Create Craft
25 Easy Earth Day Crafts for Kids of All Ages, Using Recycled Materials
With these enjoyable and eco-friendly DIY projects, you can honour the environment and celebrate going green.
This year, Earth Day is on Friday, April 22. And whether you’re a busy parent with craft-loving kids, a PTA mom coming up with Earth Day craft ideas for your child’s school, or just a parent with a hectic schedule and craft-loving kids, there are a tonne of DIY projects that celebrate nature and Earth while inspiring your children to understand the value of being environmentally responsible. Make a solid plan before deciding what to do. Consider the following inquiries for yourself:
- How many different kinds of crafts must you produce? Does this apply to your children alone or to their classes?
- Do you already have some of the materials on hand, allowing you to produce crafts with little to no shopping? After all, today is Earth Day, and the goal of the day is to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
- What stage of craft proficiency do your children have? Can they produce the item you want them to make?
- Where will you put these projects on display? I hope they don’t just end up in the garbage.
- What message do you wish to convey with these crafts?
Consider all that this planet has provided you and your family as you participate in all of your Earth Day activities and crafts. Additionally, throughout each creation, urge your children to recycle, reuse, and decrease waste – not just on Earth Day, but every day of the year. Here is a collection of 26 of our favourite Earth Day DIY ideas to get you started.
1. Cardboard Tube Sea Creature Mobile
Toilet paper tubes are Jodi Levine of Super Make It!’s preferred crafting material. She specialises in arts and crafts made from materials found in the pantry, recycle bin, and grocery store, like this charming sea creature mobile.
“My favourite challenge is coming up with applications for materials that might otherwise end up in a trash. In addition to being cheap and numerous, she adds that altering them enables us to keep the ability we had as children to see potential in everything.
Visit Super Make It to get the cardboard tube sea creature instruction. and see Jodi’s Treasury of Toilet Tubes here.
Also Like:- Easy Christmas Crafts Using Upcycled Materials
2. DIY Desktop Organizer
And this craft wins the prize for coolest desk organiser. This useful work of art may be made for you from leftover cardboard tubes from products like toilet paper, paper towels, and gift wrap. The only item you will likely need to purchase is a wood tree trunk slice, but other than that, you can find everything else in your home to fit the Earth Day theme. Use what you already have: paint, as well as colourful and pattern-filled paper fragments.
Learn how to make a DIY desktop organiser at Crafting Cheerfully.
3. DIY Safari Binoculars
It’s crucial to teach children about animals on Earth Day and beyond. Inform your children about the safari, the creatures that reside there, and the significance of supporting programmes that maintain healthy animal populations. To make your teaching moment come to life during your next trip to the zoo, you may even bring this set of binoculars that you made out of animal print paper, used toilet paper or gift wrap tubes, and string.
Get the DIY instructions for safari binoculars at Crafting Cheerfully.
4. Cupcake Liner Daisy
It’s quite simple to make this gorgeous floral craft. The only materials required are white cupcake liners for the petals, green cardstock or construction paper for the leaves, and blue cardstock or construction paper for the stems. The globe is created using the printable Earth template from the link below. It just has to be coloured with crayons, markers, or coloured pencils by your little artisan.
Visit Buggy and Buddy to get the Cupcake Liner Daisy lesson.
5. Printable Trash Can Labels
Setting up your garbage station is one of the simplest activities you can complete for Earth Day, whether with children or without. Create a system of sorting to help the Earth. These fashionable printable trash can labels will educate your entire family about the value of sustainability.
Visit Lia Griffith to purchase the printable trash can labels.
6. Nest and Baby Bird Craft
Together with your beautiful preschooler, create these sweet birds. While making these adorable feathered creatures and their nesting environment, you may educate your child about them. This project can require some supplies purchases, but it will be well worth it for the cuteness.
Visit Buggy and Buddy to download the Nest and Baby Bird lesson.
7. Sorting Seasons Activity with Stones and Rocks
The idea of seasons is one that should be taught to children on Earth Day (and at any other time of the year, for that matter). To transform your rocks into items that remind you of each season, you’ll need four wooden slices (one each for winter, spring, summer and fall), paint, rocks and some pieces of paper. You can instruct your child to put the rocks together on the wood slices after you’ve decorated them.
Visit Buggy and Buddy to access the Sorting Seasons Activity with Stones and Rocks guide.
8. Milk Carton Vases
Crafts for Earth Day can also be helpful! These lovely vases are created from milk cartons. To make, you’ll need some lovely beads, raffia, and spray paint. Although the little beads in this craft make it unsuitable for toddlers, a youngster over the age of five may certainly make them under adult supervision. Remember to bring flowers!
Gina Tepper has a tutorial for making a milk carton vase.
9. DIY Water Bottle Vase and Coffee Filter Flowers
Have coffee filters and an empty plastic water bottle on available. Kids of all ages will enjoy making this floral arrangement out of a recycled vase. Once dried, the youngsters can use markers to create a watercolour impression by slightly wetting the filters. Draw a sign that reads “we heart Earth” (or any other statement) on poster board to emphasise the event.
Visit Rae Elizabeth Design to get the DIY Vase with Flowers instruction.
10. Sea Glass Suncatcher
This suncatcher may be made by anyone using only three supplies and PVA glue. Find some twine, some sea glass, and an empty lid. For the Earth Day theme, it would be even better if your sea glass was blue and green. It can be hung from a window to reflect lovely light.
Visit Mother of Grom for the Sea Glass Suncatcher tutorial.
