A recycled tin can makes the perfect base for many craft projects. Be sure to wash and dry the recycled can thoroughly before beginning, and make sure there are no rough or sharp edges on the opening of the recycled can. Then wrap some recycled construction paper around the can and attach it with hot glue. Pink or peach construction paper works well to create a skin color for the face of a character such as a pilgrim or Santa Claus. You can also use a tin can to create a recycled pencil holder, candle holder or candy bucket. Decorate the craft using pieces of recycled cardboard, cloth scraps, yarn from unraveled sweaters, cotton or acrylic batting from old pillows, scraps of construction paper and felt, Styrofoam or paper egg cartons, magazine and advertising flyer cut-outs or anything other recycled material you can find.
Pine cones are one of the most versatile and useful recycled craft materials. They can be used to make miniature Christmas trees, turkeys, owls and table centerpieces for holiday gatherings. Before creating your recycled pine cone crafts, you will need to wash and thoroughly dry the pine cones. To make a recycled pine cone Christmas tree craft, brush some glue on the pine cone and sprinkle glitter on the pine cone. Wrap an old string of beads around the pine cone to create a garland. Then hot glue recycled pieces of broken jewelry to the ends of the pine cone scales to serve as ornaments. A recycled pine cone turkey and owl can be created by cutting up and hot gluing twigs, bits of discarded clothing and buttons to the craft.
These recycled craft projects should keep you busy and help you to decorate your home for very little expense. You can also make attractive crafts from recycled bottles and jars, recycled plastic and old recycled clothing. Read about how to sort and organize your recyclables to get organized before you start crafting. You can also find inexpensive recycled craft projects on websites like ThriftyFun.com. Be sure to involve your kids as much as possible to help them learn about both crafting and recycling.