Useful Ideas Made from Recycle Products

I take an empty tissue box and store my plastic grocery bags in there.

Another thing I have done is taken an empty wipes container and took the lid off and store my plastic wear lids in them on the shelf. It keeps all the lids in one place and neat.

I have taken an old plastic similac container and I use it to store loose things in my pantry like taco seasoning, loose packs of oatmeal, kool-aid packs and lipton onion soup mix.

I use an empty wipe container to store my kids loose puzzle pieces. Right now they are not into doing puzzles but they like to put the pieces in and out of the wipe box. And they can even work on putting the things in the wipe box through the little hole and that helps their fine motor skills too.

Thats pretty vague.I make a few toys for my daycare. I take old formula cans and decopage them simply (with colorful tissue paper from the dollar store..this latest batch is polka dotted with all blue shades, pink/purple shades, then an orange/blue/others wild mix selections...anda water/glue mix)..then I save (and have others save for me) plastic lids from milk jugs and juice and gaterade and even pop bottles (those can only be used by my preschool and older kids as they are smaller and choking hazzards for my toddlers).

We cut slits in the top of the formula plastic lids like a piggy bank. It is fun for them and a way to work on fine motor skills. We also use the caps for counting games and sorting games...all kinds of stuff.

I will look around for more things I do to reuse.

Milk carton bird feeder.
-make journals with handmade paper (using scrap paper, construction paper, newspaper)
-piggy banks using plastic water bottles (the small ones, if you turn it on its side the nose would be the cap...martha stewart idea)
-jewelry from paper beads- cut old magazines into triangular strips and roll up around a pencil. use a dot of glue to secure and string onto yarn or string when dry
-musical instruments/rain sticks from papertowel tubes, coffee cans, plastic tubs

Here are more ideas:
www.replayground.com/pages/diy/diyhome.asp

We often do this kind of stuff in our house. I used some old grain sacks and made chair cushions for my children's little table in our dining room. I have also used old dog food bags to make a book bag for my son to use in the library, my daughter got one made of a cat food bag. (Paper bags don't work, it has to be that stronger, almost plastic material). Capri Sun containers can be sewn together to make bags. We have been making these for birthday gifts and adding hair brush sets for little girls we know. http://www.instructables.com/id/-Trick-or-Treat-Bag-or-Ca... I took a carpet remnant and a glue gun to make a huge area rug, My hubby is currently using the wood from our old recalled crib to make sides for our wagon, so we can load it up when we go camping. If you look up "upcycling", you'll get a lot of ideas. GL!

You can use those plastic type bags that lemons and limes come in to make a dish scrubber. Just fold it up or roll it up and make a round "poof" ball and secure it with fishing line (light test)!!!

http://crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/earth-day/earth_day_cr...

Milk carton dog food scoop looks cool.
I know how to make recycled paper. I learned it watching Beakmans World, so you could probably look it up there. You shred old paper and put it and some elmers glue in it. Take a wire coat hanger and shape it in a square. Pull old pantyhose over the hanger and lay it in the bottom of the sink with a few inches of water in it. Then you put the paper and glue mixture in the water on top of the hose. Spread it out pretty thin over it and pull the hose up and let it dry. voila - recycled paper.

A mom I know helped her daughter make pencil bags from juice pouches for a school project. I don't know exactly how they did it, but I think it took some sewing skills.

I used a plastic can.... something that holds protein powder, or a sports drink powder. Turned the lid upside down, set the container on the lid, put a decorative ribbon around the container, and then put fresh flowers.
I could send you a photo if you are interested. ( you can use that same container to store paint. It has a much better seal than the typical paint can)
Nail vitamin bottle lids to a board. put screws, nuts, bolts etc in the bottles and then twist the bottle up into the lids. Hope this helps:-)