11. Upcycled Fun Face Planters
Give those empty cans a new lease on life as planters rather than throwing them in the recycling. Start by removing the labels from your recyclables. Paint (spray paint works well), tape, and planting can then be done. You might try making cute faces like the photo’s DIYer did, or you can create interesting shapes and patterns.
Visit Project Kid to access the tutorial for Upcycled Fun Face Planters.
12. Cardboard Earth Collage
You only need cardboard, small pieces of blue and green paper, adhesive paper for your border, markers, tape, a bowl to trace with, and a craft knife to make your circle. You might also wish to outline the continents for your child to fill in with corresponding green and blue pieces of paper to create a beautiful Earth.
Visit 7 Days of Play to download the Earth Collage instruction.
13. Egg Carton School Bus
How much fun is that? The easiest method to teach kids about Earth Day is to make toys out of recycled materials. For this one, all you need is an old egg carton, some paint, some used bottle caps for the wheels, and some skewers and straws for the axles. Use small miniatures of individuals you currently own, or create your own using wine corks, pom-poms, or big wooden beads.
Get the instructions for the School Bus Craft at 7 Days of Play.
14. Felt Fishing Game
Teaching children about ocean life and sustainability is vital for Earth Day. This easy-to-make felt fishing game can start a discussion. Utilise the pattern that can be downloaded at the following link to make a variety of felt fish in various colours. Parents will need to sew, and youngsters can assist choose the colour combinations. Once finished, locate a blue bowl or container to fish from.
Learn how to play the Felt Fishing Game at 7 Days of Play.
15. Cardboard Toy Car
You can own this automobile craft! An empty cracker box, paintbrushes, popsicle sticks, low-temp adhesive, craft paint, scrap cardboard, and paint pens are required. Pre-cut the cardboard if you have young children so all you have to do is paint. The best part is that you will use things you already own.
Visit Lovely Indeed to access the Cardboard Toy Car instruction.
16. Wine Cork Foam Stamps
Have you been preserving each and every wine cork? Finally, you may put them to use. You and your kids can create some adorably adorable stamps. These recycled wine cork stamps may be made using just glue, paint, and foam stickers.
Visit Craftic to get the wine cork foam stamps instruction.
17. Cork Love Bugs
These love bugs are simple to construct and require few resources, making them another imaginative use for your used wine corks. The same lesson may be used to create bees with wings that are yellow and black.
Visit No Time for Flashcards to get the Cork Love Bugs instruction.
18. Upcycled Candy Jar with Bird and Tree Design
Have you got a creative family? This easy DIY involves painting and drawing a lovely landscape on a jar that you can use to store chocolates or tiny trinkets. A clear, empty jar, some speciality paint, and artistic ability are required. You can make this project once more for whatever occasion or theme you like.
Visit Craftic to get the Upcycled Candy Jar with Bird and Tree lesson.
19. Earth Day Print Card
One of the cutest and simplest crafts you can make with children of all ages is a straightforward card to commemorate the cause. Instead of painting directly on the page, you’ll discover a creative method for creating this kind of imprint.
Visit Mother of Grom to access the Earth Day Print Card instruction.
20. Earth Day Painting
An additional simple craft is an earth painting. Simply cut a blank piece of white paper into a circle, pick a larger square of cardstock or construction paper in any colour, and glue on top of that. Consider exhibiting this image to your younger children so they can attempt to replicate the proportions using their own painting talents.
On Instagram, visit @creativekidsplay to see this project and others.
21. Toilet Paper Roll Cacti
Make lovely cactus out of the cardboard tube in the centre of your toilet paper roll rather of throwing it away. Just some craft paint and some practise with the scissors will do.
Pink Stripey Socks has a tutorial for making toilet paper roll cacti.
22. Toilet Paper Roll Flowers
How about some flowers instead of cacti? You can create these gorgeous flowers with old cardboard from the centre of your toilet paper rolls using the same technique. Create a variety of flowers, such as tulips or daisies. Just make sure you have matching, vibrant craft paint on hand.
Visit Pink Stripey Socks to access the toilet paper roll flower technique.
23. Watercolor Painted Paper Lanterns
Paper lanterns are probably something you’ve seen at Target or your neighbourhood craft shop. Get small paper lanterns that can be quickly expanded into ball forms for a simple weekday project. For Earth Day, you can decorate a globe using watercolour paint that you already have at home. If you have extra ribbons or scraps of paper, you may make a cute jellyfish by hanging them from the bottom. Older children could also try drawing flowers in watercolour. Younger children can use any colour they like when painting, and they can even add little pom-poms.
Visit Pink Stripey Socks to access the Watercolour Painted Paper Lanterns tutorial.
24. Solar Oven Craft and Solar Energy Activity
This craft, which teaches youngsters how to produce energy without the need of electricity, is particularly pertinent to Earth Day. Your source of energy? the sun Tape, cardboard, aluminium foil, plastic wrap, and plastic bags are items you can find around the house. With your children, you can even cook s’mores using it.
Visit Raising Global Kids to get the Solar Oven and Solar Energy Science Experiment instruction.
25. Wilderness Explorer Costume Craft
Russell, the wilderness explorer, will be recognised if you’ve seen the Pixar film Up. Your child explorer can learn about the value of wilderness preservation in the backyard or a nearby park after you make this costume yourself. Children can help build their sash with all of the patches and ‘pins’ even though mum will likely handle the majority of this project (such putting the shorts and T-shirt together). If you don’t want anyone to get poked, use stickers instead.
Visit Once Upon a Cheerio to access the Wilderness Explorer Costume lesson.