From Trash to Treasure: 8 Creative Ways to Reuse your Waste
Are you or your kids looking for something to fill the time? Maybe you are producing more trash than normal and feeling a bit guilty about it. KTMB is here for your upcycling activities! Here are some fun activities you can do with your excess trash or recyclables that you aren't quite ready to part with. We’ve broken the activities down by material to make your search just a little bit easier. And remember, don’t go to the store just to get supplies! Try to only use materials found in your home. Enjoy!Plastics: Spring is upon us and that means it's time to plant some plants! Planters: This first activity is a really fun way to reuse some plastic soda bottles and make them into planters.
Link: https://craftyourhappiness.com/2015/04/28/unique-planters-from-soda-bottles/
Watering Can: Did you bring all of your house plants home from work but forgot to grab a watering can? Maybe you have so many house plants that you need a second watering can! Or maybe you just bought your first house plant and you’re so excited that you forgot to buy a watering can. If you have some left over plastic bottles or cartons laying around, we’ve got your watering can needs covered!
Flower Helper: If you’ve taken a walk around your neighborhood, you may have noticed that some trees and flowers are starting to bloom! Here’s a fun project to get us all in the spring flower spirit.
Clothing:I’m sure many of you are taking some of this time to clean out your closets! These projects will give you some ideas on how to upcycle those clothes. T-Shirt Tote Bag: This first one is perfect if you need some additional storage or want a new reusable bag for various things. This simple tutorial shows you how to transform your favorite old shirt into a tote bag! All you need is a pair of scissors to make the perfect produce bag or lunch bag. Tip: once you’ve cut the sleeves off of your tote bag, you can save those and use them as cleaning rags!
Link: https://mommypotamus.com/no-sew-t-shirt-tote-bag-tutorial/
T-Shirt Dog Toy: This project is perfect for your furry friends, a new toy is always exciting! As you’re cleaning out those closets, set aside a few shirts that are not in good enough condition to donate, these will become dog toys! Tip: If you have scraps left over from your t-shirt tote bag, they would be perfect for your dog toy!
Link: https://barkpost.com/answers/how-to-make-a-t-shirt-dog-toy/
Braided Rug:If you’re looking for an upcycle project that is longer than 10 minutes, maybe even an hour, this is the project for you. Take all of those old shirts and make a braided rug! You will need a needle and thread, so it’s time to pull out that sewing kit your mom gave you and may have forgotten about.
Link: https://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-braided-t-shirt-rug/
Cardboard:
Planter: Along the lines of it being spring, if you’re ready to plant herbs, this egg carton planter is a great starter! Get your herbs ready for the garden by starting your seeds in these planters and recycle your egg cartons at the same time!
Link: https://dengarden.com/gardening/Growing-Seeds-in-an-Egg-Carton
Miscellaneous:Snazzy Grocery Bag Holders: With new restrictions on reusables, you may be collecting more plastic bags than normal. This fun and simple project will keep those plastic bags contained and ready to be reused as garbage bags. Let your imagination take over and decorate your dispenser to make it fun and colorful for your home!
Link: http://www.myunentitledlife.com/2015/08/diy-upcycled-pringles-can-grocery-bag-holder.html