Recycling Box Craft Ideas

After a few weeks lockdown, we find ourselves spending a vast amount of time in and around our own homes. Searching for new ways of learning, inspiration, and creative entertainment for our little ones. I would like to share with you some of our recent crafty projects. These mostly utilise resources you find around the home, such as items for recycling.

Milk Bottle Elephants

I have seen a few different versions of this activity shared online, it looked so fun, we just had to give it a try. With its own Babipur twist of course!

What you will need: plastic milk bottle, scrap paper cut into pieces, glue, paint, paper circles for the eyes

1. Cut your milk bottle down – trim the handle to create the trunk, make two arches on the sides to create the legs
2. Make a mix of PVA glue and water – enough to cover your bottle with the scrap paper pieces and leave to dry. You can add more layers if you want to strengthen your elephant
3. Time get decorating! We used red paint to decorate our Elephant, but you could any colour paint, crayons or felt tip pens you like
4. All that’s left is to give your new friend a pair of peepers. We had eye sticker in our craft stash, but you could easily cut out two little circles and add your very own eye details

Cardboard Roll Animals

I can’t take any credit for these ones, my usually very un-crafty other half made these with our little one whilst I was working. I did take the photos so I’ll count that as ‘helping’! They made a ladybird, and a rather angry looking bumble bee. We will definitely be making some more animals. They use very little resources, and you can create whatever your little ones want. I might even try my hand at making a version of Shaun the sheep, one of Iwan’s current obsessions!

Materials you could use: cardboard / paper roll, paper, light card, paints, felt tips or crayons

Yoghurt Pot Frog

You probably won’t be thanking me for the reminder… but do any of you remember that little frog? You remember THE crazy frog? This is what my next creation reminded me of. It took me right back to the days of ringtone downloads, hearing that frog song absolutely EVERYWHERE! That aside I think frogs (and toads) can be really cute in a certain light, so we decided to make our own out of yogurt pots.

What you will need: two yogurt pots, thin cardboard (cereal boxes are perfect), paint, felt tips / crayons, glue, paper circles for the eyes

1. Paint your (clean!) yogurt pots in your choice of colour – we went for the classic green frog. Leave to dry
2. Place your pots next to each other on your cardboard and draw around them. Cut out, fold in half and decorate it to create the mouth
3. Stick the painted yogurt pots to the mouth
4. Cut a base for your pots to form some feet for your frog. Cut a strip that you can use as a tongue. Decorate these with either paints, felt tip pens or crayons then stick them on
5. Now all your little froggy friend needs is a pair of eyes!

Get creative with your babipur box

Now this activity is completely open to your interpretation. I’ve seen some amazing creations using babipur boxes (and other cardboard boxes) when this was a prompt in one of our recent Instagram challenges. This was our creation – a little castle for our Grapat Tomtens. We used babipur tape to secure the tops and found the rainbow ribbons in the back of the kitchen drawer, which we used to make the drawbridge.

We love seeing all your crafty creations! So if you and your little ones give these crafty makes a try, we would LOVE to see pictures of them! Use the #BabipurCrafts and #LoveBabipur hashtag on Instagram, or share them with us over on our Facebook group the Babipur Hangout!

You can find a range of eco friendly paints and other arts & craft materials >>HERE<<