13 +Unique Upcycled Crafts for Kids

Upcycling crafts for kids are a fantastic way to encourage creativity while being eco-friendly! Here are some unique and fun ideas that are easy for kids to make and enjoy:

1. Bottle Cap Stamps

Materials: Bottle caps, paint, cardboard, and foam stickers.
How-To: Glue foam stickers to the flat side of bottle caps, creating shapes like stars, hearts, or animals. Dip the bottle cap in paint and stamp it onto paper to create fun patterns!

2. Tin Can Wind Chimes

Materials: Empty tin cans, string or twine, paint, and small beads or buttons.
How-To: Clean and paint the tin cans in bright colors. Thread twine through the holes in the bottom of each can, hanging them at different lengths from a wooden dowel or a branch. Add beads or buttons to the strings for extra sound when the wind blows!

3. Sock Puppets

Materials: Old socks, buttons, fabric scraps, yarn, and glue.
How-To: Use old socks to create fun puppets. Add buttons for eyes, yarn for hair, and fabric scraps to create clothing or accessories. Kids can put on puppet shows with their creations!

4. Cardboard Roll Sculptures

Materials: Toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls, glue, paint, and scissors.
How-To: Cut the cardboard rolls into rings, then glue and stack them to create animals, flowers, or abstract sculptures. You can also paint the shapes to add extra flair.

5. Plastic Bottle Planters

Materials: Plastic bottles, scissors, paint, soil, and small plants or seeds.
How-To: Cut a plastic bottle in half, then paint it and decorate it with markers, stickers, or fabric. Fill the bottom with soil and plant small flowers, herbs, or succulents inside for a unique planter!

6. Upcycled Magazine Collage

Materials: Old magazines, scissors, glue, and a canvas or thick paper.
How-To: Cut out colorful images, shapes, and patterns from old magazines. Have the kids glue them onto a canvas or large piece of paper to create a fun, mixed-media collage.

7. Egg Carton Critters

Materials: Egg cartons, paint, googly eyes, glue, and pipe cleaners.
How-To: Cut out the individual cups from the egg carton and paint them to resemble animals (like ladybugs, bees, or caterpillars). Use googly eyes and pipe cleaners for legs and antennae.

8. CD Suncatchers

Materials: Old CDs, markers, glitter, or paint.
How-To: Decorate the shiny side of an old CD with bright colors, glitter, or paint. Hang them by a window, and when the sun hits them, they will create beautiful reflections!

9. Cereal Box Notebooks

Materials: Old cereal boxes, paper, glue, and scissors.
How-To: Cut the cereal box to the desired notebook size and glue blank sheets of paper inside to create a personalized notebook. You can decorate the cover with fun designs or stickers.

10. Jar Lid Magnets

Materials: Old jar lids, magnets, glue, and decorative materials (e.g., buttons, fabric, or stickers).
How-To: Decorate the jar lids with colorful materials and glue magnets on the back. These can be used on the fridge or other magnetic surfaces as fun, personalized magnets.

These upcycled crafts are not only fun but also teach kids about reusing and recycling materials in creative ways. You can turn everyday items into something special!

Egg-citing Art

Put your little Picasso to work using paints and egg cartons that you have expertly cut into masks that resemble birds. All the advice you need to create this project is available from Kate @ Picklebums.

2. Coffee Containers

Here are some creative upcycled craft ideas using coffee containers (like empty coffee cans, plastic tubs, or metal canisters):

1. Coffee Can Planters

Materials: Empty coffee cans (metal or plastic), paint, soil, and small plants or seeds.
How-To: Clean and decorate the coffee can by painting it with bright colors or patterns. Punch a few small holes in the bottom for drainage. Fill the can with soil and plant flowers, herbs, or succulents. These make great indoor or outdoor planters!

2. Coffee Container Storage Boxes

Materials: Coffee containers (plastic or metal), decorative paper or fabric, glue, and scissors.
How-To: Decorate the coffee containers with fabric or patterned paper to create stylish storage bins for small toys, art supplies, or office items. You can also add labels to help organize the items inside.

3. Coffee Can Lanterns

Materials: Empty coffee cans (metal), hammer and nail, tea lights or small LED candles, paint.
How-To: Use a hammer and nail to carefully punch holes in the coffee can, creating a pattern or design. Paint the outside for added color. Place a small tea light or LED candle inside, and the punched holes will create beautiful light patterns when lit.

