When was the last time you saw your kids play with colored papers and glitters? Perhaps, since gadgets have taken over, it’s been a long time. Now, it is time to show your kids that going back to basics is fun. Make the experience even more exciting by asking your children to go around the house to look for otherwise useless stuff that they can turn into works of art. Make recycling old materials a project for you and your kids. It’s not only creative and environment-friendly but also a fun way to kill boredom in your condo. Start them young and teach them that recycling can be cool.The CD Project
The CD Project
The compact disk is among the challenging waste products of our time. According to the CD Recycling Center, about 100,000 pounds of CDs are rendered obsolete every month. So, what happens to these CDs? You probably have some lying around your condo. It’s time to make them useful.If you have a young daughter who likes to dress up and play with your make up, break old CDs into pieces and decorate them on the border of a mirror. In an instant, you will have a shiny, shimmery mirror.
If you have a young daughter who likes to dress up and play with your make up, break old CDs into pieces and decorate them on the border of a mirror. In an instant, you will have a shiny, shimmery mirror.
Another example of recycling activity you can do with an old CD is turning it into a wall décor. You just need design it with different colors of glitter glue, beads, and stickers. With just a few strokes, you have a perky wall décor.
Think out of the shoebox
Kids love shoes and every time we buy them a pair, we either throw the shoebox away or stock them in the rack or beneath the bed. It is time to literally think outside of the box and start a green condo activity.
For the first shoebox project, you would only need the cover. Wrap it in colorful and patterned wall paper and put hooks at the bottom. Mount this on the wall and presto, you can hang your accessories on its hooks.
For the box itself, you may wrap it with patterned paper and mount them on the wall. Make sure they are sturdy enough to hold a few décors like a picture frame or a vase.
Boxes and tissue rolls are always on top of recycling materials lists and together, they can make a wonderful storage. Wrap the shoebox in colored paper and place several tissue rolls inside. Your kids may now arrange their pens, colored pencils, and other art supplies.
Shoeboxes with covers attached to the box can be turned into makeup organizers that young girls will definitely love. Make as many divisions as you want inside the box where small girls can place their nail polish, lipstick, and powder. On the inside cover, attach a piece of colorful fabric with pockets where you can put a comb and brushes. Punch a hole on the side of the box and cover where you can tie a ribbon so you can open and close it more easily.
Art in a bottle
Sodas, milk, and juices are usually bought in a bottle. This is the reason why plastic bottles are among the most common household waste today. Do you know that some plastic bottles take 1000 years to biodegrade? The least you can do is not harm future generations any further and learn to recycle for art and practical use.
Get at least five 1 liter plastic bottles and cut the bottom part. Drill a hole in the middle and put them in a metal skewer. These can now serve as storage for fashion accessories.
Do you know that you can also turn plastic bottles into a stool or ottoman? Gather several 1 liter bottles and tape them together to form a square or circle. Put a cardboard above and beneath the bottles and tape them. Get a fabric of your choice that you can wrap around the pack of bottles. And just like that, you have an ottoman for the living or kids’ room.
Another thing you can do this weekend in your condominium with your kids is to make a phone holder by using a plastic bottle. Cut the bottom half of the bottle big enough to hold a mobile phone. Make sure you don’t cut it all the way through and have the back side longer than the front. Ask your kids to paint them with patterns and whatever design they desire. Once dried, cut out a hole on the longer side big enough to fit a phone charger. So the next time your kids charge their phones, they can use it to hold the phone and don’t leave the cord dangling.
Find the missing piece
Kids love puzzles. Over their childhood, they have probably collected all designs and sizes of puzzles. And overtime, they lose the pieces and forget all about the puzzle. Turn remaining puzzle pieces into exciting recycling materials for kids.
In a white cardboard, ask them to imagine what they can form using the puzzle pieces. They can form a tree, clouds, or a mountain. This is a good exercise to test their creativity.
For young girls who like dangling earrings, take one piece and punch a hole at the top and the bottom. On one hole, put a hook and on the other hole, you may dangle some beads. In just a few minutes, your young girl now has playful earrings.
Spoonful of creativity
You have probably hosted a kid’s party in your condo or in your condo’s clubhouse. Chances are, you have extra plastic spoons from all of these parties. Instead of throwing them away or waiting for the next party, why don’t you turn them into a recycled art with the help of your kids?
Another interesting DIY crafts to keep you busy in your condo is to create a classy spoon pendant light lamp. Get an empty round plastic gallon and cut the bottom. Put a string of bulbs inside. Cut the stems of the spoons and glue them carefully on the bottle with each spoon on top of another. Once you reach the neck of the bottle, you may now hang it and have yourself a pendant light.
Another condo activity you can do with spoons is a gorgeous mirror or wall clock. Choose a rounded mirror and glue it on a much bigger round cardboard. Cut out the stems of the spoons so that only the spoon itself is left. You may spray on them whatever color of paint you want. Glue the spoons around the mirror or wall clock until no cardboard can be seen. Then, mount it on the wall.
Old CDs, shoeboxes, plastic bottles and plastic spoons are just a few materials for your green condo activities. So this weekend, instead of the usual movie marathon, try out these fun and exciting recycling activities with your kids. You don’t only get to put otherwise useless stuff into good use but also bond with your kids while teaching them how recycling helps the environment.
