Keeping kids busy and occupied is no easy task! Of course, modern gadgets and TVs can make the job easier, but these solutions are best used in moderation! So, let’s do things the old school way and learn a trick or two about keeping kids occupied with arts and crafts!
Waste material craft for kids is a great way to bond with children and dedicate some time to learn something new! From things to decorate your home with, to bits and bobbles that they can wear as jewellery or even cute toys! T There are so many things that can be made using waste things lying around the house! So, put on your creative hats, and try these craft ideas using waste materialswith your kids!
Safety Tip: For some activities listed here, you need a hot glue gun. We recommend that you do not allow children to use this on their own and supervise them because the gun can get very hot and may cause burns.
Super & Creative Waste Material Craft Ideas for Kids
Here are some cool craft ideas for kids with waste material, which are easy and fun! Craft out of waste material is pocket-friendly and encourages children to learn to reuse things while exercising their creativity!
1. Milk Carton Bird House
Use an old milk carton for this activity, which will not only be fun and engaging, but will also enchant your children by attracting birds to your balcony
Things You Need
- Milk or juice carton
- White spray paint
- White adhesive, such as Fevicol
- Hot glue gun
- One plastic spoon
- Coloured tissue papers
- Cutter or knife
- Sponge brushes
- Soft book cover big enough to make a roof
- Wool
Procedure
- Spray paint the milk or juice carton and leave it to dry.
- Dilute the white glue with water and put a thin layer of it on the cartons and the roof made of the book cover.
- Before the glue dries up, use the coloured tissues or paper randomly on the cartons for a colourful effect. You can even overlap one tissue over another.
- Make a hole on the top of the carton using a cutter and another on the side of the carton to make the door.
- Just below the door, cut a small ‘X’ shape and insert a plastic spoon in it. This is where the bird seeds can be put.
- Now fix the roof on top of the carton using the hot glue gun.
- Make two tiny slits on the roof, about 2 inches apart from each other. Put the wool through this to hang the pretty bird house!
2. Popsicle Stick Bookmarks
Make holiday reading fun with these DIY bookmarks. They make great gifts for friends too!
Things You Need
- Popsicle sticks
- Fabric scraps
- Glue
- Ribbons
- Felt pens
- Googly eyes
Procedure
- Start with washed and dried popsicle sticks.
- Let the kids twirl and wrap the fabric scraps around the sticks with glue leaving enough space for a face, which should be about 1/4th on the top.
- Ribbons can be glued as belts or hair accessories.
- Finally, stick googly eyes and draw a mouth on each of the sticks.
- Your cute little dressed up bookmarks are ready!
3. Glittery CD Fish
Help your child make an aquarium of her very own with these attractive fishes
Things You Need
- A CD
- Glitter
- White adhesive
- Yellow card paper
- Scotch tape
- Scissors
- Googly eyes
Procedure
- Apply the adhesive to the CD all over, only leaving the middle portion empty.
- Sprinkle the glitter all over the area on the CD. Leave it to dry.
- 3. With the yellow card paper, cut a mouth, fins and tail and stick these on the blank side of the CD using the tape after it’s dry.
- Attach the googly eye to one side of the fish’s face.
- Your fun fish is ready!
4. Ombre Spoon Vase
Make space for all those flowers your children are going to collect for you on their walks with this simple vase. It is a great way to keep stationary too!
Things You Need
- One large can or jar
- Paper plate
- Plastic spoons, depending on the size of the jar
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun
- White spray primer
- Acrylic paint of your choice of colour, and white
Procedure
- Use the white spray primer and coat the jar.
- Cut off the handles of all the plastic spoons but one.
- On the paper plate, pour out one blob of the coloured paint per row.
- Leave one blob as it is to be the darkest and keep adding more and more white paint to other blobs so that you have Ombre shades.
- Paint the spoon heads required as per the size of the jar and then stick them to the jar in layers according to their shade. You can have it light to dark or the other way around!
- Your Ombre spoon vase is ready!
5. Tin-can Chimes
Convert boring tin cans into musical chimes on a lazy afternoon in a few simple steps. Here’s how:
Things You Need
- Tin cans with lids, 3 or more
- Nail and hammer
- Washers, one for each tin
- Paint brush
- Tempera paints in different colours
- Wool or string
- Glitter
Procedure
- Paint the tin cans in different colours.
- Add some glitter to the cans while they’re wet.
- After they dry up, make a hole at the bottom of each can using the hammer and the nail (this part is best handled by adults)
- Take a long piece of wool or string through the holes. Tie the two washers at the other end of the string, inside the tin cans.
- Hang the cans in a way that they overlap or hit each other when the wind hits them.
