Recycle & Repurpose! 4 Creative Arts & Crafts for Big & Small Kids

Eco-friendly is what Mr. Earth wants the most right now, and we can giving our helping hands by recycling items. One of the best ways is to repurpose everyday disposable containers such as egg cartons, plastic bottles and beverage cartons. This month, team 513 Paint Diary proudly presents you 4 creative arts & crafts for big & small kids using recycle materials and paints!

Repurpose your Egg Carton: Eggs-ceptional Flowers! 

Photo from Pinterest

Your kids can help decorate their room with colourful DIY flowers that never wilt.

Materials to prepare:

1 egg carton, paint (any colour you like!), pom-poms, scrap paper, green pipe cleaners, vase/ ribbon (optional)

Tools you need:

scissors, paintbrushes, hot-glue gun, craft needle/ pushpin

Photo from Pinterest

Create it:

1. Cut off the top half of the egg carton, you just need the bottom half
2. Cut and separate each individual egg cup and trim the edges for better looking: you can design the edges! Make them smooth, rounded or pointed!
3. Choose your favourite colour of paint and paint the entire cup, inside and out
4. Wait till the paint dries, use a craft needle or pushpin to make a hole at the bottom of the egg cup
5. Thread a green pipe cleaner through the flower and bend it inside the cup in order to secure its position
6. Use a hot-glue gun to glue a pom-pom to cover the center of the flower
7. Now you have made a flower! Repeat the steps above to create a colourful eco-friendly bouquet! You can put them in a vase or tie them with a ribbon to give somebody you love! 

Information by courtesy of:  https://www.parents.com/fun/arts-crafts/kid/creative-egg-carton-crafts/

Repurpose your T-shirts: Tie-Dye Basics! 

Photo from Pinterest

Team 513 Paint Diary has followed Marie Kondo (forgot who she is? Revisit our blog: Chinese New Year Home Decluttering in 1 Week). We totally understand after decluttering, you will find many T-shirts that you bought 10 years ago, and they do not spark joy in you anymore. Throwing them away may seem to be a big waste! Why not refresh them using varies colourful dyes? Spend a lazy afternoon with your family and repurpose your T-shirts!  

Materials to prepare:

Pre-washed 100% cotton T-shirt, fiber-reactive dye (you can check out: Jacquard Procion / Dylon Permanent), soda ash fixative (you can find this at some craft stores online)

Tools you need: 

3-gallon bucket (better to be plastic, if you do not mind getting the container stained), glass jar with tight-sealing lid, measuring spoon, rubber gloves, tongs/ big stick (make sure they will not be used again for food)  

Create it: 

1. Fill the bucket with 1 gallon of cool water 
2. Fill the jar halfway with cool water 
3. Put on rubber gloves and measure 2-4 teaspoons of dye powder into the jar (the quantity depends on how dark you want the colour to be)

Photo from Pinterest

4. Close the lid securely right after that. Shake the jar until all the powder has been dissolved into the cool water

5. Pour the dye into the bucket and stir

6. Fill the jar halfway with hot water and add 6 teaspoons of soda ash

7. Close the lid securely right after that. Shake vigorously

8. Pour the mixture into the bucket and stir

9. Tie your shirt with rubber bands (depends on what shape you want to make)

10. Put the shirt in the dye bath and stir frequently with a long-handled spoon

11. Let it soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour (depends on how deep a colour you want)

12. Remove T-shirt with tongs a big stick. Rinse under warm, then gradually cooler water until it runs clear. Your brand new T-shirt is ready!   

Information by courtesy of: https://www.parents.com/fun/arts-crafts/kid/tie-dye-with-kids/ 

Repurpose your Plastic Bottles: Make your own Ringtoss Game!   

Photo from Pinterest

Besides DIY home decorations, you can create your unique game with used plastic bottles. Make it a game night with a classic version of ringtoss! 

Materials to prepare: 

3 or more used plastic bottles (they can be in different sizes or heights, it depends on how challenging you want to make your game!), chenille stems, paints  

Tools you need:

scissors, tapes  

Create it:  

Repurpose your Milk or Juice Cartons: Create your unique Reusable Snack Container! 

Team 513 Paint Diary strongly encourages readers to BYOB (remember what that is? Bring Your Own Bag/ Box/ Bottle! Revisit our previous blog: Down-To-Earth Practices for Green Living in Daily Life) You can be super eco-friendly by not consuming plastic at all: make your own reusable snack container!

Photo from Pinterest

Materials to prepare: 

cleaned milk or juice cartons, adhesive-backed square decoration papers, paint 

Tools you need: 

scissors, tapes

Create it:  

Mr. Earth needs all of you to make him a better man. You can be creative, eco-friendly and decorative at the same time! Act now and repurpose recyclable containers!