Bottles from soft drinks and bottled water often go immediately into the trash. They can provide an excellent base for a very attractive decoration, however. Kids can wrap yarn around the bottle until it is entirely covered. Adults can help kids initially secure the yarn by using a hot glue gun to attach the yarn to the top of the bottle. Likewise, hot glue can secure the yarn at the bottom after the vase is completely wrapped. Different types of yarn will yield different results. Kids can also use hemp cord or twine for a natural effect. Instruct children to embellish the vase with cut-outs of flowers, discarded buttons or other interesting objects.
Many people have puzzles sitting around that are missing a few pieces. Rather than throw them away, kids can recycle the pieces into a clever animal. Ask children to sort through the puzzle and select pieces that are similar in color. Green puzzles pieces can make an alligator, while blue ones might make a fine whale. Kids form the outline of an animal they wish to make with the puzzle pieces, fill in the outline and glue additional puzzle pieces to the animal shape. Kids can add an indefinite number of puzzle pieces to give their animal a 3-D effect. Provide wiggle eyes for the final touch.
Paper towel tubes can have a long and productive life if you set them aside so children can create rain sticks from them. Adults may want to show children examples of rain sticks made by indigenous persons and talk about their ceremonial uses. Kids can paint the outside of the rain stick in colorful patterns and fill it with rice, popcorn, beans or pebbles. They can close off the ends with masking tape and cardboard circles traced from the end of the tube. Encourage children to experiment with filling the rain stick with different materials before sealing off both ends, as the sound will differ.
Beading gives ordinary shoe boxes a makeover, turning them into attractive storage or gift boxes. Provide kids with a selection of seed and bugle beads, craft jewels, paint and adornments such as pompoms and ribbon. Kids paint the box one color, and trim the edges with ribbon. For the focal point, kids can create their own design, or use a picture as the base for their design, gluing on beads to embellish it or cover it entirely. Craft jewels and pompoms can be used to further embellish the box.