Earth Day Crafts Using Recycled Magazines

Earth Day was formally made a holiday April 22nd 1970. The goal of Earth Day is to raise awareness and make a commitment to take care of our planet and the environment.

Anytime we can take something that is being tossed away, to make something useful we are helping to take care of the environment and our planet. So before tossing that magazine into the recycle bin, see if there is one more use before it goes away.

~ Make a garbage bin
This garbage bin takes a long time to make, but it looks great and lasts, at least three years and counting.

The bottom of the garbage bin is made by folding pages from a magazine and gluing them into a flat circular shape. To make this happen rip a page out of a magazine. Fold in half (lengthwise). Make sure there is a good solid crease at each fold. Fold in half again. Keep doing this until the strip is about ½ inch wide (four folds). Take a bit of tacky craft glue and coil the strip into a flat circle. Do not over use the glue. Add the next strip and keep the coil circle going until it is a big as you would like the bottom of your garbage bin.

The sides are made of magazine pages folded and molded into circles. These are placed on top of each other in a slightly outward position to create the sides. The top is left with a random pattern of circles.

To make the circles, cut the magazine pages into thirds. Get a size eight-ought knitting needle. Begin at the corner of the strip, Roll around the knitting needle to the opposite corner. Place a dab of glue on the opposite corner and seal the paper. Slide the paper off the knitting needle. You should now have some that resembles a straw. Flatten out the paper straw. Curl the flattened straw around two fingers to make a ring. Glue down the tail and allow it to dry.

Place a row of rings around the base and build up as tall as desired for the bin. Cover the entire project in a decoupage medium.

~ Make a bowl
This is a great bowl to catch keys or what knots. The bottom of the bowl is made the same way as the bottom of the garbage bin listed above. After the bottom is made, make the next row of strips about ½ the way up the bottom row. This makes the bowl go up and out. Continue in this manner until the bowl is the proper size.

Seal the bowl with a decoupage medium.

~ Make a bow
Cut the magazine pages into ½ inch strips, lengthwise. Cut these strips in half. Take the strips and make a loops with this side desired facing outward. Secure with a dab of glue. Take two strips and glue the ends together. Use a paper punch and make a hole in the center of the glued joining. (There will be a loop on each end with a hole punched in the center joining. Each bow will need one single strip glued in a circle with a hole punch.

Put the brad through the full circle loop. This is the center of the bow. Add the other loops to the brad, offsetting them and adjusting them as you go to form a full bow. Close the brad.

~ Weave a pocket purse
Cut the magazine pages into ½ inch strips. Weave the strips in an over – under fashion. Take packing tape and laminate the weave. Tape together as a purse. Add velcro strips for closure.

There are many crafts fit well with Earth Day , think recycle and anything goes.,