- Your tin-can chimes are ready!
6. Itsy Bitsy Spider
Help your child make creepy-crawlies you won’t mind having in your house. These spiders are the perfect addition to your kids room
Things You Need
- Bottle cap
- String or wool
- Paints and paintbrush
- Glue
- Scissors
- Paper
- Googly eyes
Procedure
- Paint the bottle cap red.
- Cut 8 strings of the same length.
- Stick 4 strings on either side of the cap.
- Now stick 2 googly eyes or make eyes from paper and stick them on the cap.
- Your spider is ready to scare people!
7. Pineapple Craft Pen Stand
Be reminded of everything summer with this brigh pen stand which is guaranteed to bring some sunshine to your study table. It is just what you need to organise all that stationary you always need at hand
Things You Need
- Green wool
- Green paper
- Tape
- Plastic bottle
- Paints and paintbrush
- Glue
- Red sketch pen
Procedure
- Paint the plastic bottle yellow and leave it to dry
- Make zig-zag lines on the green paper and cut the paper to form the shape of a pineapple top.
- Cut the green wool into small strips and stick them to the top and bottom of the bottle so that the strings crisscross randomly.
- Make thorn patterns on the yellow paper with the red pen.
- Stick the top made of paper on the rim of the bottle.
- Your pineapple craft pen stand is ready for use!
8. Ice Cream Stick Toy Fighter Plane
Why buy a toy when it si so much more fun to make one! Help you little pilot make a plane and watch him go
Things You Need
- 4 ice cream sticks
- 1 wooden clothespin
- Paint
- Eraser
- Paintbrush
- Glue
- Cutter
Procedure
- Paint the ice cream sticks in colours of your choice and let them dry.
- Paint the clothespin in the same or a different colour, and leave it to dry
- Cut an ice cream stick into 3 pieces and join two end pieces in a straight line with glue. This is to make the plane’s propeller
- Cut a tiny little bit of the eraser, paint it and leave it aside to dry
- Glue 2 ice cream sticks to the clothespin, perpendicular and equidistant from each other. Flip to the other side of the clip and repeat the same process with 2 more ice cream sticks, so that they overlap each other
- Glue the eraser to the ice cream stick so that the propeller is complete!
- Finally, stick the propeller on the mouth of the clothespin. Your plane is ready!
9. Tin Can Lanterns
Engage the kids, use up you junk and prepare for the next festival all in one go with these attractive lanterns. Here’s how:
Things You Need
- Tin can
- Hammer
- Wire
- Nail
- Pliers
- Tea light candle
- Spray paint
Procedure
- Remove the label and glue from the tin can, and let it dry
- Fill the can with water and put it in the freezer for some time
- Take the can out of the freezer and then poke a hole in the top of the can and one at the bottom
- Take a 12-inch wire and make a handle attaching it to the two holes
- Make various holes around the can with hammer and nails. You can choose to create a shape with these holes or a random pattern
- Paint the cans in fun colours, inside and outside. This might require several coats
- Once it’s all dry, you can put fairy lights or tea light candles in them for effect!
10. Sock Puppets
Make story time fun with these simple puppets. It is a good idea to make puppets of your child’s favourite characters. A cut-out cardboard box lakes the perfect theatre for an engaging show
Things You Need
- Two socks- plain or printed
- Googly eyes or buttons
- Wool
- Wool needle
- Black thread for sewing
- Scissors
Procedure
Make sure the socks are washed properly and dry
- Sew the googly eyes or the buttons on the heel of the socks. Put 2 eyes per sock
- Cut 12 six-inch strips of wool. This is for the puppet’s hair. Put it in a way so that the sewing thread makes a parting
- Sew the hair on top of the sock above the eyes
- Put your hands in and the puppets are ready!
11. Popsicle Photo Frame
Display your favourite pictures instead of letting them gather dust in albums with these easy photo-frames
Things You Need
- 8 popsicle sticks
- Scissors
- Glue gun
- Paint
- Crayons
- White paper
Procedure
- Colour the popsicle sticks on both sides in different colours
- Stick popsicle sticks in such a way that they form a square shape, with the ends jutting out on the four sides
- Cut a white paper to 9*12 size. Glue the popsicle sticks in a square to the white paper. It will create the frame. Chop off the excess paper
- Your frame is ready for a handmade drawing or painting!
