5 Craft Supplies You Might Be Throwing Away | Family Crafts

Photo by Editor B via Creative Commons

Don?t dismiss supplies that are already in your home. ?Instead of throwing them in the trash or into the recycling bin, re-purpose them. Hand your child one of these items with one or two suggestions to get their creativity rolling.

1. Toilet paper or paper towel rolls are just begging to become crafts. They magically turn into binoculars, telescopes or rain sticks.. Your knight in shining armour can create his own sword before he fights the dragon.

2. Empty tissue or shoe boxes can be the base for dioramas, homes for dolls, or turned into a secret spy message box. They can also be painted and turned into animal feet or silly shoes.

3. Egg cartons are perfect for squeezing out small amounts of paint. You can ration out supplies like stickers and googly eyes by using half an egg carton as an organizer. They can also be cut apart, painted, and become building blocks of a castle or caterpillar.

4. Fabric scraps are perfect for creating blankets, doll clothes, even flags. ?Scraps can be glued to boxes as decoration or embellishments as well. Supply older children with needle and thread so they can sew something from their imagination. You can cut up some old clothes into scraps as well.

5. Fruit mesh bags, like the ones from oranges or lemons have multiple uses. They can be used to create textures or stamps while painting. They can be cut up, twisted or tied into jewelry like bracelets.

The simplest items like empty boxes or fabric scraps give children a blank canvas to create. To keep these items from cluttering up your craft area, limit how many of each item you want to have on hand. As your child uses them up, you?ll know exactly where to find replacements.

What craft supplies do you save from the trash or recycling bin?

At the ripe old age of 10, Thien-Kim Lam taught herself to crochet from a supermarket checkout mini-book that she begged her mother to buy. After she won a ribbon for the crocheted purse in her county fair, she was hooked! She?s been crafting her way through life, from handsewing doll clothes to papermaking to jewelry making. Before kids, she sweat over a sewing machine, designing and constructing fabulous costumes for stage shows such as Peter Pan, West Side Story, and Steel Magnolias. A mother of preschooler and toddler, she is passing on her love of art and craft to her children at Cup of Creativi-Tea. She also blogs about working at home, mullticulturalism, and technology at I?m Not the Nanny. This entry was posted in Recycled Crafts, Tips & Tricks. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://www.theparentingconnection.com/family-crafts/2011/06/02/5-craft-supplies-you-might-be-throwing-away/

haiti manchester city tinkerbell modern warfare 3 stoke rift sisters