4. DIY Piggy Bank

Materials: Empty coffee container (preferably plastic), a small slit cut in the lid, paint, stickers or decorative materials.
How-To: Cut a slit into the top of the coffee container to insert coins. Decorate the outside with paint, stickers, or fabric to create a fun and personal piggy bank.

5. Coffee Can Drum

Materials: Coffee can (metal), rubber bands, construction paper, glue, and wooden spoons (for drumsticks).
How-To: Stretch rubber bands over the opening of the coffee can to create a drum surface. Decorate the outside of the can with construction paper and glue. You can then use wooden spoons as drumsticks to create music.

6. Coffee Container Pencil Holder

Materials: Coffee container (plastic or metal), paint, fabric, or paper, glue.
How-To: Decorate the coffee container with paint or fabric to match the room’s decor. Use it to organize pens, pencils, or other small office supplies. You can add compartments inside with small cardboard dividers.

7. DIY Snow Globe with Coffee Container

Materials: Empty coffee container with lid, mini plastic toys or decorations, glitter, clear glue, and water.
How-To: Glue the mini decorations to the inside of the coffee container lid. Fill the container with water, a little bit of glitter, and some clear glue. Close the lid and shake the container to create a fun, snowy scene!

8. Coffee Can Bird Feeder

Materials: Empty coffee can (metal or plastic), string, peanut butter, bird seed.
How-To: Punch a hole at the top of the coffee can and tie a string through it for hanging. Spread peanut butter on the outside of the can and roll it in bird seed. Hang the feeder in the yard or garden to attract birds.

9. Storage Caddy

Materials: Several coffee containers, glue, paint, and decorative paper or fabric.
How-To: Stack and glue together multiple coffee containers of different sizes to create a storage caddy. Paint or decorate the caddy to organize art supplies, makeup, or office materials.

10. Coffee Container Wind Chime

Materials: Empty coffee can, beads, string, small metal or plastic objects (like washers), and a stick or dowel.
How-To: Punch holes in the bottom of the coffee can and thread string through them, attaching beads or small objects. Hang the can from a stick or dowel, and when the wind blows, the objects will make a pleasant sound.

These upcycled coffee container crafts are practical, creative, and a fun way to reduce waste while making something useful or decorative!

3. Bag Jumps

Bag jumps are a fun and energetic activity that can be done indoors or outdoors, and they are great for kids! Here’s how you can create and enjoy bag jumps:

1. DIY Sack Race Bags

Materials: Large burlap sacks or pillowcases, markers or fabric paint (optional for decoration).
How-To: If you don’t have burlap sacks, large pillowcases work great too. Decorate them with fun designs or the child’s favorite characters. Then, kids can hop inside the bags, holding them up by the sides, and race to a finish line. This classic game is perfect for parties or outdoor play!

2. Obstacle Course with Bag Jumps

Materials: Several large bags (like burlap sacks), cones, ropes, or objects for creating an obstacle course.
How-To: Set up an obstacle course that includes sections where kids need to jump in and out of the bags. For example, they could hop inside a sack, jump over cones, crawl under ropes, and then continue jumping in and out of bags until they reach the finish line. This makes the activity more challenging and fun!

3. Bag Jump Relay Race

Materials: Large bags (like potato sacks), cones or markers for start and finish lines.
How-To: Divide kids into teams and have them take turns hopping in the bags from the start to the finish line and back. Once they return, the next person on their team takes the bag and hops to the finish line. The team that finishes first wins!

4. Bag Jump “Freeze” Game

Materials: A large sack for each child and a music player.
How-To: Have the kids hop inside the bags while the music plays. When the music stops, they need to freeze in place, still inside the bag. If anyone moves, they’re out, or you can simply restart the game. The last person remaining wins!

5. Bag Jump Toss

Materials: Large sacks, bean bags or small soft balls.
How-To: Line up kids in a row, each standing in a large sack. Have them hop toward a target (such as a bucket or hoop) while trying to toss bean bags or small balls into the target while jumping in their bags. This combines bag jumping with accuracy!

