As the summer heat makes outside adventures a little uncomfortable, consider filling one of those warm afternoons with an inside adventure — a recycled art project.
Using items laying around the house or waiting to be recycled, craft projects abound: you can make an origami box from greeting cards or use old newspaper to create papier-mâché dinosaurs. An old bed sheet can become the canvas for a painting in the style of Jackson Pollock, and junk mail can become jewelry, to name just a few ideas.
Collecting waste from around the house is only the first step to recycling it, Marilyn Brackney reminds us. She’s a mother and schoolteacher who has been inspiring children to make recycled art. She first started using scraps and discarded materials for art projects as a way to save money. But, she emphasized, “using scrap materials or reusing or repurposing materials to create art is not a new idea. People have been doing this since ancient times.” She cites examples like making mosaics from broken pottery and tiles, like the Greeks and Byzantines did.
She also points out that making art out of recycled materials encourages families to collect the waste in the first place, instead of just throwing it out. It also helps children understand the idea of re-use, while at the same time fostering creativity. An added bonus is that it can save tons of money in craft materials.
Equally as important, she points out, the recycled materials can be just as great as the store-bought ones. “I stress treating trash with the same respect one would give to conventional materials that are bought at the store,” she says. “Reusing and recycling to make art or crafts encourages creative thinking and problem solving. Kids are challenged when they’re presented with solid waste as art materials, and making something from nothing is fun!” And the art, says Brackney, can be just as great.
Even adults can join in the fun. She created an art show featuring professional artists who create using recycled materials. The show is now in its seventh year.
Brackney’s website, The Imagination Factory, makes it easy to get started, though access to many of the resources does require a $10 annual membership fee.
The idea of turning trash into art has gained popularity since Brackney started the Imagination Factory in 1996. For more ideas, check out these websites too:
http://www.kinderart.com/recycle/
http://www.recycleworks.org/kids/art.html
And if you’d like a book with ideas and detailed instructions, check out this new one by Tiffany Threadgould called Remake It! Recycling Projects from the Stuff You Usually Scrap.