12. CD Coasters
Make sure all those drinks your kids spill don’t ruin your furniture by helping them make these reversible coasters. Here’s what you need to do:
Things You Need
- CDs
- Thin Cardboard
- Felt tip pen or pencil
- Scissors
- Glue
- Fabric scraps
Procedure
- Trace the outline of the CD with a pencil on the cardboard and cut the shape out. You need 2 such circles for each coaster you make as you need to cover up the hole of the CD
- Glue the cut out cardboard circles on each side of the disk so that the hole is covered
- Glue the top of the cardboard and stick the fabric scraps that are cut to the same shape
- Your reversible coasters are ready to use!
13. Recycled Bottle Vases
Teach your kids the importance of recycling with these pretty bottle-vases.
Things You Need
- Glass or plastic bottle
- Paint primer
- Paintbrush
- Thick tape
- Spray Paint
Procedure
- Clean the bottle to remove the label.
- Paint the bottle with primer.
- Spray paint the bottle in a colour of your choice.
- Once the paint dries, top it up with another coat of spray paint.
- You can also make patterns on the bottles! For this, you need to wait till the paint primer has dried up. Then use the tape to make the design you want. When you remove the tape after spray painting the bottle, that part will still be transparent! You can even use washi- tape to make the design of your choice on the bottle.
- Your bottle vases are ready. Put a single stem of the real or artificial flower in it for added effect!
14. Turtle Made with Walnut Shells
Give your child’s CD fish a turtle for company, and help your child decorate her aquarium with this cute walnut turtle
Things You Need
- Cardboard
- Half a walnut
- Yellow and green paint
- Scissors
- Tape
- Black marker
- Glue
Procedure
- Paint half the walnut shell yellow. Now once that dries up, trace the details of the shell with green paint.
- Draw the base of a turtle on to a thick green sheet. Make two of these and cut them out.
- Stick both together along with a triangular shape for the face of the turtle.
- Stick the walnut on top of the base, make eyes and a mouth on the triangular shape and voila! Your turtle is ready!
15. Bear Mask with Paper Plates
No kids’ party is complete without masks. Help yo kids prepare for a bear-themed party with these easy-to-make masks.
Things You Need
- A large paper plate
- White, light and dark brown chart paper
- Brown paint
- Scissors
- Paintbrush
- Hot glue gun
- String
Procedure
- Start by measuring and marking the child’s eyes on the paper plate which should be bigger than your child’s face. Make holes with the scissors exactly where the eyes will be. You can try it on to see whether the position is correct after cutting the holes.
- Next, paint the paper plate brown (tempera paint is preferable)
- Cut out two circles of dark brown paper for the ears, and of light brown paper to make the inner circle for the ears. Stick them together.
- Make the eyes with white paper and then make a black ring around the holes you had previously for the child’s eyes.
- Cut one big circle of the light brown paper for the mouth and nose area. Draw the mouth and the nose on it.
- After this, use the different elements to put the bear’s face together with glue on a paper plate.
- Make two small holes on the bear’s cheeks with a sharp pencil. Pass the string through it and make a knot so that it stays. The size of the string should match the size of the child’s head.
- That’s it! Your bear mask is ready!
16. Bottle Paper Bank
Saving is a habit which must be encouraged in every child, as it helps them realise the value of hard work and money. Get them started with these DIY banks
Things You Need
- Clean plastic bottle
- Piece of paper
- Felt tip pens or markers
- Glue
Procedure
- Clean and dry the bottle.
- Cut a slot big enough to send a coin through and seal the edges with glued paper or tape
- Cover the rest of the bottle with the paper and hand it to your child to paint or make patterns on.
- The money bank is ready for some sweet savings!
17. Ocean in a Bottle
Bring home the beach and refresh memories of your last vacation with this curio. Here’s how you can make it
Things You Need
- Big plastic bottle
- Water
- Funnel
- Blue food colouring
- Mineral oil
- Rocks
- Sea shells
- Sand
- Glue gun
Procedure
- Clean the plastic bottle, and make sure the label and the glue are gone.
- Using the funnel to fill the bottle with sand. There should be enough to cover one side when the bottle rests on its side.
- Add some sea shells, rocks and maybe an aquarium toy or two that fit in.
- In a separate bottle, mix some water with blue colouring till you get a colour like the blue of the ocean.
- Pour the blue water into the bottle with the sand till it’s about 2/3rds filled. Then pour mineral oil into the remaining part of the bottle that’s empty.
- Glue the cap of the bottle so that it cannot be opened and leave it to dry.
- Tilt your bottle to see the ocean and the waves when you want!
18. Button Bracelet
Dig into your sewing box for some wearable artwork. This button bracelet is quick and easy to make, and makes an awesome gift too
Things You Need
- Buttons
- Elastic
- Metal crimp tube
- Shanks
- Pliers
Procedure
- Thread the elastic through the shanks and make sure the buttons are turned upside down to overlap.
