Collecting recycled items to use for crafts gives children an endless supply of creative materials, saves money and also helps the environment.

Whether for a rainy day activity or an ambitious group art project, it is handy to have a fully stocked craft cupboard, complete with items destined for the recycling bin. Costing nothing, these simple supplies can be used for art projects year round and are as versatile as a child's imagination.

This section explores some of the materials which you and you child may use while embarking upon a wonderful journey of artistic inventions.

• Paper of various colors and kinds
• Glue stick and squeezable glue bottle
• Stickers
• Stamps and ink pad
• Glitter
• Playdough and playdough tools (rolling pin, cookie cutters, popsicle sticks, etc)
• Clay
• Watercolor paint
• Scissors
• Oil pastels
• Fabrics-old t shirts, dupattas, bed sheets and old socks
• Cardboard-Shoe boxes, toilet or paper towel rolls
• Yarn-Strings or old shoe laces
• Egg, milk and juice cartons
• Leaves-Twigs and dry flowers or petals
• CD's-Put all those free CD's to use
• Bottle caps
• Brochures, old newspapers and magazines
• Rajma seeds, channa or even rice grains
• Pasta, macaroni and noodles
• Cotton
• Beads and buttons
• Old bangles
• Straws, ribbons and wool
• Photos, greeting cards, post cards and calendars
• Old tooth brushes
  
  

Using recycled materials as craft supplies is an inexpensive way of opening up the world of creativity for young kids. Some simple activities that your child can do with the above mentioned items:

• Cardboard box: Decorate with glitter, paints and store small items in it.
• Use old pasta/macaroni to decorate a picture frame.
• Use old tooth brushes or cotton and dip them in paint for a special effect.
• Make a pencil stand by using old bangles of similar size using a cardboard piece as its base.
• Make a tent in your child's room using old pieces of fabrics like saris or dupattas.
• Make book marks or greeting cards from brochures or magazines
• Fill up an old sock with beans, tie it from the top and paint a face for a Sock Doll.
• Cover one end of a toilet paper roll, fill it with some grains and cover the other side to make a Shaker.
• Paint and decorate old shoeboxes/match boxes and connect them with string to make a train.

These are just a few suggestions to get started; you can come up with your own and even encourage your child to come up with his/her ideas!

For more on how you can use these materials do look at our article titled "All about me activities"