploading a picture to our?Facebook page.? We would love to see what they have created with last year?s Really Good Stuff catalogs!

Colorful Kids

This adorable collage was crafted by a preschooler who was fascinated with the different patterns and materials that were leftover from previous craft projects.? A found foot-shaped punch in the bottom of the craft box was the perfect answer to creating feet for this little one?s ?material girl.?? Scraps of ribbon were used for the arms, legs, and hair, while fun fabrics made the dress and face.? Liquid school glue was used to adhere everything to the piece of construction paper, because the fabric would not stick with just a glue stick.? The completed picture was then used as a storytelling prompt.

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Picture Envelopes

Old travel magazines are great for making colorful and thought provoking envelopes.? Simply take a letter size envelope and carefully open it.? On a colorful magazine page that you have gently pulled out from the binding, trace the envelope pattern with a permanent marker.? Cut it out and fold the bottom up and sides in.? Use a heavy-duty glue stick along the edges and seal the folds to create an envelope.? Fold the top flap down and it is ready to use.? Students can use them for creative writing, you can store game pieces in them, or use them for positive notes home to parents. ?If you have old scrapbooking paper around, use that to make smaller, decorative envelopes for fun notes to students.

With Read Across America Day?s focus being ?going green? with the launch of Dr. Seuss? The Lorax movie on March 2, 2012, now is the perfect time to start coming up with fun, recycled crafts.? What are some of your favorite recycled craft ideas?? Share them with us below!

Source: http://blog.reallygoodstuff.com/?p=8843

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