- When you have done this with enough buttons, and it is large enough to wrap around the wrist, thread the ends of the elastic through a metal crimp tube to seal it.
- Trim off the excess elastic with the pliers and your bracelet is ready!
19. Mason Jar Snow Globe
The most attractive things are often the easiest to put together. Introduce your child to this mason-jar snow globe and give them a way to display their creativity
Things You Need
- Mason jar
- Hot glue gun
- Decorative ornaments
- Glycerin
- Glitter
- Water
- Silver paint
Procedure
- Paint the lid of a mason jar with silver acrylic paint.
- Stick the ornaments on the inside of the lid using a glue gun.
- Fill the jar up with water to the brim. Add some glycerin and glitter to it.
- Screw the lid on carefully and tightly.
- Turn the mason jar and keep the lid as the base to see the snow fall!
20. Paper Wind Turbine
Science meets art in this quick craft. Make a paper turbine and attach it to your kids’ bicycles to teach them how the wind works
Things You Need
- 5 paper cups
- Cardboard box lid
- Sand
- White paper
- Board pins
- Glue
- Scissors
Procedure
- Colour 2 paper cups blue and leave 3 as they are.
- Pile and glue all the cups, one on top of the other to form the tower.
- After this, make a pinwheel with the paper and attach it to the topmost cup with a pin.
- Fill card box the lid with sand, and place the windmill on it or stick it with glue.
- Your paper wind turbine is ready!
21. Match-Bot
Help your kids make a robot of their very own with these easy–to-collect materials
Things You Need
- 4 matchboxes
- 2 matchsticks
- Coloured sheets
- Scissors
- Glue
Procedure
- Cover a matchbox with coloured paper.
- Make a hole at the bottom of the box using a matchstick.
- Make the robot’s antennae using 2 matchsticks.
- Draw robot’s eyes.
- Make a body sticking together 3 more matchboxes as the body and the legs.
- Using a matchstick, connect the head with the body in the shape of a table.
- Your match-bot is ready!
22. Mini Suitcase for Dolls
Get ready to take your dolls on a vacation with these cute mini-suitcases. These suitcases also help your child organise her trinkets.
Things You Need
- Matchbox
- Coloured paper- light and dark brown
- Scissors
- Glue
- Felt pens
Procedure
- Cover the top of the matchbox with the dark coloured paper.
- Cut thin strips of light brown paper and stick them on the sides.
- Make a small handle with the light brown paper and stick it on top.
- Make 4 semi-circles with the light brown paper and stick them on the side.
- Add two strips for the upper and lower ends and insert these back into the cover. You can use this to store tiny bits and baubles!
23. Abstract Alligator
Convert a mundane clothes- pin into a snappy pet. This cute alligator is ready in a jiffy and is a perfect addition to story-time
Things You Need
- Wooden cloth clip
- Glue
- Scissors
- White paper
- Sketch pens
- Green paint
Procedure
- Colour the clip with green paint.
- Draw teeth on white paper and cut them.
- Stick the teeth on both sides of the clip.
- Draw eyes and nostrils with the black marker on the top of the clip, above where the teeth are stuck.
- Your cute alligator is ready!
24. T-shirt Tote Bag
Convert your kid’s favourite frayed t-shit into an attractive beach-bag. Here’s how
Things You Need
- An old t-shirt, with any neck
- Scissors
Procedure
- Cut a circle along the neck of the shirt.
- Cut off the left and the right sleeves so that they are completely removed. Make sure the cut on both the sides are the same.
- Turn the tee inside out.
- Chop off the rim at the base of the shirt.
- Make fringes of 5 cm each at the bottom of the tee and tie two of these together in knots, so that the base of the bag is sealed.
- Flip the tee again, and your bag is ready!
25. Tennis Ball Key Holder
Make an organiser for your home as your kids learn a new craft with this convenient key-holder
Things You Need
- Tennis ball
- Cutter
- Googly eyes
Procedure
- Cut a big slit in the tennis ball, right above one of the lines. This will be the mouth of the ball.
- Attach two googly eyes spaced out right above the slits so that it looks like it has a face.
- Hang it on the wall as a fun key holder. You can put anything into the mouth of the ball to hold it there!
Hang it on the wall as a fun key holder. You can put anything into the mouth of the ball to hold it there!
With these craft ideas, you can put waste materials at home to good use. By trying out these craft ideas, not only will your kid learn to make new things, he will also learn the importance of reuse and recycle. To promote creativity, you can also get DIY kits for your kid. These kits contain age-appropriate activities that will keep your child busy. Yes, he will draw, colour, and paint all by himself. As he tries out these activities on his own, his motor skills will develop and so will his confidence.
