Earth-friendly Crafts: Clever Ways to Reuse Everyday Items

by Kathy Ross, Celine Malepart (Illustrator)

What do you do with old toys, clothes, and other stuff? Instead of throwing them away, get creative and see what crafts you can make! This book shows you how to make crafts out of old playing cards, marker caps, toy cars, neckties, hairbrushes, and more. Color photos of the finished crafts and step-by-step illustrations make these crafts a snap. Along with 21 crafts, you’ll find information about recycling and tips for what you can do to help the planet. So find new uses for your old stuff and get crafting!

Genres: Crafts

48 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Cindi · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to ignore the fact that sending less trash to the landfills is a community effort. Kids learn early on that actions speak louder than words and when parents and educators encourage repurposing and reusing not only with words, but also deeds, youngsters pay attention. Earth-Friendly Crafts: Clever Ways to Reuse Everyday Items is a book that kids will love owning and using to repurpose and craft their own trinkets and treasures.

Twenty-one different crafts fill the pages of this just-for-kids craft book. Materials used include everything from miniature plastic toys and race cars to empty cereal boxes and old slinkies to create keychains, puppets, and treasure boxes. With easy-to-follow instructions and some imagination, kids will be creating for everyone they know. Who knows? Perhaps the next Etsy shop-owner or mixed media collage artist will be inspired by this book.

Continue reading on Examiner.com 'Earth-Friendly Crafts' a repurposing idea book for kids - San Francisco recycling | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/recycling-in-...

[Beck · Rating 1 out of 5]

Probably the only craft I would make from this book is the puzzle-piece alligator, which I did quite like.

The cover pencil-holder looks interesting, but a) I'm not entirely convinced marker caps are tall enough for pencils, and b) who has 25-30 used marker caps sitting around? An institution like a school, sure, but it would probably take most families quite some time (or conversation with an institution) to collect enough. Am I just confused because I haven't had any children to run through markers yet?

Mostly the crafts were lame, unattractive and/or unoriginal. It might be because I'm not a child...but it seems a bad sign if even *I*, hoarder extraordinaire, think something is better thrown out than "reused" to make a clunky craft.

[Hope · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a book for children, so the instructions are very basic. I approve of this. I do not approve of telling children to add un-recyclable decorations to recyclable cardboard, using glue that will only work for about 5 minutes, and call it earth-friendly. There are lots of ways to made and decorate items without resorting to purchasing more bits of plastic. And it feel mean to instruct a child to make something that won't last. There was one cute idea - the folded glove octopus. Otherwise, it was a waste of time and paper.

[Miss Kelly]

Book full of quick and easy craft ideas that use common/everyday items to make and create stuff. For example they make a cute duck maganet using a balloon and makes cool creatures from missing puzzle

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is filled with fun and easy crafts that can be made out of items that most likely you already own. This gave me an idea. I really want to do a craft for Earth Day. Yay!:)

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The layout is cute, but I didn't feel compelled to make any of the crafts.