6. Bag Jump High Jump

Materials: A large sack for each participant and a safe surface to jump on (grass, soft mats, etc.).
How-To: Set up a “high jump” using a low bar, rope, or line. Kids hop in the sacks and try to jump over the bar while still inside the bag. Gradually raise the bar to make it more challenging.

7. Bag Jump and Stack Game

Materials: Large bags, and a stack of soft pillows or foam blocks.
How-To: Kids hop in and out of the sacks and then try to stack as many pillows or foam blocks as they can without knocking the stack over. This creates a combination of jumping and balancing skills.

8. Bag Jump Knockdown

Materials: Large sacks, plastic bottles or soft objects to knock down.
How-To: Place plastic bottles or soft objects in a line. Kids jump in their bags and try to knock over the items by hopping into them. The goal is to knock over all the items in as few jumps as possible!

Bag jumps are a great way to keep kids active and entertained. They’re ideal for family gatherings, birthday parties, or just a fun outdoor activity. Just make sure to have enough space for everyone to jump around safely!

4. Eye Spy TP

Make binoculars for your sidekick to watch the action once you hang the aluminium can birdfeeder. Who knows what the future holds for this easy project we discovered at Lu Bird Baby? With these imaginatively coloured spectacles, your young adventurer will be able to see everything, from the jungles of the local park to the wilds of your backyard environment.

5. Top Time

It seems like you might be referring to “Top Time,” but I’m not sure in what context. Are you talking about the best times for something, a specific event, or maybe a brand or product? Could you clarify a bit more so I can help

6. Cereal City

It looks like you’re referring to “Cereal City.” This might be a nickname for Battle Creek, Michigan, which is famous for being the home of several major cereal companies, including Kellogg’s. Battle Creek is often called “Cereal City” because of its deep connection to the breakfast cereal industry, with the Kellogg Company being founded there in 1906.

Is this what you were thinking of, or is there another context you’re referring to

7. Sweet T-Shirts

It seems like you’re talking about “Sweet T-Shirts.” Are you referring to a specific brand or design of T-shirts that you like, or just the general concept of stylish or cool T-shirts? Let me know if you’re looking for recommendations, trends, or something else related to T-shirts!

8. Powerful Paper

“Powerful Paper” could refer to a few different things depending on the context. It might mean paper that’s used for important documents (like legal or official papers), or it could be referring to a type of paper that is strong or durable. It could also be a metaphorical term, where “powerful paper” might represent something impactful, such as a well-written essay, research paper, or even a piece of writing that brings about significant change.

Could you clarify what you mean by “Powerful Paper”? I’d be happy to help with more specific information!

9. Play With Plastic

“Play with Plastic” sounds like a fun and creative concept! Are you referring to something specific like crafting, building, or maybe something related to plastic arts or design? Let me know how you’d like to explore it, and we can brainstorm ideas or activities together!

10. Darling Dream Catchers

Since music and movies are now available digitally, the CDs in your closet have most likely been collecting dust. Your children can create recycled crafts out of those dinosaur compact discs with a few materials, such as yarn and beads. Visit Pink Stripey Socks for all the information you need to create your own dream catchers.

11. Creative Crayons

It sounds like you’re referring to “Creative Crayons.” Could you clarify a bit? Are you looking for ideas related to crayons, a brand, or something specific like creative activities involving crayons? Let me know, and I’d be happy to help!

12. Window Mobile

It seems like you are referring to “Windows Mobile.”

Windows Mobile was an operating system developed by Microsoft for smartphones and personal digital assistants (PDAs). It was launched in the early 2000s and went through several versions before being eventually replaced by Windows Phone in 2010, which was later discontinued in favor of the Windows 10 Mobile platform. Windows Mobile was known for its integration with Microsoft Office and other Microsoft products.

If you’re looking for more specific information about Windows Mobile or its features, feel free to ask!

13. Maracas

Maracas are a type of percussion instrument, typically consisting of a hollow container filled with beads or seeds that produce sound when shaken. They are often made from gourds, plastic, or wood, and are commonly used in various styles of Latin American music, including salsa, samba, and cumbia.

Maracas are held in one hand and shaken rhythmically to add texture and rhythm to a musical performance. They can come in different sizes and colors, and sometimes, the handles are decorated with intricate patterns. They are commonly associated with dance and festive celebrations.

Would you like to know more about the history or cultural significance.

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