6 Upcycling Projects Kids Can Help With
Right now, making do with what we have seems more important than ever. Even if you and your kids have a passion for crafting, you might not feel comfortable racking up a steep bill at craft stores like you used to. Not to mention stores are closed and shipping on online orders is delayed!
However, you don’t have to give up your crafting or run to the store to get brand new materials. Upcycling projects can be just as fun as other crafts, and they use things you may otherwise throw away.
These six projects have the added benefit of being kid-friendly so that they can craft alongside you. As always, you know what your child is capable of, so you might choose to have them do the easier steps while you take on the harder work. It’s also important to supervise your children to make sure they have the help they need and don’t sustain any crafting-related injuries.
New Crayons From Old Crayons via The Everyday Mom Life
If you buy your child new crayons every school year and stash away the old, you probably have a lot of partially used crayons in your house. We like this project because it makes those crayon stubs usable again. While an adult should be in charge of all oven-related steps, kids can help by gathering crayons, removing the paper, and breaking them into smaller pieces.
Braided T-Shirt Headband via As the Bunny Hops
Do you have old t-shirts in your house that have holes or just don’t fit quite right? This simple project turns them into a cute headband. This project makes the list because it uses such common materials, and we could see kids really enjoying making their own headbands. If you have a lot of old t-shirts on hand, you could even make enough headbands to use as Christmas gifts or stocking stuffers come next December.
Simple Cereal Box Guitar via My Teaching Station
Somehow, strumming on a homemade guitar seems like an appropriate way to pass the time during the COVID-19 crisis, which is why we’ve included this project. Some of the cutting involved may be more appropriate for adults (especially if you choose to use a craft knife), but kids can help out by stringing and decorating their guitar.
Recycled Toilet Paper Roll Flower Wall Art via Woo! Jr. Kids Activities
We selected this project because the results are so pretty that you might want to display it for years to come. Kids with good scissor skills may be able to help cut up the paper towel rolls, but you might want to help with painting and/or hot gluing. You could also try coloring the paper towel rolls with crayons or markers instead of painting. You might be able to use school glue instead of hot glue, but the project is likely to fall apart more quickly.
Beads Out of Old Magazines via No Going Back Now
Is your family a Mod Podge family? If so, this project is for you! It uses Mod Podge and old magazines to make beads. We also love that you can later use the beads you make for other craft projects.
Easter Egg Maracas via Made Everday
Do you still have plastic eggs lying around from Easter? Don’t throw them away just yet! This project transforms them into fun maracas. We like this project because it is a great way to transition seasonal materials into year-round fun.
What are your favorite upcycling projects to do with your kids? Let us know in the comments section below!
