3 Projects that Recycle

I love projects that recycle things, but sometimes they can be kinda junky. I suppose that's to be expected since they are in fact, made from things someone may consider garbage. The following projects are not junky at all, but they definitely recycle.

Project 1 : Baby blanket TeePee

When I was a kid my mom made an awesome TeePee for my little brother, I have been wanting to make one for Toad since last Christmas. Well I finally did it! Soggy and Toad LOVE to make forts and hideouts with their blankets. They inspired me to combine the smaller baby blankets into something wonderful and fun.

I gathered all of Toad's baby blankets. Thanks to my mom and sisters, who made the blankets, I had some very bright and fun colors to work with.



This project was a HUGE challenge for me. I ended up having to try all sorts of things before I got it to work... but eventually I improvised to the point of standing. He loves it, and instead of all those wonderful blankets sitting on the shelf they are being enjoyed once again.



The other day I made another TeePee kinda following an example I found on another blog... I'll be posting my own version soon. It was much easier than the blanket TeePee, and knowing what I know now, I would use the method I'll share later to make it again. You would just have to improvise with the blankets instead of the fabric.

Project 2: Scrap Rag Rug

Using the Rag rug tutorial found here. I was able to transform some neglected fabric scraps and even an old skirt into a fun rag rug for Soggy. I think I'd like to make it a bit bigger but I'll have to wait for some more scraps.



Project 3: I spy game

I found this link, and decided to make our own.

We gathered supplies from the recycle bin, the craft shelf, and the "office" (actually a drawer and cupboard in the kitchen). The only thing I had to purchase for the project was the bird seed.



Here are the things my kids can find in their bottles;
nail, purple bead, butterfly clip, shell, gold string, blue bead, bottle cap, flower bead, paper clip, penny, cow, stingray, squid, horse, sea horse, cork, car sticker, crayon, pipe cleaner, blue hair-tie, dime, cotton-ball, green bead, ticket, nickel, googly eye, toothpick, blue button, safety pin



Soggy enjoyed helping. It's as easy as 1,2,3.

1. Put the stuff in your bottle (ours are glass wheat-germ bottles, but you could use plastic water bottles too),

2. Pour birdseed to cover all the goodies,

3. Glue the lid on.

Oh, and be sure to make a list of the stuffing so you can play the game.



It's a simple and fun project that is great for car trips or quiet time. When we are driving I hand out the bottles and say "I spy, a cow (ect.)" and they find it in their bottles. As they get older they'll be able to play together, picking from the list and seeing who can find it first.




What are some of the ways you have found to recycle?