Recycled Craft Supplies
Crushed Eggshells
Parents can dye them with a mixture of food coloring paste (a dab) and rubbing alcohol (3 tablespoons); kids can glue them onto paper to make eggshell mosaics. Store the extras in zip-top bags.
Packing Material
The biodegradable packing peanuts made from cornstarch can be assembled into fascinating sculptures simply by moistening one end of each piece with a damp cotton swab (the moisture melts them and makes them stick together.) Use these and other (bottle caps, twist ties, rubber bands) and stay busy for hours.
Berry Baskets
Use them as weaving boards for yarn, grass, or strips of paper; cover them with construction paper for buildings; add a string handle for a carry-along treasure basket; or print with them by painting the bottoms and pressing them onto paper.
Bubble Wrap
Assuming you can stop the kids from popping it all, paint a section and use it to make polka-dot snakeskin-like prints.
Old Socks
Turn mateless socks into beanbags (cut one at the ankle, fill with beans, then sew or glue it closed), sock elves or zany puppets using whatever recyclables you have on hand.
Craft Scraps
Scoop those leftover sequins, pieces of felt and pipe cleaners into a zip-top bag. When it's full, challenge your kids to use the contents of your "Rainy Day Grab Bag" to make something new, such as a collage or free-form sculpture. Larger pieces of unwanted artwork can be cut into strips or squares and used to make collage cards or decorate a back-to-school book holder or pencil pot.
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